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Home > Awards > Pinnacle Awards > 2024 Pinnacle Awards
We are currently updating the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Program and Entry Brochure for 2025. Stay tuned as we make those updates. Estimated release date, mid-January 2025.

2025 PINNACLE ENTRY DEADLINES

Deadlines Subject to Change

1st EARLY BIRD ENTRY DEADLINE:
11:55 p.m. (MST), WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2025

Entries received on or prior to 11:55 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, April 2, 2025 will receive the 1st Early Bird rate of $40 per entry or $150 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.

2nd EARLY BIRD ENTRY DEADLINE:
11:55 p.m. (MST), WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025

Entries received between Thursday, April 3, 2025 and 11:55 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, May 14, 2025 will receive the 2nd Early Bird rate of $45 per entry or $200 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.


FINAL ENTRY DEADLINE:

11:55 p.m. (MDT), WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025

Entries received between Thursday, May 15, 2025 and 11:55 p.m. (MDT), Wednesday, June 25, 2025 will receive the Final Entry rate of $50 per entry or $250 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.

Eligibility Period

June 27, 2024 – June 25, 2025

Entries must have been produced and / or used for the first time between June 27, 2024 and June 25, 2025.
  • NOTE: We understand that events which occur close to the eligibility deadlines have a limited window to enter their event into the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition before the final entry deadline. If your event occurred just prior the start of the 2025 Pinnacle eligibility period (June 27, 2024 to June 25, 2025) and you DID NOT enter your event into the 2024 Pinnacle Competition, please contact Nia Hovde, CFEE at nia@ifea.com to enquire if your event may be eligible to be entered into the 2025 Competition.

Questions?

For questions on any of the IFEA Awards Programs, contact: Nia Hovde, CFEE, Vice President/Director of Marketing & Communications, at Email: nia@ifea.com.




International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and Haas & Wilkerson Insurance Announce the 2024 Pinnacle Award Winners

Boise, Idaho - The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and Haas & Wilkerson Insurance recognized the outstanding accomplishments and top-quality creative, promotional, operational and community outreach programs and materials produced by Festivals and Events around the world* on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo presented by atVenu in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., as the winners of the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards were announced.

Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition drew entries from some of the world’s top festivals and events*.Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, AK; Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, CO; the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, OH; the Lubbock Arts Festival in Lubbock, TX; the Saint Louis Art Fair in St. Louis, MO; the MusikFest in Bethlehem, PA; the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, CA; the Parker County Peach Festival in Weatherford, TX; the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Coconut Grove, FL; the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City, MI; the Philadelphia Flower Show in Philadelphia, PA; Seafair Festival in Seattle, WA; the Stockton Lantern Festival in Stockton, CA; Celebrations of Traditions Pow Wow in San Antonio, TX; Canada Together in Vancouver, BC, Canada; Vivid Sydney in Sydney, Australia; Festival Lent in Maribor, Slovenia; Chiang Mai Blooms in Bangkok, Thailand; Fáilte Ireland in Dublin, Ireland; Rome Future Week® in Roma, Italy; Huangling Shaiqiu Cultural Festival in Shangrao, China; and Cheonan World Dance Festival in Cheonan, Republic of Korea.

Honoring the exceptional achievements and high-quality creative, promotional, operational, and community outreach efforts of festivals and events worldwide, awards* were presented across 62 diverse categories. These included TV/Radio, Social and Multimedia, Print, Merchandise, and Festival and Event programs such as Sponsorship, Education, Accessibility, Children’s, Emergency Preparedness, and Entertainment. The prestigious Grand Pinnacle award, IFEA’s highest accolade, was also given, recognizing festivals and events* that excel in balancing all key elements essential for a successful event.

"We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of our Pinnacle Award winners for their exceptional contributions to this year’s competition,” said Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE, President & CEO of the IFEA. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards recognize the outstanding achievements and top-tier creativity, promotional efforts, operational excellence, and community outreach demonstrated by festivals and events worldwide. By striving for the highest standards across all budget levels and regions, this competition not only elevates the quality of festivals and events globally 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.

View the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Winners

View Photos of 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Recipients

*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.

About the Winners

For all entries, each winning festival/event receiving a Gold, Silver or Bronze award is selected from those festivals and events who enter the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition and are judged on the overall excellence of a festival / event based on the specific criteria and requirements of the specific category(ies) being entered, within each of the four separate budget categories. Festivals / Events recognized as an “IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Award Winner”, are entitled to use that specific language in sharing the news about a Pinnacle win, for the specific category(ies) won. Language declaring a Festival / Event / Parade / Program etc., as the “Best in the World by the IFEA”, is not correct or in line with the nature of the competition and will not be supported or endorsed by the IFEA.

Sponsor of the IFEA Pinnacle Awards 

Haas & Wilkerson Insurance has proudly supported the IFEA and festivals and events industry for nearly three decades. As the presenting sponsor of the Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat, and the title sponsor of the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Program, they have helped to raise the quality and standards of excellence for festivals and events around the globe.

With over 80 years of entertainment industry experience behind them, they provide insurance programs designed for each event’s specific needs and have a long list of clients that includes festivals, fairs, parades, carnivals and more. Learn more about them at www.hwins.com.
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