McAllen Holiday Parade, Planta Nativa and McAllen Marathon are amongst winners
Texas Border Business
Boise, Idaho- The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the City of McAllen on September 14 during the Pinnacle awards ceremony held at IFEA’s 62nd Annual Convention in Tucson, Arizona held Sept 13-17. McAllen was presented with 35 awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards competition.
“McAllen was up against the Tournament of Roses, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Kentucky Derby festivals- major players that are very good at what they do and so to be competitive in that market says a lot about McAllen,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “ Congratulations to your city and its leadership for supporting these events and saying it’s important to our community, it’s a big deal.”
The Office of Communications, Parks and Recreation, Quinta Mazatlan and the McAllen Convention Center submitted entries. McAllen won awards in the following categories:
GOLD
- Best Parade- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best Full Length TV Program (National Promotion/Syndication)- Office of Communications
- Best Full Length TV Program (Local Programming)- Office of Communications
- Best Give-Away Item- McAllen Marathon coffee mug
- Best Sponsor Partner- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best Educational Program- Monarch Celebration
- Best Children’s Programming- Quinta Mazatlan & the Valley Land Fund
- Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)- Into the Wild at PALMFEST
- Best New Event- Monarch Celebration
- Best Single Newspaper Display Ad- Office of Communications
- Best Single Magazine Display Ad- Office of Communications
- Best Outdoor Billboard- Office of Communications
SILVER
- Best Event Promotional Photograph- Moon Over Mazatlan
- Best Miscellaneous On-Site Décor – Monarch Celebration
- Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best Overall Sponsorship Program- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best Green Program- Planta Nativa
- Best Event/Program within an Event to Benefit a Cause- Into the Wild at PALMFEST
- Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials (Single Page)- Office of Communications
- Best T-Shirt Design- Office of Communications
- Best Press/Media Kit- Office of Communications
- Most Creative/Effective News Stunt- Office of Communications
BRONZE
- Best Pin or Button – Mayor’s Monarch Pledge
- Best Pin or Button- Games of Texas
- Best Sponsor Gift- coasters
- Best Individual Sponsor Follow-up Report- McAllen Holiday Parade
- Best TV Promotion (Ad spot or PSA)- Office of Communications
- Best Event Video Promotion- Office of Communications
- Best Newspaper Insert/Supplement- Office of Communications
- Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials (Single Page)- Office of Communications
- Best Ad Series- Office of Communications
- Best Event Promotional Photograph- Office of Communications
- Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)- Office of Communications
- Best New Promotion Activity- Office of Communications
“To be recognized as the Best Parade in the World makes us proud of what we do in the City of McAllen,” said City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “We have a great team in McAllen that has worked diligently to make this a signature event. Everyone works very hard to make this a spectacular event; from employees to sponsors and volunteers.”
Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition draws entries from among the world’s top festivals and events. Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the 500 Festival in Indianapolis, IN; the Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA; Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN; Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ; the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, MI; the Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA; the Fiesta Bowl, Scottsdale, AZ; the Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA; the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, WA and Celebrations Ottawa in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
International contenders included such diverse event organizations as the Singapore Garden Festival in Singapore; RedFilo Events, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Destination NSW, Sydney, Australia; The Third China International Circus Festival, Guangzhou, China; Feria Estatal de Leon, Leon, Mexico; Ludwig Van Beethoven Easter Festival, Krakow, Poland; Cuckoo Events, Dublin, Ireland; Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Festival Lent, Maribor, Slovenia and the Ansan Street Arts Festival, Ansan, South Korea.
Awards were handed out in 71 different categories in total including Best TV Promotion; Social Media Site; Commemorative Poster; Sponsorship Program; Green Program; Parade; Educational Program, Children’s Program; Social Media Campaign; Merchandising Program and Festival & Event Management Degree Programs 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.
For a complete list of winners and more information on the IFEA, go to www.ifea.com
 paid tribute to the City of McAllen on September 14 during the Pinnacle awards ceremony held at IFEA’s 62nd Annual Convention in Tucson, Arizona held Sept 13-17.){kind=link}