The IPF has hosted hundreds of readings in its hometown of Pittsburgh as well as out-of-town venues like the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Learn more about past readings by alumni like Seamus Heaney, James Earl Jones, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Princess Grace of Monaco.

Alongside poetry programming, the IPF has hosted educational outreach programs like Poets-in-Person, which brings poets, artists, musicians, and noted cultural figures to speak with students and educators across Pittsburgh.

Historically, the third function of the IPF was to host a limited-series press featuring international voices in poetry. Today, the IPF carries on this mission by developing online resources for educators, including an international poetry podcast and archive.