International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and Haas & Wilkerson Insurance
Announce the 2019 Pinnacle Award Winners
North Carolina Azalea Festival
Brings Home 4 Gold and 3 Silver Awards!
Boise, Idaho- The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the North Carolina Azalea Festival on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 during the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Ceremony held at the 64th Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat, presented by Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A., September 25-27, 2019, where they were presented with seven awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition. Awards were won in the following categories:
GOLD – Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor (CPI Security Crown Captains)
GOLD – Best Parade
GOLD – Best Event/Program within an Event to Benefit a Cause (Paws on Parade)
GOLD – Best Sponsor Partner (Lowes Foods)
SILVER – Best Children’s Programming (Street Fair Children’s Area)
SILVER – Best New Merchandise (Pocket Square)
SILVER – Best Individual Sponsor Follow-Up Report (The Bloom Report)
Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition draws entries from some of the world’s top festivals and events*. Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, OH; the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, CA; the Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA; the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC; the City of West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL; the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, KY; the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, CA; the City of McAllen in McAllen, TX; the Macon, Georgia’s International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, GA; The Parade Company in Detroit, MI; the Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA; High Point University in High Point, NC; and Canada Day at Canada Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
International winners included such diverse event organizations as RedFilo Events, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Destination NSW, Sydney, Australia; Cuckoo Events, Dublin, Ireland; Festival Lent, Maribor, Slovenia; Geumsan Insam Festival in Gangeneung-si, South Korea; and the Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, Songpa-gu, South Korea.
Awards were handed out in 69 different categories in total including Best TV Promotion; Social Media Site; Commemorative Poster; Sponsorship Program; Parade; Educational Program, Accessibility Program; Children’s Program; Social Media Campaign; Merchandising Program in addition to the highest award given by the IFEA in recognition of those Festivals and Events* who have a balance of all the elements necessary to ensure a successful event – the Grand Pinnacle.
“We would like to congratulate all of our Pinnacle winners for their outstanding entries into this year’s competition,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition recognizes the outstanding accomplishments and top quality creative, promotional, operational and community outreach programs and materials produced by festivals and events around the world. Striving for the highest degree of excellence in festival and event promotions and operations in every budget level and every corner of the globe, this competition has not only raised the standards and quality of the festivals and events industry to new levels, but also shows how event producers can use innovation and creativity to achieve a higher level of success.”
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) is The Premier Association Supporting and Enabling Festival & Event Professionals Worldwide. In partnership with global affiliates under the umbrellas of IFEA Africa, IFEA Asia, IFEA Australia, IFEA Europe, IFEA Latin America, IFEA Middle East (MENASA), and IFEA North America, the organization’s common vision is for “A Globally United Industry that Touches Lives in a Positive Way through Celebration.” The Association offers the most complete source of ideas, resources, information, education and networking for festival and event professionals worldwide.
*All winners are selected from those Festivals and Events who specifically enter the competition. Each category is separated into four separate budget categories. Each entry is judged within those budget categories, against the criteria and requirements of the specific category.
For more information on the IFEA, go to: www.ifea.com
