The Kentucky Derby Festival^® brought home a total of 37 Pinnacle Awards at the 2013 International Festivals & Events Association’s 58^th Annual Convention & Expo. The IFEA Pinnacle Awards competition honored the best special events, festival materials, promotions and ideas among the organization’s membership.

The Derby Festival received a Gold Grand Pinnacle Award in the Grand Pinnacle category. The Grand Pinnacle, IFEA’s highest award, is recognition of the best overall festival program among all of IFEA’s membership.  (The Derby Festival received the Gold Grand Pinnacle Award in 2013, 2009, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 1991).

In addition for 2013, the Festival was awarded 38 Gold Pinnacles, 12 Silver, and 6 Bronze in various categories for events, media relations, advertising campaign, sponsorship and merchandise.

GOLD Awards

• BEST OVERALL FESTIVAL.  Gold Grand Pinnacle.
• BEST ORGANIZATION WEBSITE.  www.kdf.org.  KDF Communications Team and Vimarc.
• BEST COMPANY IMAGE PIECE.  KDF License Plate.
• BEST NEW MERCHANDISE.  KDF Bowtie.
• BEST SPONSOR GIFT.  Louisville Stoneware Plate. Created by Louisville Stoneware.
• BEST SPONSOR PARTNER. Kroger.
• BEST SINGLE NEW SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY. Kentucky Lottery Corporation and the Thundernator.
• BEST OVERALL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM. KDF Marathon and miniMarathon.  KDF Marketing Team.
• BEST GREEN PROGRAM. KDF Go Green! QRS Recycling.
• BEST COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM.  KDF “Pink” Radko Ornament, benefitting M. Krista Loyd Resource Center.
• BEST EVENT WITHIN AN EXISTING EVENT.  U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest.
• BEST EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR AN EVENT.  KDF Emergency Action Plan.
• BEST FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROGRAM.  Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville and the Chow Wagon.  Concessions by Cox.
• BEST NEW EVENT.  BeerFest.  Sponsored by American Founders Bank.
• BEST MONEYMAKING IDEA.  Race Charity Bibs benefitting the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation.
• BEST OVERALL MERCHANDISING PROGRAM. 2013 Merchandise Mega Book. KDF Merchandise Team and All Pro Championships.
• BEST PRESS/MEDIA KIT.  2013 KDF Media Guide and Press Credential.  Produced by Derby City Litho.  KDF Communications Team.
• MOST CREATIVE/EFFECTIVE NEWS STUNT. Grand Marshal Social Media Campaign (for UofL Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams).  KDF Communications Team.
• BEST MEDIA RELATIONS CAMPAIGN. “2013 Media Campaign.”  KDF Communications Team.

SILVER Awards 

• BEST FULL-LENGTH TV PROGRAM (National). Thunder Over Louisville – for American Forces Network.  WHAS11.
• BEST EVENT WEBSITE.  www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com.  KDF Communications Team and Vimarc.
• BEST MISCELLANEOUS MULTI-MEDIA.  Basketball Classic Interactive Web Ad. Designed by Vimarc.
• BEST EVENT PROGRAM.  WineFest.  Designed by Vimarc.
• BEST COVER DESIGN.  KDF Official Program.  Produced by KDF Communications Team and the Fillies, Inc.
• BEST OTHER MERCHANDISE. Poncho Ball.  Produced by All Pro Championships.
• BEST MISCELLANEOUS CLOTHING. WineFest Apron. Produced by All Pro Championships.
• BEST TARGETED SPONSOR SOLICITATION PROPOSAL.  KentuckyOne Health.  KDF Marketing Team.
• BEST INDIVIDUAL SPONSOR FOLLOW-UP REPORT.  U.S. Bank BalloonFest.  KDF Marketing Team.
• BEST SPONSORHIP PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUAL SPONSOR.  Ford Motor Company.  KDF Marketing Team.
• BEST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.  Spelling Bee.  KDF Event Team.
• BEST NEW PROMOTION ACTIVITY. Kentucky Lottery Thundernator.  Sponsored by Kentucky Lottery Corporation.

BRONZE Awards

• BEST MISC. PRINTED MATERIAL. Official KDF Schedule of Events.  Produced by Kentucky Monthly Magazine.
• BEST COMMEMORATIVE POSTER (FOR SALE).  2013 Official KDF Poster.  Designed Poster Artist Lonnie Walker. Produced and distributed by All Pro Championships.
• BEST HAT.  Khaki KDF Cap.  Produced by All Pro Championships.
• BEST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.  Mayor’s Give A Day Week of Service.
• BEST NEW ATTENDEE SERVICE.  Phone Charging Station at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville.
• BEST PROMOTION PUBLICIZING AN IFEA/HAAS & WILKERSON PINNACLE AWARD WIN. Pinnacles at the Poster Premiere. KDF Communications Team.