Amy Baker, Downtown Community Alliance
(515) 286-4919 or (515) 577-7495
For Immediate Release
Des Moines Arts Festival is Recognized as
Best Overall Festival and Event in the World
Best Overall Festival and Event in the World
DOWNTOWN DES MOINES – The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the Des Moines Arts Festival® with 21 awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards competition on Sept.15, 2010 at the IFEA’s 55th Annual Convention & Expo in Saint Louis.
The highlight of ceremony was the Des Moines Arts Festival winning the Gold Grand Pinnacle Award. The Gold Grand Pinnacle is IFEA’s highest award, reflecting the best overall festival and event in the world.
“We would like to congratulate the Des Moines Arts Festival for their outstanding
entries into this year’s competition,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards represents the hallmark of excellence in the festivals and events industry. Entries in every budget category, from every corner of the globe, allow us to recognize the best in our business while raising the standards and quality of media promotions and events across the board.”
In addition to winning the Gold Grand Pinnacle, the Des Moines Arts Festival also brought home 20 other awards including:
Eight Gold Awards
Best Commemorative Poster – Jodi Perry’s Summer Daydream; Best Single Magazine Display Ad; Best Event Invitation; Best Sponsor Follow-up Report; Best Environmental Program – Hy-Vee Green Arts Program; Best Community Outreach Program – Prairie Meadows Community Outreach Program; Best Children's Programming; and Best Press/Media Kit.
Eight Silver Awards
Best Outdoor Billboard; Best Sponsor Solicitation Package; Best Single New Sponsorship Program – Hy-Vee Green Arts Program.; Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor – Prairie Meadows; Best New Promotion – Best Event (within an existing festival); Interrobang Film Festival presented by Nationwide; Best T-Shirt Design; and Best Overall Merchandising Program.
Four Bronze Awards Best Newspaper Insert/Supplement; Best Single Newspaper Display Ad; Best Sponsor – Principal Financial Group; and Best Hat.
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 Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO; Borderfest Association, Festival of Lights, Hidalgo, TX; Shows Etc.-Idaho State Capital Building Rededication Celebration, Boise, ID; Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville, KY; Saint Louis Art Fair, Saint Louis, MO; and the International VSA Festival, Washington DC. International contenders included such diverse event organizations as Baekje Cultural Festival, South Korea; Ludwig Van Beethoven Easter Festival, Krakow, Poland; Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Festival Lent, Slovenia and Sentosa Development Corporation, Sentosa, Singapore.
The Des Moines Arts Festival is produced by the Downtown Events Group, a division of the Downtown Community Alliance.
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The Des Moines Arts Festival ® is presented by The Des Moines Register, founded by the Des Moines Art Center and produced by Downtown Events Group. The Festival is sponsored by Prairie Meadows, Principal Financial Group®, Aviva, BRAVO Greater Des Moines, Bank of the West, Des Moines Radio Group, GuideOne Insurance, Hy-Vee, Iowa Public Radio, Meredith Corporation, ME&V, Nationwide, U.S. Cellular®, and WHO-HD 13. For more information on the Des Moines Arts Festival visit www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.
International Festivals & Events Association
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) is The Premiere Association Supporting and Enabling Festival & Event Professionals Worldwide. In partnership with global affiliates under the umbrellas of IFEA A6frica, IFEA Asia, IFEA Australia, IFEA Europe, IFEA Latin America, IFEA Middle East, 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. For a complete list of winners and more information on the IFEA, go to www.ifea.com.
