Member Benefits

Why IDA?
You’re in a tough, demanding profession. Expectations of place management professionals have never been higher as the unique challenges of the past few years have underscored. Business, government, and civic leaders look to the city’s core for economic growth, cultural opportunities and entertainment for residents, employees and visitors. Downtowns and city centers are, indeed, everyone’s neighborhood. Your job is to lead and manage. We strive to provide you with the resources needed to do your job well.

Urban place management is our focus and our passion. IDA is the only international organization that represents urban place managers who bridge the gap between public, private and community needs on a global scale, and brings together small, medium and large sized organizations to share best practices, collaborate on research and advocate proven strategies. IDA is the primary resource for information regarding current issues affecting downtowns around the world. With well over 3,500 practitioners in the IDA network, you will always know where to turn for information and inspiration.

IDA membership provides resources and solutions to help members grow professionally through access to best practices, trends, innovative ideas, professional expertise, research and career development — all designed to help members thrive and stay competitive in the marketplace.  

Access to Ideas & Experts

IDA members receive instant access to more than 2,100 online resources including presentations, award-winning projects, toolkits, reports and more. Register for a webinar and instantly share best practices and ideas with members around the world. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, connect with a peer expert who can provide opinions and responses to your specific question. Plus, stay on top of the latest downtown management trends with a weekly briefing of must-read articles on topics relevant to the industry, with Inspired by IDA.

Build your Network

Find, and connect with, over 3,500 individuals, all of whom can be found in the member-only directory. IDA provides unmatched opportunities to meet and stay connected with urban place management professionals including member community discussions and IDEA Connection, the member-only online community.

Attend World-Class Events

IDA members receive substantial savings to attend world-class events in some of the most exciting downtowns. IDA events are designed to meet the unique needs of all of our members from CEOs to marketing assistants. Where else can you attend back-to-back sessions covering topics as diverse as using art to enhance a sense of place to effective strategies for retail recruitment? Since early 2020, IDA has rolled out an extensive virtual meeting and webinar platform to keep members connected and engaged.

View a Full List of Member Benefits

 

How to Join

IDA Membership is by organization and includes all staff and board members. Dues are based on operating budget for nonprofits, associations, and governmental agencies and departments; and annual gross revenue for corporations. Dues vary between $335USD and $2,895USD per year. Contact the IDA Membership department for more information about benefits and dues.

Ready to join? After you submit your enrollment form, the IDA Membership department will contact you to complete the process.

Make the most of your IDA membership! IDA’s free webinar explains member benefits, answers your questions and provides a user-friendly tour of IDA’s member-only online community, IDEA Connection. Great for new members, new staff and those who need a refresher.

Types of Memberships:

Nonprofit / Association Membership

You are a downtown champion who brings urban centers to life and bridges the gap between the public and private sectors, setting the state for your district’s economic and cultural success. IDA membership provides you with the resources to grow professionally and personally through access to innovative best practices, trends and solutions, education and proven strategies to get the job done.

What Members are Saying

“IDA provides members a space to share ideas and techniques to deal with challenges specific to downtown communities, along with a Knowledge Center that maintains the most up-to-date research. This wealth of information saves our organization countless hours of searching for reports and “need-to-know data.”
— Anthony McMillan, CEO, Newark Downtown District (NDD)

Corporate Membership

IDA membership offers corporate entities efficient ways to connect with city leaders. Directory access allows you to easily make connections and our member networking site is a great place for you to add to conversations and keep a pulse on what’s happening in the industry. Did we mention everyone on your team is eligible to receive a personal login to IDA? Start networking with this powerful group by becoming an IDA member today! Join those already reaping the rewards of being a corporate member and review the IDEA Connection tips.

What Members are Saying

“IDA provides a great resource for new and tenured leadership within our organization who want to learn about the many happenings and nuances within the place management industry. Whether its watching past webinars, using IDEA Connection or reading through Top Issues Council publications there are a ton of ways to expose people to information. Investing in an IDA membership is a no brainer for organizations who want to have the collective knowledge of all of our downtowns at their fingertips.”
— Derreck Hughes, Vice President of Operations, Block by Block

Government Agency / Department Membership

Share strategies, build partnerships, and find inspiration with IDA. Connect and consult with a responsive global network of fellow professionals and experts about urban place management issues and solutions. Gain access to a constantly updated, real-world, shared body of knowledge, research, data and education. IDA membership is designed to help you thrive and stay competitive in the marketplace.

What Members are Saying

“As the program coordinator for the Commonwealth’s only source for technical assistance related to all things related to downtown revitalization, IDA is the best resource for current information for all the varied requests I receive. I can hear from practitioners, webinars and reports that keep me current. The information provided is key to staying on top of topics that are changing daily.”
— Emmy Hahn, Program Coordinator, MA Department of Housing & Community Development

Academic and Student Memberships

Student and Academic memberships with IDA offer a direct connection to urban place management organizations, real-world experience, and expertise to help students and faculty learn, succeed and stay competitive in the marketplace. Students currently enrolled in a college or university (graduate or undergraduate degrees) may become a member for $49/year.  We invite students to become part of IDA and join us in creating prosperous and livable urban places for all! To review the benefits of Student membership, click here. Ready to join? Please get in touch with Allison Shashok, Vice President of Membership, Marketing & Operations.

To review the benefits of Academic membership, click here. These features and benefits give your institution a direct resource to contribute to your urban curriculum and give your students a jump-start on their career in place management. The college/university maintaining an Academic membership must designate a current employee (not a student) affiliated with the institution to serve as the point of contact for the membership. If you have questions about enrolling your university or college, please contact Allison Shashok.

What Members are Saying

“Since the age of sixteen, I’ve followed IDA’s research and publications with the aspirations of one day joining the network of city-building experts. I kept my finger on the pulse of industry-wide trends, and was equipped to address issues with the support of both the IDA network and professional staff.”
— Gabriel Yeager, Director of Public Space Initiatives, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21