Washington Festivals & Events Association

What Washington Festivals & Events Association does

Washington Festivals & Events Association (WFEA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington, founded in 2000 (operating since 2001) to serve festival organizers, community non-profits, municipal agencies, visitor bureaus, fairs, B2B suppliers, event consultants, and students across Washington State. The association delivers its mission through a layered portfolio that includes tiered annual memberships ($150 student, $195 individual, $275 organization), the Annual Conference (next: Marriott Bellevue, October 27–29, 2026) and Spring Conference (next: Historic Davenport Hotel, Spokane, April 20–22, 2027), nine regional chapters spanning from the North Olympic Peninsula to Greater Spokane, the Certified Live Event Planner (CLEP) certification, and a statewide awards program covering Hall of Fame, Summit Awards, Event of the Year, Event Organizer of the Year (small and large market), Rising Star, Volunteer, and Event Supporter categories. WFEA also publishes a five-volume playbook series (covering sponsorship, complex event production, non-sponsorship revenue, and industry trends) written by veteran Pacific Northwest planners, and distributes an annual Membership Directory that doubles as a B2B sourcing portal.

Name

Washington Festivals & Events Association

Legal name

Washington Festivals & Events Association

Website

https://wfea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Washington Festivals & Events Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association serving festival organizers, municipal agencies, and event suppliers across Washington State through tiered memberships, two annual conferences, nine regional chapters, CLEP certification, and a statewide awards and publications program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Festivals & Events

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYMPAGAGAJ

Training, Workshops & Certification Events

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYMPAKADAC

Meet & Invitational Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Event & Tournament Organizers (Tours, Championships, Meets)

Keywords

• Festival event management
• Professional event certification
• Membership association services
• Event industry networking
• Event professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees with three tier levels ($150/$195/$275) based on organization type (students, individuals, organizations) and annual budget. Membership includes conference discounts, publication access, directory listings, and chapter participation.
2. Publications and Library Books: Sale of five-volume WFEA playbook series covering event production topics. Member pricing: $39 virtual only, $49 physical + virtual, $119 all 5 books. Non-member pricing includes 1-year membership with purchases.
3. Conference Registration: Revenue from Annual Conference and Spring Conference registrations with member discounts. Annual Conference 2026 at Marriott Bellevue, Spring Conference 2027 at Historic Davenport Hotel Spokane.
4. Summit Awards Entry Fees: Award submission fees at $15 per entry for Pacific Northwest Summit Awards competition, judged by industry professionals.
5. CLEP Certification: Certified Live Event Planner (CLEP) certification program with final fee of $150. Includes seminars, behind-the-scenes event experience, and conference attendance requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WFEA is a Washington State nonprofit trade association that provides tiered annual memberships, two annual conferences, regional seminars across nine state chapters, a five-volume playbook publication library, the Certified Live Event Planner (CLEP) professional certification, an annual Membership Directory, and multiple industry awards programs for festival organizers, community non-profits, municipal agencies, and event suppliers operating in the Pacific Northwest.

Product overview

Washington Festivals & Events Association (WFEA) operates as a membership-based professional association offering a unified portfolio of educational programs, certification, awards, and publications for the Pacific Northwest festival and events industry. The core offerings include the five-volume WFEA Library Books series (covering sponsorship, event production, revenue development, and industry trends), professional development through CLEP certification, the Annual Conference and Spring Conference, regional seminars, the annual Membership Directory, and multiple awards programs including the Hall of Fame, Summit Awards, Event of the Year, and various recognition categories. These products and services are designed to serve festival organizers, community non-profits, municipal partners, and industry suppliers across Washington state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLEP: Certified Live Event Planner certification program offered by WFEA for event professionals seeking professional credentials.
• WFEA Playbook Series
• Pacific Northwest Summit Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual economic impact of $39 million generated by a single member event (Spokane Hoopfest)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CORT Party RentalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Event Organizer of the Year awards (both Large Market and Small Market categories). Provides recognition platform and marketing visibility for WFEA's annual award program.
• Green LatrinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Large Market Event Organizer of the Year award. Supports WFEA recognition program for event industry professionals.
• AXIS PNWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Event Supporter of the Year award, recognizing individuals outside the industry who support festivals and events.
• Bellevue LightingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Rising Star of the Year award, recognizing emerging leaders in the festival and events industry.
• Alexander Party RentalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Event of the Year awards, recognizing Washington events that demonstrate best practices and community impact.
• Grand Event RentalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring partner for WFEA Hall of Fame dinner and auction, supporting recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to the events industry. Headquartered in Bothell, WA.
• Stages NorthwestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Volunteer of the Year award, recognizing outstanding event volunteers who have made significant community contributions.
• Honey BucketcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Pacific Northwest Summit Awards, recognizing outstanding creative, promotional and community outreach programs by Washington events and festivals.
• Ticket TomatocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting partner for CLEP (Certified Live Event Planner) certification program, providing specialized courses and behind-the-scenes event access for certification candidates.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Washington State Fair: Washington State Fair is one of WFEA's largest member events and whose representative (Cari Dixon) sits on the WFEA board. While not a peer association, it is a flagship member and ecosystem anchor whose continued engagement is critical to WFEA's membership base and recognition programs.
• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a leading event ticketing and management platform with strong adoption among festivals and community events. While not a trade association, it serves as a critical infrastructure provider overlapping with WFEA's members, who use such platforms for registration and ticketing (WFEA itself uses Ticket Tomato).
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE is the umbrella association for the U.S. association industry, providing research, credentialing (CAE), and best-practice resources. WFEA itself is a member organization that operates within ASAE's broader ecosystem, making ASAE an enabling peer for governance and association-management benchmarks.

Broad incumbents

• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): PCMA is a leading association for convention and event professionals, offering education, certification (CMP), and industry research. While focused more on business events than festivals, it competes for the same professional development dollars and corporate event-organizer mindshare.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): MPI is one of the largest global associations for meeting and event professionals, with extensive education, certification (CMP), and chapter networks. It serves a broader meeting planner audience that overlaps with WFEA's event-organizer segment, and represents a more established incumbent alternative.
• International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA): IFEA is the global parent trade association for the festivals and events industry, headquartered in Boise, Idaho. WFEA's own Executive Director Bruce Skinner served as IFEA President from 1990-2001, making IFEA the most natural incumbent peer and superset organization for the same festival/event-organizer audience.
• International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE): IAEE serves exhibitions and event organizers globally with the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) credential and industry research. It overlaps with WFEA on the broader event organizer population but is anchored in B2B trade shows rather than festivals.

Direct peers

• International Live Events Association (ILEA): ILEA is a global association for live event professionals, offering the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) designation, networking, and educational programming. Its target audience overlaps directly with WFEA's festival and event organizer members, and its CSEP credential competes with WFEA's CLEP.

Regional players

• Greater Spokane Incorporated: Greater Spokane Incorporated is a regional chamber and economic development organization that supports events and tourism in the Spokane area. It functions as a regional peer for destination event promotion and member engagement in WFEA's Greater Spokane chapter territory.

Emerging players

• Event Industry News / BizBash: BizBash is a media and events company covering the event industry with trade publications, awards, and live events. It serves a comparable audience of event professionals with content, recognition programs, and networking, positioning it as a media-led adjacent peer to WFEA's association-led offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/wfea
• Facebookfacebook.com/WashingtonFestivalsandEventsAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washingtonfestivalsandevents
• Instagraminstagram.com/wafestivalsandevents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Washington Festivals & Events Association