CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN THE IFEA/HAAS & WILKERSON PINNACLE AWARDS COMPETITION

Recognizing Innovation, Creativity & Achievement in the Global Festivals and Events Industry

For more than three decades, the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) has proudly recognized outstanding achievements in creativity, promotion, operations, and community impact through the prestigious Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition.

Each year, the Pinnacle Awards celebrate the best of the best across the global festivals and events industry — honoring those who raise the bar, inspire innovation, and set new standards for excellence.

Who Can Enter

From major international celebrations to small-town traditions, from cities and chambers to universities, parks, recreation departments, vendors, and suppliers, the competition welcomes entries from organizations of all types and sizes. Budget-based divisions ensure a level playing field, giving every event the chance to shine.

Entry Categories and Recognition

With categories ranging from Best Event Poster, T-Shirt, and Promotional Brochure to Best Volunteer Program, Green Program, Media Relations Campaign, Sponsorship Activation, Social Media Site, and more, the Pinnacle Awards recognize excellence across nearly every facet of event production, marketing, and management.

Over the years, the Pinnacle Awards have showcased remarkable examples of how event professionals harness creativity, strategy, and collaboration to achieve exceptional results. By participating, your organization joins a legacy of innovation and leadership that uplifts not only individual events, but the entire festivals and events industry.

How to Participate

All Pinnacle Award entries are submitted online — saving you time and resources. Simply

• Download the official Entry Brochure for complete details on categories, file formats, and submission steps. the upload your entries when you are ready, submit your payment, and you are done!
• Create digital versions of your entries
• Submit your entries through the online entry form, and pay for them all at once.*

To help amplify your success, the IFEA provides all winners with a customizable press release template, making it easy to share your recognition with local media, partners, and stakeholders. Winning a Pinnacle Award not only highlights your creativity and professionalism — it affirms your commitment to excellence, community, and the power of shared celebration.

Join us for another inspiring year of recognition by entering the 2026 IFEA / Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition.

Let your event’s creativity, hard work, and impact be recognized, celebrated, and shared with the world as part of the IFEA’s ongoing mission to elevate the festivals and events industry.

So, what are you waiting for? Start preparing your entries today and get ready to hear your organization’s name announced at the next IFEA Annual Convention & Expo, when we once again get to say…
“And the winners are…!”

(*If wishing to pay for your Pinnacle Entries by Check or need to be invoiced, please contact Nia Hovde, CFEE, BEFORE you start your entry process.)

All entries must be submitted and paid for online* by the following dates:

Early Bird Entry Deadline:

11:55 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Rate: $40 per entry or $200 per Grand Pinnacle entry

Final Entry Deadline:
11:55 p.m. (MDT), Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Rate: $50 per entry or $250 per Grand Pinnacle entry

June 26, 2025 – June 24, 2026

Entries must have been produced and / or used for the first time between June 26, 2025 and June 24, 2026.

• If your event occurred just before this eligibility window and was not entered in the 2025 competition, contact Nia Hovde, CFEE at nia@ifea.com to confirm possible eligibility.

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2026 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 in 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

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2026 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 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Brochure.

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.

OVERALL AWARD

Recognizing the pinnacle of achievement within the festivals and events industry—those that demonstrate balanced excellence across all operational, creative, and community impact areas.
1. Grand Pinnacle

BROADCAST & VIDEO

Honoring excellence in television, radio, and video storytelling used to promote, document, or celebrate an event or festival.
2. Best TV Promotion
3. Best Full-Length TV Program
4. Best Video Promotion
5. Best Radio Promotion

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL CONTENT

Celebrating creative and effective use of digital platforms and social media to engage audiences, build community, and promote events.
6. Best Single Social Video
7. Best Social Video Series (NEW)
8. Best Multimedia Component
9. Best Facebook Site
10. Best Instagram Site
11. Best Single Digital/Social Ad
12. Best Digital/Social Ad Series
13. Best Event / Organization E-Newsletter

WEBSITES & MOBILE PLATFORMS

Recognizing innovation and excellence in online engagement through event and organizational websites, apps, and adaptive platforms.
14. Best Event Website
15. Best Organization Website
16. Best Event Mobile Application / Adaptive Website

PRINT PUBLICATIONS

Honoring creativity and clarity in print materials that inform, inspire, and promote—ranging from programs and brochures to guides and inserts.
17. Best Event Program / Guide
18. Best Newspaper Insert / Supplement
19. Best Promotional Brochure
20. Best Printed Materials (Multiple Page)

ADVERTISING & VISUAL DESIGN|

Recognizing outstanding design and messaging across advertising, posters, photography, and outdoor promotional materials.
21. Best Printed Materials (Single Page)
22. Best Cover Design
23. Best Single Newspaper Display Ad
24. Best Single Magazine Display Ad
25. Best Ad Series
26. Best Promotional Poster
27. Best Commemorative Poster
28. Best Promotional Photograph
29. Best Invitation / Ticket

EVENT BRANDING & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Celebrating visual creativity in how an event presents itself through décor, signage, and branded environments that enhance the attendee experience.
30. Best Outdoor Billboard / Signage
31. Best Installation / Wrap
32. Best Street Banner
33. Best On-Site Décor

MERCHANDISING & RETAIL

Recognizing excellence in event-branded merchandise, from concept and design to execution and sales strategy.
34. Best T-Shirt Design
35. Best Pin or Button
36. Best Hat
37. Best Festival / Event Merchandise
38. Best Sponsor Gift
39. Best Give-Away Item
40. Best Overall Merchandising Program

SPONSORSHIP & PARTNERSHIP EXCELLENCE

Highlighting innovation and effectiveness in sponsorship solicitation, activation, relationship management, and partner engagement.
41. Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation Proposal
42. Best Individual Sponsor Follow-Up Report
43. Best Sponsor Partner
44. Best Sponsor Activation
45. Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor
46. Best Overall Sponsorship Program

COMMUNITY, EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

Recognizing programs that strengthen community connection, broaden participation, support learning, and enrich the overall event experience.
47. Best Volunteer Program
48. Best Green Program
49. Best Educational Program
50. Best Accessibility Program
51. Best Culture, Community & Connection Plan
52. Best Children’s Programming
53. Best Community Outreach Program

ENTERTAINMENT & PROGRAMMING

Celebrating innovation, creativity, and success in entertainment, special programs, and new event concepts.
54. Best Parade
55. Best Overall Entertainment Program
56. Best Event / Program Within an Event to Benefit A Cause
57. Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)
58. Best New Festival or Event
59. Best Cultural / Heritage Event (NEW)
60. Best Nighttime Economy Event (NEW)

EVENT OPERATIONS & SAFETY

Recognizing excellence in the planning, preparedness, and implementation of operational systems that ensure smooth, safe, and successful event execution.
61. Best Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management Plan

INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE

Honoring innovation, service quality, and outstanding contributions from partners, vendors, and suppliers within the festivals and events industry.
62. Best Product or Service
63. Best Vendor / Supplier

MEDIA RELATIONS

Recognizing excellence in the strategy, execution, and measurable success of a comprehensive media relations campaign.
64. Best Overall Media Relations Campaign

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Celebrating educational institutions and programs that prepare the next generation of event professionals.
65. Best Event Management Bachelor’s Degree
66. Best Event Management Master’s Degree
67. Best Event Management PhD Program

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 as the “Best Festival / Event 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.

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Haas & Wilkerson Insurance has proudly supported the IFEA and festivals and events industry for over 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 85 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.