CFE Rules, Guidelines and Application

Thank you for your interest in the IAFE Certified Fair Executive designation. The following contains the official application form, qualifications and requirements for the Certified Fair Executive. Once the application is submitted to the IAFE, it shall become the property thereof and a copy will not be provided to the applicant. Material misrepresentations in the application will result in it not being considered.

Please note, throuhgout the application documents are required for uploading. Most popular formats are accepted. The $75 application fee can be submitted via your IAFE portal. (Store, CFE application fee) via credit card or a check payable to the IAFE and mailed to IAFE, 3042 E. Cairo St., Springfield, MO 65802 must be received by January 15.

To be considered for a CFE designation, you must meet the requirements set forth as described in the policies, qualification and requirements..

1. PURPOSES: The purposes of the certification program are: 1) t provide incentive for professional improvement in fair management; b) to recognize those who achieve the specific standards; and c) to develop professional status in the field of fair management. Certification also honors those members who have demonstrated their abilities through years of service to their fairs, fair associations, communities, and the Association.
2. DESIGNATION: Certification as a Certified Fair Executive is an individual accomplishment. Referenced by certified executive to his or her certification and use of it shall indicate that such certification as an individual accomplishment.
3. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
   • A. Membership: An applicant must be employed full-time in an executive position by a fair or state or provincial fair association that is an active member, in good standing, of the IAFE. Full-time status is defined as when one is employed in a compensated, non-volunteer capacity for more than 1,500 hours per year by a member fair or state or provincial fair association. Annual compensatation must be at least the federal (U.S.) minimum hourly wage rate multiplied by 1,500(minimum hours per year) Your position must fit one of the following:
     • Chief Executive Officer: Applicant must have been employed full-time for five or more years as the chief executive officer of a fair or state or provincial fair association. Full-time status is defined as when one is employed in a compensated, non-volunteer capacity for more than 1,500 hours per year by a member fair or state or provincial fair association. Annual compensation must be at least the federal (U.S.) minimum hou8rly wage rate multiplied by 1,500 (minimum hours per year)
     • OR
     • Executive Staff Personnel: Applicant must have been employed full-time for five or more years in an executive staff position of a fair(s) or state or provincial fair association(s). The position(s) held must be verified by the chief Executive Officer of the fair(s) state or provincial fair association(s). Full-time status is defined as when one is employed in a compensated, non-volunteer capacity for more than 1,500 hours per year by a member fair or state or provincial fair association. Annual compensation must be at least the federal (U.S.) minimum hourly wage rate multiplied by 1,500 (minimum hours per year)
   • B. Institute of Fair Managment Graduate: Applicant must be a graduate of the IAFE Institute of Fair Management.
   • C. Education: A record of formal education including high school, college, post-graduate courses, or equivalent continuing educational work from an accredited adult education courses, correspondence, business, or other accredited courses.
   • D. Participation in IAFE Activities: Attendance at and participation in annual conventions, management conferences, zone meetings, or seminars at non-convention/conferences, and IAFE sponsored meetings, special symposiums, CyberSeminars, Summits, judging assignments and other IAFE sponsored events and activities.
   • E. Contributions to the Association: Committe activity, conference program participation, papers presented, offices held and other service to the Association.
   • G. Evidence of Management Skills: Evidence indicating management skills of the individual applicant, i.e., advertising brochures, special promotions and programs planned and executed, sector – related reports and presentation, financial statements, etc.
   • H. Community Activities: Evidence of participation in significant community leadership activities outside o the fair or state or provincial fair association management field, i.e.., Chamber of Commerce, United Way, 4-H, Boy/Girl Scouts, church, service clubs, fraternal organizations etc.
   • I. Management Philosophy: Applicant from a fair shall compose and submit a written statement of not less than 150 words on his/her personal philosophy of management as it relates to the production and presentation of fairs. This may be published in Fairs & Expos magazine. State or provincial fair association managers shall compose and submit a written personal philosophy of management as it relates to the production and presentation of fair related meetings/conventions.
   • J. References: Each candidate for certification shall provide at least three letters of recommendation addressed to the Certification Committee relative to association with and management of the applicant’s fair or state or provincial fair association and his/her community’s attitude with regard for his/her management skills. One letter must be from a person not associated with a fair or state or provincial fair association; one letter must be from a person associated with the applicant’s fair or state or provincial fair association; and one letter from a person associated with a fair or state or provincial association but not the applicant’s fair or state or provincial fair association.
4. ADMINISTRATION OF CERTIFICATION: Certification shall be administered by the IAFE through its Board of Directors. The IAFE Chair shall appoint a Certification Committee consisting of four members serving staggered terms not exceeding four years each. Panel members must be Certified Fair Executives.
5. CERTIFICATION PROCESSING: The IAFE staff will review the application form to assure that all information is complete and that there is evidence of participation and experience to meet the basic criteria and minimum point standards. After the application has been reviewed, the staff of the IAFE shall turn the application over to the Certification Committee for review. The Certification Committee will then be responsible for recommending certification of candidates to the IAFE Board of Directors which shall have the right of final review and approval before granting certification. Announcement of the members approved by the Board shall be communicated to each applicant and presentation of certification shall be made by the IAFE.
6. RIGHT OF APPEAL: If the Certification Committee does not approve an applicant for certification, it shall provide the applicant with an explanation of the reason(s) the applicant was not approved. Applicants may appear the decision of the Certification Committee by appealing the decision in writing to the IAFE Board of Directors. The written appeal shall be submitted to the IAFE Board of Directors by sending said appeal to the executive offices of the IAFE within thirty (30) days after the applicant has been notified of the Certification Committee’s decision. The appeal shall specifically state what portion of the certification Committee’s decision is considered to be in error by the applicant. The applicant may submit any supporting documents with his or her appeal which he or she believes appropriate. The Board of Directors shall consider the appeal at a regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors. If any member of the Board of Directors is also a member of the Certification Committee, then such member shall excuse himself or herself from deliberation of the appeal. The Board’s decision regarding the appeal shall be communicated in writing to the applicant within ten (10) days of the Board’s decision.
7. EQUIVALENCIES: The Certification Committee, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall have the right to assign a relative number of points, in any category, for what if judges to be equivalent combinations of training, experience, Association, fiar sector, or community participation to those outlined in the criteria. These points shall not be indiscriminately granted but shall be reserved for those special circumstances which could not be covered or anticipated in the general guidelines.
8. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: All information relative to an applicant’s scoring shall be kept confidential. The existence of an application shall be considered confidential except for those directly concerned. Only approvals for certification shall be publicly announced.
9. CONDITIONS GOVERNING CERTIFICATION DESIGNATION AND USE
   • A. The designation “CFE” may be used following the executive’s name on correspondence, letterheads, business cards, and other printed matter where it may appear.
   • B. Once an applicant has been certified, said designation shall remain with him/her permanently, providing any re-certification requirements which may be prescribed by the IAFE Board of Directors are met or unless decertified by the IAFE Board of Directors.
   • C. The CFE designation should be used only so longa s the person is active within the fair sector and any re-certification requirements which may be prescribed by the IAFE Board of Directors have been met. Certified individuals who have not met with the re-certification requirements which may be prescribed by the IAFE Board of Directors will lose CFE designation and use there of.
   • D. Honorary certification may be granted by the IAFE Board of Directors. Honorary members should continue to use the CFE designation, if they desire to, and will not be required to meet any re-certification requirements.