Our Vision
That every public assembly venue throughout the world has a professional workforce, a base of knowledge and adequate resources to ensure safety and enjoyment of the public, security of assets, and business results that contribute to economic development and quality of life.

Our Mission
The mission of the IAVM Foundation is to increase the positive impact and vitality of the public assembly industry by funding research, education, and resource development.

Why We’re Here
In their 1980 report following “The Who” concert tragedy (1979), The Cincinnati Task Force made a heartfelt request to the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) to develop and implement crowd management safety standards so that venues across the nation could learn from this devastating tragedy. As a result the IAVM Foundation was propelled from the drawing board to a focused existence in 1982, and since then, has provided over $3.2 million in funding for professional development and education, research, and best practices development to ensure the safety and advancement of the public assembly venue industry.

Why Support for Public Assembly is Important
Billions of dollars are invested in building public assembly venues worldwide, relied upon by communities to spark pride and enjoyment, to expand development, attract tourists, residents, new businesses, and to energize local economies.

In this “experience economy”, knowledge, technology, and service are the key differentiating factors that create a competitive advantage and ultimately determine success. The potential return on the venue investment expands when led and operated by an educated, experienced, and capable workforce that can identify, prevent, and respond to problems, protect the millions in their care on a daily basis, and ensure financial viability and for the landmark assets in their communities.

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. Emerging markets, increasing energy costs, supply and demand fluctuations, squeezed public funding, intense competition, and shrinking margins; detached social structures; threats of terrorism, severe weather, pandemics, and the like—the changing world demands a public assembly venue workforce prepared and capable like never before.

The IAVM Foundation has 25-year history of success in working with industry leaders to identify and fund the development of solutions, resources, and education in critical and emerging areas in public assembly. As the world and the industry becomes more complex, the need is greater than ever to ensure that each and every public assembly venue has a professional workforce, base of knowledge and adequate resources to ensure safety and enjoyment of the public, security of assets, and business results that contribute to economic development and quality of life.
The IAVM Foundation seeks the philanthropic gifts from individuals, companies, foundations, and governments, so that together, we may ensure the perpetual success and vitality of public assembly venues and their communities worldwide.

The IAVM Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to which donations are fully deductible to the extent of U.S. tax law.