PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

CEF’s Professional Standards includes four components:

  1. Events and Festivals Professional Excellence Framework

  2. Fellowship Levels

  3. Professional Practice Map

  4. Professional Values Map


    Together, these components provide a clear, coherent, and structured pathway through which professionals can demonstrate excellence and gain formal recognition for their contribution to the events and festivals industry.

    Underpinned by – and fully aligned with – the Events and Festivals Professional Excellence Framework (EF-PEF), CEF’s Professional Standards operate as an integrated system, enabling individuals to evidence their knowledge, practice, behaviours, and impact in a consistent and rigorous way across different stages of professional development.

Visit the Events and Festivals Professional Excellence Framework page for a detailed overview.

OPERATIONALISING THE PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK: CEF’S FELLOWSHIPS

The Fellowship Levels operationalises these Professional Standards across five progressive levels:

  • Associate Fellow (AF)

  • Fellow (F)

  • Senior Fellow (SF)

  • National Fellow (NF)

  • International Fellow (IF)

Each Fellowship level also entitles successful applicants to use post-nominal letters in recognition of their professional achievement (for example, an Associate Fellow can use CEF–AF).

These Professional Standards set the international benchmark for excellence in the profession. By using the framework, professionals can enhance their performance, lead positive change within their organisations and communities, and navigate their progression through the Fellowship levels.

Whether you are at the beginning of your professional journey or recognised as a global leader, these Professional Standards offers a common language and pathway for professional development, growth, and recognition across the events and festivals industry.

Visit the FELLOWSHIPS page for a detailed overview AND TO APPLY for A FELLOWship

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

The Professional Standards are composed of two interrelated components: Professional Practice Map and Professional Values Map.

Lifecycle Phase Associate Fellow (AF) Fellow (F) Senior Fellow (SF) National Fellow (NF) International Fellow (IF)
1. Strategizing & Bidding Contributes to strategy discussions and bid development by gathering information, undertaking research, and supporting planning activities. Demonstrates awareness of organisational objectives, stakeholder needs, and broader policy or community contexts. Applies analytical thinking to inform strategic decisions or bid proposals. Contributes ideas and solutions that align with organisational priorities and demonstrate value. Leads or coordinates strategy or bid development. Balances ambition, feasibility, and sustainability, and engages multiple partners to shape direction and outcomes. Provides strategic leadership at a national level, influencing policy, investment, or strategic priorities for the sector. Drives collaboration and innovation in national strategies. Shapes international strategies or bid frameworks. Leads dialogue on global standards, ethics, and sustainable development in the context of major events.
2. Planning Supports the preparation and organisation of plans and schedules. Applies standard processes, follows established procedures, and ensures compliance with relevant policies and regulations. Develops and manages plans within defined parameters. Coordinates timelines, budgets, and resources to achieve agreed objectives. Oversees complex or multi-partner planning activities. Balances operational, financial, and sustainability goals while fostering collaboration across teams. Directs large-scale or multi-stakeholder planning programmes, influencing national systems and standards. Ensures integration of innovation, governance, and resilience. Shapes international planning practice through leadership, research, and knowledge exchange. Sets benchmarks for excellence in global event planning and coordination.
3. Delivering Performs tasks effectively as part of a delivery team. Demonstrates professionalism, reliability, and a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes for stakeholders. Leads defined areas of delivery, coordinating people, resources, and processes to achieve consistent results. Identifies improvements and supports team performance. Manages complex or high-profile delivery activities involving multiple partners. Demonstrates advanced leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. Provides oversight for large-scale or national delivery programmes, setting standards for excellence, inclusion, and sustainability. Builds capacity and capability across teams and organisations. Leads or advises on international delivery frameworks, sharing expertise and promoting best practice globally. Shapes international collaboration and innovation in delivery excellence.
4. Evaluating Contributes to evaluation processes by gathering feedback, data, and insights. Demonstrates awareness of how evaluation supports improvement and learning. Designs or applies evaluation tools and techniques to assess performance and outcomes. Uses evidence to inform decision-making and share lessons learned. Embeds systematic evaluation and learning across projects or organisations. Uses insights to influence strategy, policy, or future practice. Leads or shapes national evaluation systems or frameworks. Champions the use of evidence-based approaches to strengthen sectoral effectiveness. Leads international evaluation initiatives, benchmarking, and knowledge exchange. Sets or informs global standards for assessing event performance, impact, and legacy.
5. Legacy (the “Golden Thread”) Understands the importance of legacy and supports activities that deliver short-term community or organisational benefits. Contributes to initiatives that strengthen social, economic, or environmental outcomes. Supports actions that extend event value beyond immediate delivery. Leads or integrates legacy planning into wider strategies, ensuring sustainable benefits for communities, industries, and the environment. Shapes national legacy agendas and policy development. Fosters partnerships that embed long-term impact and social value across the sector. Defines and promotes international legacy principles. Influences global discourse and policy on sustainable, inclusive, and transformative event legacies.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE MAP

The Professional Practice Map is structured around the Events and Festivals Professional Excellence Framework (EF-PEF) Event Lifecycle and outlines how professional capability evolves across event and festival practice.

