Pinnacle Awards

International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and Haas & Wilkerson Insurance Announce the 2025 Pinnacle Award Winners

Boise, Idaho- The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), together with long-time sponsor Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, proudly honored the 30th Anniversary of the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards on Monday, September 22, 2025, during the 70th Anniversary of the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo presented by atVenu, held this year in Palm Springs, California, U.S.A.

Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the Pinnacle Awards Competition recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of festivals and events from around the world and continues to be the gold standard of achievement and inspiration for the global festivals and events industry. This year’s entries came from a diverse range of events across the globe — including submissions from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond — reflecting the growing international reach of the IFEA and the universal celebration of community and culture.

Winning organizations included the Cherry Creek Arts Festival (CO), Dublin Irish Festival (OH), Fur Rendezvous (AK), Pasadena Tournament of Roses (CA), Kentucky Derby Festiva (KY), Canada Together (Canada), Púca Festival (Ireland), Vivid Sydney (Australia), Festival Lent (Slovenia), ÖRVÉNYESVÖLGY FESTIVAL (Hungary), Baekje Cultural Festival (South Korea), Chiang Mai Flower Festival (Thailand), and many more.

In total, awards were presented across 64 categories, honoring excellence in areas such as Marketing & Communications (TV, Radio, Social Media, Print), Merchandising, Sponsorship, Accessibility, Emergency Preparedness, Children’s Programming, Educational Outreach, and more.

“We’re proud to celebrate this major milestone with our 30th year of the Pinnacle Awards,” said Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE, President & CEO of the IFEA. “These awards showcase the incredible innovation, passion, and dedication of festival and event professionals around the world. The Pinnacle Awards not only set the standard for excellence in our industry — they help elevate and inspire new ideas and best practices across all budgets and locations.”

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.

The Pinnacle Awards program continues to be the gold standard of achievement and inspiration for the global festivals and events industry.

Note: All winners are selected from those festivals and events that enter the competition. Each category is divided into four budget levels, and entries are judged within those levels according to the specific category’s criteria.

View the 2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Winners

View Photos of 2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Recipients

Additional Details

Additional Resources

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.

2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Budget Categories Include:

All Pinnacle entries are not only separated in to 64 individual categories, but also into four individual budget categories within each category. This is to ensure that like size festivals & events compete against like sized festivals and events. A Gold, Silver and Bronze winner is then awarded within each budget category within each specific entry category. Therefore, there could ultimately be four Gold winners, four Silver winners and four Bronze winners within an individual Pinnacle Category. Judges may combine budget categories within a specific category, if the number of entries warrants it.

The specific budget category you enter is based on your organization's event expense budget. Budget categories* are as follows:
*Budget Categories Updated for 2025

Budget #1: Under $50,000
Budget #2: $50,000 to $500,000

Budget #3: $500,000 to $1.5 Million
Budget #4: Over $1.5 Million

2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Entry Categories Include:

Complete descriptions for each category along with requirements, judging criteria and instructions on how to submit your entry for each category can be found in the 2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Brochure.

DOWNLOAD PINNACLE ENTRY BROCHURE HERE

We are working on updating the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Entry Brochure for 2026. Stay tuned as we make those updates. Estimated release date, January 2026. If you have recommendations for new elements to add to the program, please share them with Nia Hovde, CFEE, Vice President/Director of Marketing & Communications at nia@ifea.com.

BEFORE YOU START WORKING ON YOUR PINNACLE ENTRIES, be sure to download and thoroughly read through the 2025 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Entry Brochure where you will find the specific entry requirements and required information for each category.
DOWNLOAD PINNACLE ENTRY BROCHURE HERE

Grand Pinnacle
Best TV Promotion
Best Full-Length TV Program
Best Video Promotion
Best Radio Promotion
Best Single Social Video
Best Multimedia Component
Best Event Website
Best Organization Website
Best Event Mobile Application / Adaptive Website
Best Facebook Site
Best Instagram Site
Best Single Digital/Social Ad
Best Digital/Social Ad Series
Best Event / Organization E-Newsletter
Best Event Program / Guide
Best Newspaper Insert / Supplement
Best Promotional Brochure
Best Printed Materials (Multiple Page)
Best Printed Materials (Single Page)

21. Best Cover Design
22. Best Single Newspaper Display Ad
23. Best Single Magazine Display Ad
24. Best Ad Series
25. Best Promotional Poster
26. Best Commemorative Poster
27. Best Promotional Photograph
28. Best Outdoor Billboard / Signage
29. Best Installation / Wrap
30. Best Invitation / Ticket
31. Best Street Banner
32. Best On-Site Décor
33. Best T-Shirt Design
34. Best Pin or Button
35. Best Hat
36. Best Festival / Event Merchandise
37. Best Sponsor Gift
38. Best Give-Away Item
39. Best Overall Merchandising Program
40. Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation Proposal
41. Best Individual Sponsor Follow-Up Report

42. Best Sponsor Partner
43. Best Sponsor Activation
44. Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor
45. Best Overall Sponsorship Program
46. Best Volunteer Program
47. Best Green Program
48. Best Parade
49. Best Educational Program
50. Best Accessibility Program
51. Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan
52. Best Children’s Programming
53. Best Overall Entertainment Program
54. Best Community Outreach Program
55. Best Event / Program Within an Event to Benefit A Cause
56. Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)
57. Best Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management Plan
58. Best New Festival or Event
59. Best Product or Service
60. Best Vendor / Supplier
61. Best Overall Media Relations Campaign
62. Best Event Management Bachelor’s Degree
63. Best Festival & Event Management Master’s Degree
64. Best Festival & Event Management PhD Program

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 three decades. As 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.