MNFEA Board Member and Advisor Attend IFEA
This month, MNFEA Board Member Deb Schaber and MNFEA Advisor Randy Dewitz proudly represented the Minnesota Festivals & Events Association at the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Annual Convention & Expo.
The conference was an energizing opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore best practices, and learn about the latest trends shaping the future of festivals and events. We also met with several potential speakers for our MNFEA Annual Conference coming up in March 2026, helping us build a dynamic, education-focused program for our members.
Key Takeaways: Industry Trends & Insights
A few standout sessions and conversations included:
- “For the Love of Cities and Events” – We kicked off the convention with an inspiring keynote from Peter Kageyama — urbanist, author, innovator, and placemaker with Sextant Marketing Group. His talk explored the powerful connection between people, place, and shared experiences, reminding us why festivals and events are essential to the vibrancy and identity of our communities.
- Food & Beverage Trends: Deep dives into evolving guest expectations, creative bar concepts, changing service models, premium beverage experiences, and the many ways festivals are using F&B to boost both revenue and guest satisfaction. 2025 Industry Trends
- The Rise of Dog-Friendly Festivals: A fascinating trend session highlighting the rapid growth of pet-centric events. From dog-zones to branded pet vendors to custom sponsorship activations, it’s clear that dog-friendly programming is becoming a major draw for communities nationwide.
- Ticketing Partner Conversations: Saffire & ShowPass: We had the chance to network with two leading ticketing platforms — Saffire and ShowPass — discussing innovations in dynamic pricing, data integration, mobile ticketing, scanning, and how these partners are helping festivals streamline operations while enhancing the guest experience.
- Operational Best Practices: Great takeaways around volunteer engagement, onsite safety, communication tools, and improving event logistics through technology — all highly relevant to MNFEA members.
- Elevated Guest Experiences: Sessions on immersive activations, sponsorship engagement, and experiential design provided new ideas for creating memorable, multi-sensory moments that delight attendees and drive value for sponsors.
A Minnesota Connection: The History of IFEA
The International Festivals & Events Association has a meaningful origin story rooted right here in Minnesota:
- IFEA began in 1956 as the Festival Managers Association (FMA).
- In 1960, John Geisler, Executive Director of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, served as the Association’s volunteer Managing Director, operating the office out of Saint Paul.
- Geisler, who managed the Saint Paul Winter Carnival from 1952–1970, played a key role in shaping the early structure of the association and became its first President.
- Minnesota’s festivals continued to influence the organization’s growth — leadership from the Minneapolis Aquatennial also managed the national office on a volunteer basis later in the 1960s.
- In 1996, the organization officially became the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) to reflect the expanding industry and global participation.
This history underscores Minnesota’s longstanding leadership in festivals and events, a legacy MNFEA proudly continues today.
Ongoing Education & Resources from IFEA
In addition to their annual convention, IFEA provides ongoing professional development for event organizers, including:
- A monthly industry newsletter with trends, best practices, and member updates
- Virtual educational sessions and webinars throughout the year
- Certification programs, resource libraries, and professional tools
We encourage our MNFEA members to visit IFEA.com to explore learning opportunities that support your growth year-round.
