Most new concession operators think of this business as you, your trailer, and the next event on the calendar. The operators who last think bigger. They know the fair managers, the festival directors, and the other concessionaires, and a lot of those relationships start inside industry associations. I'm NICA certified, and after 20+ years running 12 food concepts across 5 state fairs in 9 states, I can tell you the right memberships pay for themselves in discounts alone, before you count the doors they open.
This guide covers the three associations every serious concession vendor should know: NICA (the concessionaires' association), IAFE (the fair industry's association), and IFEA (the festival industry's association). What each one is, what you actually get, what it costs, and who should join.
Why Industry Associations Matter for Concession Vendors
Relationships drive bookings. The best fairs and festivals don't fill their midways from a cold application pile. Fair managers book operators they know and trust. Conventions and trade shows put you in the same room as the people who decide who gets a spot. I cover the application side in how to get approved for state fairs, but being a known name makes every application stronger.
Discounts add up. Group buying power gets you pricing on food, beverages, vehicles, maintenance, and supplies that a single operator can't negotiate alone.
Someone is speaking up for you. Associations push back on issues like rising rent at fairs and legislation that affects mobile businesses. One vendor complaining gets ignored. An association representing a thousand vendors gets a meeting.
You learn faster. Workshops, roundtables, and magazines written by and for people in this industry are the closest thing to a playbook this business has.
NICA: National Independent Concessionaires Association
NICA is the association built specifically for concessionaires. Based in Brandon, Florida, and now in its 33rd year, it describes itself as a membership-driven organization dedicated to strengthening relationships with the fair, festival, and special events industries. Its membership includes over 1,200 mobile food and retail concessionaires, fairs, festivals, and associate members across the United States and Canada.
What NICA Members Get
- Food and beverage pricing: special national account pricing on Coca-Cola and Pepsi fountain beverages, plus the NICA Sysco Marketplace, which is free to enroll and offers lower prices on 6,000+ items with quarterly rebates. Regional food programs deliver concession products to events too.
- Vehicle and fleet savings: a Ford Pro fleet discount, commercial tire pricing and roadside service through Goodyear, Jiffy Lube maintenance discounts, and member rates with Hertz and Budget.
- Insurance perks: $10,000 of accidental death and dismemberment coverage for every Regular Member, plus access to a NICA health plan. These don't replace your business liability coverage, which I cover in my concession business insurance guide.
- Hiring tools: discounted drug testing and background screening, useful when you're bringing on seasonal crew.
- Supplies and equipment: discounts with suppliers like Sherwin-Williams, AutoZone, HD Supply, Graybar, and sign and banner printers.
- A voice in the industry: NICA advocates for concessionaires on issues like fair rent and federal legislation affecting mobile businesses.
- Education and community: the NICA News magazine, a weekly newsletter, the annual NICA Business Expo each February, and workshops and roundtables at fair association conventions.
- Scholarships: the NICA Foundation awards scholarships to the next generation of concessionaires.
What NICA Costs
Regular membership has been around $175 a year in recent membership materials, with a discount for prepaying multiple years and lower rates for additional members like spouses and employees. Check the current fee schedule at nicainc.org before you join. If you buy beverages and supplies at any real volume, the discounts can cover the dues quickly.
Who should join: any concession operator working fairs, festivals, or special events. If you only join one association, make it this one. Members also get a listing in the NICA membership directory. Here's ours.
IAFE: International Association of Fairs and Expositions
IAFE is the trade association of the fair industry itself. Fairs are its core members, which makes it the place where fair managers, boards, and staff learn, network, and plan. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, IAFE runs what it calls the world's largest gathering of the fair industry: the annual IAFE Convention and Trade Show, held each fall.
How Concession Vendors Join IAFE
Vendors join as Associate Members. Associate membership is open to companies and individuals that provide services, entertainment, exhibits, concessions, equipment, or supplies to a fair. Annual associate dues are listed at $235. Associate membership is also what you need to take part in the convention trade show as an exhibitor.