Professionals are required to evidence their Knowledge, Cross-Cutting Knowledge, Skills, Impacts, and Outcomes across each lifecycle phase—Strategizing and Bidding, Planning, Delivering, and Evaluating. Progression through the Fellowship levels reflects a shift from indirect to direct contributions to event outcomes, with increasing autonomy, leadership, influence, and measurable impact.

The descriptions are intentionally broad to ensure relevance across diverse roles, contexts, and event types. They recognise that while some roles align primarily with a single lifecycle phase, others span multiple stages, reflecting the dynamic and interconnected nature of professional practice. As individuals advance from Associate Fellow to International Fellow, expectations move from delivering defined tasks to shaping organisational, national, and international practice.

PROFESSIONAL VALUES MAP

The Professional Values Map is structured around the EF-PEF Values and articulates the values and behaviours that underpin professional excellence across the events and festivals profession.

Professionals must evidence how these values are demonstrated at one of the five Fellowship levels, recognising that excellence is defined not only by what individuals achieve, but also by how they act, lead, and influence others.

As practitioners progress from Associate Fellow to International Fellow, expectations evolve from demonstrating integrity, inclusion, collaboration, and effective interpersonal practice within immediate teams to influencing, shaping, and embedding ethical culture, innovation, and sustainable practice at organisational, national, and global scales.

Values Domain Associate Fellow (AF) Fellow (F) Senior Fellow (SF) National Fellow (NF) International Fellow (IF)
Ethical + Professional Integrity Acts with honesty, transparency, and professionalism in day-to-day tasks. Understands ethical principles and applies them to their own practice. Demonstrates consistent ethical judgement and accountability. Acts as a role model for fairness and professionalism within teams. Promotes integrity across projects or organisations. Builds cultures of trust and ethical decision-making. Shapes professional and ethical standards at a national level. Provides guidance to others on complex ethical dilemmas. Champions global ethics and integrity across the sector. Influences international standards and codes of conduct.
Social, Economic + Environmental Responsibility Understands how events affect communities and environments. Takes responsibility for sustainable and inclusive actions within their role. Applies sustainability and social responsibility principles in planning and delivery. Encourages colleagues to adopt responsible practices. Integrates social, economic, and environmental responsibility into organisational or programme strategies. Leads initiatives that influence national sustainability or inclusion agendas. Advocates for equitable access and responsible growth. Shapes international dialogue and practice on sustainability, equity, and responsible event management.
Respect, Equity + Inclusion Demonstrates respect for diverse perspectives and contributes to inclusive working environments. Promotes inclusive practice within their teams or projects. Challenges bias and advocates for fairness. Embeds equality and inclusion within organisational culture and stakeholder relationships. Leads national initiatives or policies that improve equity and representation in the sector. Defines and promotes international standards of inclusivity, access, and equity in global event practice.
Innovation, Curiosity + Creativity Is open to new ideas and seeks opportunities to learn and improve. Contributes creative input to enhance processes and outcomes. Applies innovative thinking to improve practice and solve challenges. Encourages experimentation and learning within their team. Leads creative problem-solving and innovation at an organisational level. Encourages a culture of curiosity and evidence-based improvement. Shapes national innovation strategies or creative policy initiatives in events and festivals. Drives international innovation agendas. Shares global insights and advances creative practice across borders.
Collaborative + Collective Responsibility Works effectively with others to achieve shared goals. Demonstrates teamwork and reliability. Builds strong relationships with partners and stakeholders. Promotes collaboration and open communication. Leads multi-disciplinary teams or partnerships, fostering shared ownership and accountability. Champions collaboration across sectors and regions. Builds strategic partnerships that strengthen national capacity. Leads international alliances and partnerships. Promotes global cooperation and shared responsibility for professional progress.
Leadership, Adaptability, Agility + Resilience Responds positively to change and supports others in adapting to new circumstances. Demonstrates leadership in defined areas. Balances competing demands and manages challenges constructively. Leads through complexity and uncertainty with clarity and composure. Develops others’ capacity for resilience and adaptability. Provides leadership at a national scale, guiding transformation and building resilient systems. Demonstrates visionary leadership that inspires global change and sectoral resilience. Shapes international thinking and responses to emerging challenges.
Evidence-Based Learning + Continuous Improvement Reflects on personal performance and seeks feedback for growth. Applies learning to improve practice. Uses evidence and reflection to evaluate and enhance performance. Supports colleagues in learning and improvement. Embeds learning and evaluation processes across teams or organisations. Shares insights to drive professional advancement. Shapes national frameworks for evidence-based practice, learning, and evaluation. Advocates for professional development as a system priority. Leads global learning and research collaborations. Sets international benchmarks for evidence-informed and continuously improving practice.