Minnesota Festivals & Events Association

What Minnesota Festivals & Events Association does

The Minnesota Festivals & Events Association (MNFEA) is a nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota that provides professional development, networking, and industry resources for festival and event professionals across the state. Its core membership spans festival and fair organizers, event producers, visitors bureaus, city and local municipalities, vendors, suppliers, event sponsors, tourism groups, students, and volunteers. MNFEA delivers its value through a portfolio of products including an annual conference (with a documented 2023-2027 series), Fall Focus educational events, Behind the Scenes venue tours at partners such as The Guthrie Theater and LUSH Lounge and Theater, a public member directory, an industry news section, a job board, continuing education resources, and a conference scholarship program.

The organization runs on the Wild Apricot membership management platform, which powers its member directory, event registration, communications, and self-service signups. MNFEA generates revenue through three streams: recurring annual membership dues, one-time event registration fees (for example, $25 non-member tour fees and $20 gambling panel fees with discounted rates for members), and conference sponsorships. The organization also recently contracted a conference coordinator at $10,000 for the August 2026 to March 2027 term supporting its 2027 Annual Conference, which targets over 100 industry decision-makers who plan events across Minnesota.

MNFEA maintains strategic and operational partnerships with the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), whose roots trace to Minnesota in 1956, as well as with technology providers atVenu, Saffire, and ShowPass for ticketing and industry trend data, and with the Minnesota Office of Alcohol and Gambling for regulatory compliance programming. The association is governed by a board of directors and supported by named board member Deb Schaber and advisor Randy Dewitz, both of whom represented MNFEA at the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo in November 2025.

Name

Minnesota Festivals & Events Association

Legal name

Minnesota Festivals and Events Association

Website

https://mnfea.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MNFEA is a nonprofit membership organization based in Eagan, Minnesota that provides professional development, networking events, and industry resources for festival organizers, event producers, municipalities, vendors, and tourism groups across the state of Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Festival industry association
• Event professional development
• Membership networking services
• Conference sponsorship programs
• Industry events calendar

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for festival organizers, event producers, vendors, tourism groups, and other industry professionals seeking professional development and networking opportunities.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from conference registrations, educational sessions, tours, and special events. Examples include $25 non-member event fees and $20 gambling panel sessions.
3. Conference Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for annual conferences and Fall Focus events, providing revenue and exposure for sponsors within the festival and events industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MNFEA is a nonprofit membership association that provides professional development, networking, and industry resources to festival and event professionals across Minnesota. Its core offerings include annual spring conferences, Fall Focus events, behind-the-scenes venue tours, a member directory, an industry job board, and continuing education opportunities, with access funded through membership dues, event registration fees, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

MNFEA operates as a nonprofit membership organization offering a portfolio of professional development programs and networking events. The core offerings include annual conferences (2023-2027), Fall Focus events, and behind-the-scenes venue tours. The association provides a member directory, industry news resources, a job board, and continuing education opportunities. MNFEA also facilitates conference sponsorships and scholarships to support member participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Membership Annual subscription membership for festival and fair organizers, event producers, vendors, tourism groups, students, and other industry professionals in Minnesota, providing access to professional development, networking, and member benefits.
• Annual Conference Annual spring professional development conference offering educational sessions, networking opportunities, and industry insights for festival and event professionals across Minnesota, drawing over 100 industry decision-makers.
• Fall Focus Event Fall-focused educational event featuring industry panels, information sessions (such as the MN Gambling Info Session), and networking activities for MNFEA members.
• Behind the Scenes Tours Exclusive member tours of cultural and entertainment venues such as The Guthrie Theater, offering event professionals insight into operational expertise and innovative event management ideas.
• Conference Sponsorships Corporate sponsorship packages for MNFEA's annual conferences and Fall Focus events, providing sponsors with exposure to over 100 industry decision-makers who plan events across Minnesota.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 industry decision-makers attend annual conferences

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFEA (International Festivals & Events Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025MNFEA actively participates in IFEA's annual conventions and leverages the relationship to bring industry best practices and potential speakers to Minnesota. IFEA was founded in Minnesota in 1956 as the Festival Managers Association, with John Geisler from the Saint Paul Winter Carnival serving as first President.
• The Guthrie TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides behind-the-scenes tours for MNFEA members at one of the nation's most respected cultural institutions, offering event professionals insights into world-class theater operations and event management.
• LUSH Lounge and TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for MNFEA's Fall Focus events, including the MN Gambling Info Session and Drag Bingo event in Minneapolis.
• Office of Alcohol and Gambling (Minnesota)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing expert guidance on gambling regulations and compliance for Minnesota events, including do's and don'ts for having gambling at events.
• Sealant Marketing GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeter Kageyama from Sextant Marketing Group serves as a keynote speaker and urbanist, exploring connections between people, place, and shared experiences at IFEA conventions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): Leading membership association for convention and event management professionals. Comparable nonprofit association model with annual conventions, continuing education, and a member directory serving business events professionals.
• National Association of Catering & Events (NACE): US professional membership association for catering and event professionals. Comparable membership-fee, conference-and-education-driven model serving overlapping event-producer and vendor audiences across multiple states.
• International Live Events Association (ILEA): Membership association for live event professionals, offering education, certification, networking events, and an industry community. Directly comparable to MNFEA in mission and product mix (conferences, continuing education, member directory).
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): Global membership association for meeting and event professionals with annual conferences, education, and a member directory. Closely analogous operating model to MNFEA, but serving a national/international audience.
• International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA): Global membership association for the festivals and events industry. IFEA is MNFEA's direct umbrella/strategic counterpart; MNFEA is an active state-level chapter participant in IFEA conventions and traces its organizational lineage to IFEA's 1956 founding in Minnesota.
• International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE): Membership association for the exhibitions and events industry, providing education, certification (CEM), advocacy, and an annual conference. Closely parallels MNFEA's mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Event Industry Council (EIC): Federation of event-industry associations (including MPI, IAEE, ILEA, PCMA, ESPA, and others). Provides umbrella-level standards, advocacy, and research across the events sector; MNFEA sits at a more localized tier of this federation.

Regional players

• Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO): Canadian provincial membership association serving festival and event organizers across Ontario. Operates as a regional analog to MNFEA with similar conference, education, and member-directory offerings for festivals professionals in a single province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Minnesota Festivals & Events Association