association of collegiate conference and events directors-international

What association of collegiate conference and events directors-international does

ACCED-I (Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International) is a Colorado-incorporated nonprofit professional association founded in 1980 that serves the niche of higher education conference and events professionals. Its stated community comprises more than 1,100 professionals from over 370 colleges and universities worldwide, organized into five geographic regions. Membership spans seven classifications — Institutional, Individual, Corporate, Alumni, Associate, Student, and Honorary — with Institutional members receiving four professional seats plus one student seat and corporate members holding three representative slots.

The association's product portfolio centers on two proprietary credentials: the Certified Collegiate Conference Professional (CCEP) certification and the One-Stop Shop (OSS) institutional certification. Recurring educational delivery runs through a Virtual Education Series (75–90 minute sessions), Conference & Event Foundations Workshop, Educational Forums, webinars, and an on-demand learning catalog accessed via the member store, anchored by an Annual Conference that has run for 46 consecutive years (the 47th edition is scheduled for March 2027 in Norfolk, VA). Additional revenue-adjacent services include an annual Benchmarking Study, a Salary Survey, a Career Center job board, CAS Standards access, and a Connections Lead Referral Program that routes meeting planners to member campuses. The technology foundation is a conventional association stack: a CommUnity community platform powered by Small World Labs and a member portal at members.acced-i.org — with no proprietary AI, model, or data-asset components disclosed.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across annual membership dues, Annual Conference registration plus exhibitor/sponsor revenue, CCEP/OSS certification fees (including annual self-certification for OSS), and educational program fees. All sales are direct-to-customer through the website with no intermediaries. Governance is provided by an 11-member Board of Directors serving four-year terms and elected officers (President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Immediate Past President); a small operational staff led by Executive Director Karen L. Nedbal and function-specific directors for Meetings & Education, Membership, and Marketing & Communications executes the operating plan.

Name

association of collegiate conference and events directors-international

Legal name

Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International

Website

https://acced-i.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ACCED-I is a global nonprofit professional association, founded in 1980, serving more than 1,100 collegiate conference and events professionals from over 370 institutions with memberships, certifications (CCEP and OSS), an annual conference, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

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

SECONDARYEDADACAF

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Conference event certification
• Higher education networking
• Professional development programs
• Industry benchmarking research

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: Institutions pay annual membership dues that allow four professional members and one student member per institution. Membership classification includes Institutional, Individual, Corporate, Alumni, Associate, Student, and Honorary categories with varying dues.
2. Individual Membership Dues: Individual professionals not employed by organizations eligible for corporate/associate membership pay individual annual dues.
3. Corporate Membership: Business/corporate/company members that support or provide services for conference and event management pay corporate membership dues with three representative slots.
4. Annual Conference Revenue: Registration fees, exhibitor/sponsor fees, and related revenue from the Annual Conference and related educational events.
5. Certification Fees: Revenue from CCEP certification applications, annual self-certification for OSS institutions, and recertification fees.
6. Educational Programs: Revenue from virtual education series, webinars, Conference & Event Foundations Workshop, and other professional development offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ACCED-I is a nonprofit professional association that provides membership services, professional certifications (CCEP and OSS), annual and regional conferences, educational workshops and forums, webinars, benchmarking research, and networking for collegiate conference and events professionals working at colleges and universities. The association connects more than 1,100 professionals across 370+ higher education institutions worldwide through its member community platform, educational programming, and credentialing programs.

Product overview

ACCED-I is a professional association serving collegiate conference and events directors, offering a membership-based platform with multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include professional certifications (CCEP and OSS Certification), annual conferences, and a comprehensive suite of educational programs (workshops, forums, webinars, education series, and on-demand learning). Additional services include research resources (Benchmarking Study, Salary Survey), career development tools (Career Center), and member networking platforms (CommUnity). The organization also provides the Connections Lead Referral Program connecting meeting planners with member campuses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,100 professionals from 370+ institutions participate in the ACCED-I community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Events Industry Council (EIC)coreOthersACCED-I is affiliated with the Events Industry Council, which develops standards and credentials for event professionals. This affiliation connects ACCED-I members to broader industry resources and certifications.
• College and University Hotel and Motel Association (CHEMA)coreOthersACCED-I maintains affiliation with CHEMA, representing hotels and motels associated with higher education institutions. This partnership facilitates collaboration between conference services and campus hospitality providers.
• College and University Conference and Events Officers Association (CUCCOA)coreOthersACCED-I is affiliated with CUCCOA, another professional association serving the collegiate conference and events community. This affiliation supports collaboration and knowledge sharing among related professional organizations.
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)coreOthersACCED-I holds membership in ASAE, the leading organization for association executives. This membership provides access to resources, advocacy, and professional development for ACCED-I leadership.
• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)coreOthersACCED-I is a member of CAS and has permission to post the Conference & Event Programs Standards on its website. ACCED-I members can access these standards for program design and assessment using discount code LP-ACCEDI.
• Event Guru (Corporate Partner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Guru has been a corporate partner of ACCED-I since 2015. Mark Williams from Event Guru provides testimonial valuing ACCED-I's commitment to advancing higher education conference and events support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS): CAS is a listed affiliation of ACCED-I and operates in the same higher-education ecosystem. Both organizations develop and disseminate standards used by student affairs and conference/event programs at colleges and universities, with overlapping stakeholder audiences.
• Events Industry Council (EIC): EIC is a direct peer and listed affiliation of ACCED-I. Both operate as nonprofit professional bodies serving events professionals, with overlapping membership populations, standards-development roles, and credentialing focus (APEX, CMP).
• College and University Conference and Events Officers Association (CUCCOA): CUCCOA is a directly comparable peer and listed affiliate. Both associations serve the same institutional base — college and university conference and events officers — providing conferences, networking, and professional development for the same community.

Emerging players

• Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA): ESPA is an association for event service professionals, offering networking, education, and industry events. Its member-and-conference model mirrors ACCED-I's structure, though it focuses on event service delivery rather than campus-based conference management.
• National Association for Catering and Events (NACE): NACE serves catering and event professionals through education, networking events, and an annual conference. It is comparable to ACCED-I in operating a membership and conference model for a vertical segment of the events industry, though anchored in catering rather than collegiate institutions.
• Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP): SGMP is a membership association for government meeting planners with certifications (CGMP), chapters, and education programs. It runs a similar association/conference/certification model to ACCED-I but targets the government market rather than higher education.

Broad incumbents

• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): PCMA is the leading global association for the business events industry, serving meeting professionals, convention organizers, and event strategists. It is comparable to ACCED-I because it operates the same association/membership/conference model, but targets the broader business events market rather than the collegiate niche.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): MPI is a global membership association for meeting and event professionals with chapters, certifications (CMP), and an annual conference. It mirrors ACCED-I's professional-association, conference-driven, certification-anchored model across a broader (not collegiate-specific) audience.
• International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE): IAEE is a global trade association for the exhibitions and events industry, offering education, certification (CEM), and an annual conference. It is comparable to ACCED-I as a professional body serving event professionals, but at the exhibitions/trade-show segment rather than collegiate settings.

Others

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE is the umbrella professional society for association executives and serves as ACCED-I's listed affiliation. While not a direct competitor, ASAE operates the same association-management, governance, certification, and annual-meeting model that defines ACCED-I's operating playbook.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ACCEDI
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACCEDInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acced-i
• Instagraminstagram.com/accedinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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