What IAFE Membership Gets You
- The convention and trade show: the single best room in the country for meeting fair managers who book concessions. NICA attends too, and hosts concessionaire sessions at fair conventions.
- Fairs & Expos magazine and fair news: what fair managers are reading, planning, and worrying about. Knowing their priorities makes your pitch better.
- Education: online CyberSeminars, the Institute of Fair Management, toolkits, and an online resource library.
- Regional zone meetings and conferences: smaller events where it's easier to have real conversations.
Who should join: operators who want to work state and county fairs, especially if you're ready to grow your route. Pair it with your state fair association's convention, where the fair boards in your region meet. My Inner Circle members get IAFE convention access and personal introductions as part of the program. More on that on the plans page.
IFEA: International Festivals & Events Association
IFEA does for festivals what IAFE does for fairs. It's a not-for-profit association for producers, suppliers, and managers of festivals and events. If your route leans on city festivals, food festivals, and special events, this is where those organizers gather.
What IFEA Offers
- The annual IFEA Convention & Expo: education sessions plus an expo floor, with exhibitor packages for vendors and suppliers.
- The Event Resource Marketplace: a vendor and supplier directory that festival buyers search.
- The ie magazine, member directory, and industry surveys: how festival producers think about budgets, sponsors, and vendors.
- A job bank and member discounts on industry products and services.
IFEA dues are tiered by your organization's annual budget, starting at $375 a year for organizations with budgets of $50,000 or less. Confirm the current rates at ifea.com.
Who should join: operators building a festival-heavy route, or anyone who wants to get in front of event producers outside the fair circuit.
Which Association Should You Join First?
- Start with NICA. It's built for concessionaires, the dues are the lowest of the three, and the purchasing discounts start paying you back right away.
- Add IAFE when you're targeting fairs. Once you're ready to apply to bigger county and state fairs, associate membership and the convention put you in front of the people who book them.
- Add IFEA if festivals are your growth path. If your best events are festivals rather than fairs, IFEA is where those organizers are.
Don't overlook your state fair association either. Most states have one, and their annual conventions are often where regional fair boards and concessionaires actually meet face to face.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Membership
Actually use the discounts. Enroll in the purchasing programs the day you join. The value is only real if you switch your buying.
Go to the convention with a plan. Before you go, list the fairs or festivals you want to work. Bring photos of your setup, your menu, and a one-page summary of your operation. Collect contacts and follow up within a week.
Show up more than once. Fair managers notice the operators who come back year after year. Relationships in this industry are built over seasons, not one handshake.
Read the magazines. NICA News and Fairs & Expos tell you what's changing before it hits your contract.
Put it on your applications. Membership signals that you're a professional operator invested in the industry. Use it alongside your references and insurance certificate when you apply. My guide to the best fairs and festivals for food vendors covers how to pick the events worth applying to.
Is NICA membership worth it for a small operator?
Usually, yes. If you buy beverages, food, or supplies through the member programs or use the vehicle discounts, the savings can exceed the dues in your first season. Add the education and the connections, and it's one of the cheapest investments you'll make in this business.
Can a concession vendor join IAFE?
Yes. Vendors join as Associate Members, a category open to anyone who provides services, concessions, equipment, or supplies to fairs. Associate membership is also required to exhibit at the IAFE Convention Trade Show.
What's the difference between IAFE and IFEA?
IAFE serves fairs and expositions, the agricultural and county or state fair world. IFEA serves festivals and special events. Fairs and festivals book vendors differently, so pick the one that matches the events you want to work, or both if your route includes both.
Do associations replace business insurance?
No. NICA's AD&D coverage and health plan are member perks, not the general liability and product liability coverage fairs require. You still need your own policy and certificates of insurance. See my concession business insurance guide.
Associations open doors, but you still have to walk through them with a solid operation. Inside The Concession Collective, operators share which conventions were worth it, which events they met at the trade show, and how they follow up. Join for free here and learn from people already working the circuit.