FAIRFIELD ARTS & CONVENTION CENTER

What FAIRFIELD ARTS & CONVENTION CENTER does

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a community arts and convention facility in Fairfield, Iowa. The venue, owned by the City of Fairfield and operated by the nonprofit since 1997, spans over 15,000 square feet of flexible space and serves as a multi-purpose venue for performing arts, cinema, community events, weddings, and corporate events. The organization employs 13 staff and generates revenue through ticket sales, venue rentals, and donations/fundraising, with ticket prices ranging from $5 to $57 across programming tiers.

The center relies on third-party technology platforms for its core operations: ArtsPeople handles performing arts ticketing and venue booking, while Veezi supports dedicated cinema ticketing. Programming is delivered through a combination of in-house curated seasons and partnerships with local arts organizations including Fairfield Community Arts (FCA), Fairfield Youth Philanthropy (FYPA), and Maharishi International University. The 2025-26 season announcement reflects ongoing seasonal programming expansion across both performing arts and cinema.

Business model is characteristic of a community nonprofit: earned revenue from ticket sales and venue rentals is supplemented by fundraising and donations, with the facility itself held by the municipality. The customer base is distributed across individual ticket buyers, local event organizers, and institutional partners, with revenue concentration risk tied to the small Fairfield, Iowa market and the handful of recurring programming partners.

Name

FAIRFIELD ARTS & CONVENTION CENTER

Legal name

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center

Website

https://fairfieldacc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 15,000+ sq ft multi-purpose venue in Fairfield, Iowa, hosting performing arts, cinema, weddings, and corporate events, serving the local community through ticket sales, rentals, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue and Convention Center

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts) (THAHAAAL)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Convention center
• Event space rental
• Cinema exhibition
• Arts education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from tickets to performing arts events, cinema screenings, concerts, and special performances. The center sells tickets online, at the door, and through the mail. Group discounts are available for certain events.
2. Venue Rental: The center generates revenue by renting flexible meeting spaces and event venues for weddings, corporate events, meetings, seminars, and private parties. The facility offers over 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The nonprofit organization accepts donations and holds fundraising events to support operations and community programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center operates a multi-venue performing arts and convention facility featuring the Sondheim Center for Performing Arts (main theater), Cinema Fairfield (cinema exhibition program), and over 15,000 square feet of flexible event space (Expo Hall, meeting rooms, Atrium, Parsons College Alumni Hall). It presents a season of national and international touring performances, cinema screenings, community events, educational theater camps, and offers its spaces for rent for weddings, corporate meetings, and private events.

Product overview

The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a single unified arts and convention facility offering multiple interconnected venues and programs. The core offerings include the Sondheim Center for Performing Arts (main theater), Cinema Fairfield (cinema program), and various meeting/event spaces (Expo Hall, Atrium, Cambridge and Smith Meeting Rooms, Parsons College Alumni Hall) totaling over 15,000 square feet of flexible space. Cultural programming is delivered through the Barhydt Organ Spotlight Series, Fairfield Concert Association partnership, and Cinema Fairfield screenings. The center also operates Evelyn Gamrath's Summer Camp (children's theater program) and hosts the FYPA Youth Theater. The venue features the Dey Barhydt Organ and a Steinway grand piano for musical performances. Additional amenities include a commercial kitchen and the Fairfield Art Association Art Gallery. The center serves as the primary venue for performing arts, cinema, community events, weddings, and corporate gatherings in Jefferson County and Southeast Iowa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Performing Arts Season Programming

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fairfield Concert AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents concert performances at the venue throughout the season. This long-standing partnership brings classical and musical performances to the community through the association's curated programming.
• FYPA (Fairfield Youth Performing Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth theater organization representing seven southeast Iowa school districts. Presents major productions at the venue including Xanadu Jr., providing young performers with professional-grade production values and facilities.
• Southeast Iowa Blues SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents blues music events and performances at the center, bringing regional and national blues artists to the venue for community benefit.
• Missoula Children's TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides week-long intensive theater camps for students ages 5-14, taking participants from audition to performance. Camps include materials, costumes, scripts and makeup.
• Maharishi International University (Cinematic Arts & New Media Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents annual June Fest showcasing graduating seniors' film projects. Annual celebration of emerging filmmakers completing their studies.
• Pax Natura FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented Seeds of Sovereignty documentary film with community discussions following screenings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hancher Auditorium (University of Iowa): University-affiliated performing arts venue in Iowa City presenting national touring performances, comparable to FACC's Sondheim Center programming model and regional Iowa audience.
• Adler Theatre (Davenport): Quad Cities performing arts and event venue presenting touring shows and hosting community events — directly comparable in scale and programming to FACC.
• Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center, Ames): Mid-Iowa performing arts auditorium presenting national touring performances alongside an adjacent convention/expo complex — analogous combined performing-arts-and-convention-center model to FACC.
• Coralville Center for the Performing Arts: City-owned Eastern Iowa performing arts venue presenting touring concerts, theater, and community programming — closely mirrors FACC's municipal-ownership + performing-arts programming model.
• Englert Theatre (Iowa City): Nonprofit performing arts and cinema venue in Iowa offering live performance, film programming, and community events — closely aligned with FACC's blended arts/cinema/events model.
• Paramount Theatre (Cedar Rapids): Historic Iowa theater hosting touring performances, concerts, comedy, and films — overlapping core venue business and rental events with FACC.
• Hoyt Sherman Place (Des Moines): Des Moines performing arts venue in a historic mansion offering concerts, theater, and event rentals — comparable scale of programming and event-hosting mix to FACC.

Regional players

• Old Creamery Theatre: Iowa-based community theater company producing plays and musicals, comparable in mission and regional scope to FACC's FYPA and partner-driven community programming.
• Iowa Events Center (Des Moines): Large multi-venue convention and events campus in Des Moines (community-owned) offering expos, meetings, and entertainment — a scaled-up municipal convention-center analog of FACC.

Broad incumbents

• Templeton Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium (Ohio University): Mid-size Midwestern university-affiliated performing arts and events auditorium — comparable multi-use venue programming (performances, films, meetings) to FACC's blended model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/fairfieldacc
• Facebookfacebook.com/FairfieldIACenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairfield-arts-&-convention-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FAIRFIELD ARTS & CONVENTION CENTER