Institute FAQs 

Q: How much does it cost?

A: You can expect to pay the following: $150 enrollment fee (valid for 6 years of participation). Courses are "pay-as-you-go." Except the following:

• Convention: Delegate registration $395+
• Convention: special symposium course (Emergency Planning one year, Board Governance the next) $125+
• Summit: Registration varies but will be $407+. You will need to attend two Summit gatherings (courses offered are not same each year).
• Zone Meeting: varies by Zone. Also RMAF and WFA have different types of delegate fees (1 Institute course offered there is the "zone" level course each year)
• Cyber Seminars: $69 per session. However, this is per site, not per person. You can have as many people watching at one site as you like
• CPP Workshop: at least $165, unless participating in one which is subsidized
• Travel (including hotel, meals, etc.): at least 2 Conventions, 2 Summits, 2-4 Zone meetings

Q: Will the courses I take in the Institute count toward my CFE?

A: YES! Download a copy of the CFE Application and go to sections III and IV to see how Institute courses (and completion) will be counted. Beginning with the 2024 CFE application process, graduation from the Insititue of Fair Management is required.

Q: I already have my CFE. Why should I have to take a course in business planning?

A: CFE status has been achieved based largely upon participation in industry activities. Experience is recognized, but we believe everyone involved in today’s fairs should have an updated exposure to the process of business planning and how it can be beneficial to an organization such as fair which has been in existence for decades.

Q: Will the courses I take in the Institute count toward my CVFM?

A: YES! Download a copy of the CVFM Application located on the IAFE website. www.fairsandexpos.com Graduation from the Insitute of Fair Management is required to apply for the CVFM designation.

Q: My fair is small and I am a volunteer. Even "paying as I go" poses some obstacles to completing the courses. Are there grants and scholarships available?

A: YES! The IAFE along with the IAFE Education Foundation offers numerous grants and scholarships to assist with your IFM experience.  Apply for all that you qualify for! Generally, grant and scholarship application deadline is Aug. 31.

Q: Our fair is run solely by volunteers. How will we benefit from the Institute?

A: Sending one or more of your fair’s board members to Institute courses will bring new ideas and professional, industry standards to your organization. Although we encourage you to enroll in the Institute in order to receive a diploma, remember that most of the courses will be offered to all members of the IAFE, regardless of enrollment status (exception – the courses at the annual Institute Summit).

Q: Why are the courses in the Facility Usage core marked as elective?

A: Not every fair in the IAFE membership has the facilities, the community demographics, nor the desire to utilize the facilities and grounds for year-round events. However, for those that do, these courses will be important so that their representatives can learn how to move that area of operations from the status of "off-season" to the professional world of facilities management and marketing.

Q: What are CyberSeminars and how do they work?

A: A CyberSeminar is a live, virtual event presented simultaneously IFM courses are offered via the GoToWebinar platform. Registrtion is a two step proces: 1). Register with the IAFE and you will receive a registration confirmation email that includes a generic GoToWebinar link.  You can share this GTW generic link with anyone within your organization that is in the IAFE database.  2). Using the generic GTW link, register with GTW using your name and organization name.  Once you have registered in GoToWebinar you will be provided an email (from GoToWebinar) with a link to the CyberSeminar.  This is a personalized link that can only be used by you AND this is how the IAFE monitors your participation. You must participate "live" IFM enrollees cannot complete for credit CyberSeminars through recorded sessions. Registration costs for each CyberSeminar are by site, rather than by individual. However, each IFM enrollee is required to log-on individually. So, that means that the XYZ County Fair can register and then have as many people as possible view the CyberSeminar!  

Q: What are the FEMA and Trained Crowd Manager courses and how do I get credit?

A: These are independent study courses that you do at your own pace, in your own time on-line. The FEMA courses are free (if you are a non-US citizen please contact Lori Hart at the IAFE office to get log-in instructions) and the Trained Crowd Manager course costs $50. Upon completion of all these courses you are issued a certificate and you will need to upload the certificate to you IFM account via your individual portal.