McAllen Wins Highest Designation & Most Coveted Award at IFEA

Convention held in McAllen featured representatives from 10 countries, 29 states

Texas Border Business
Sept 27, 2022

The City of McAllen recently earned 82 multiple awards, as well as an international designation and a coveted industry award, at the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Insurance Pinnacle Awards and the IFEA World Festival & Event City Awards held during the 65^th Annual International Festival & Events Association Annual Convention, Expo and Retreat, held last week right here in McAllen.   

“I am proud and honored of the amazing work that the City of McAllen does to plan, organize, host and promote the quality festivals and events held here in our community throughout the year and extremely proud of the staff who make them happen,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos. “These awards are truly well-deserved and also, inspiring for us to be honored in such amazing company with other festivals and events from around the world.” 

Festivals and events from around the world were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and top-quality creative, promotional, operational and community outreach programs and marketing materials. Pinnacle awards were handed out in 73 different categories including: TV/Radio; Social; Multi-Media; and Print; and Merchandise, as well as in Sponsorship; Emergency Preparedness; and Entertainment programs.  The Grand Pinnacle, the highest award given by the IFEA, was also awarded, as was the IFEA World Festival & Event City designation. 

The City of McAllen was awarded IFEA’s highest honor for a city: being named an IFEA World Festival and Event City, along with Chiang Mai, Thailand; Jinju, South Korea; Penghu, Taiwan; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to IFEA, festivals and events create tremendous community and economic capital in the markets that they serve, but the partnership with and support from the local community, at all levels, is critical to the success and sustainability of existing festivals and events, as well as the ability to attract and encourage new events.

“The IFEA is pleased to recognize and highlight those cities and markets who have worked, through concerted efforts, to provide an environment conducive to successful festivals and events,” said IFEA President Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE, during the presentations. “Through this award, the IFEA hopes to create a continuing dialogue between events and cities around the world, at a time when each needs to be supporting the other more than ever. The quality of all the entries paints a bright picture for our industry and those cities recognized with this award are helping to build a strong foundation and example that we hope all cities, globally, will work to emulate.” 

McAllen received the award designation, in part, because it hosted more than 800 events last year alone, with an economic impact to the McAllen economy of over $87 million. Other factors in the  award selection included community overview; diversity and success of community festivals and events; government and non-government support for the festivals and events; COVID-19 and other health care and safety support; marketing opportunities of the festivals and events in other areas; and other considerations.

“The festivals and events that are celebrated around the world reflect the best of our cities, our people and our values.  Aside from being economic generators for our cities, festivals and events bring communities together at a local and regional level,” said McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “The quality of life – for our residents and visitors alike – sets McAllen apart.”  

The City of McAllen also received a total of 34 gold, 23 silver and 25 bronze Pinnacle Awards for the McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B, as well as the multiple events hosted by Quinta Mazatlán, including Moon Over Mazatlan and Monarch Fest; and the McAllen Public Library’s Wild West Casino and Frida Art Displays; and the McAllen Convention Center’s CarFest, Fiesta de Palmas and South Pole Illuminated Festival.  

Finally, the McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and the McAllen Public Library’s South Texas Book Festival each walked away with IFEA’s most coveted award, the Grand Pinnacle, for outstanding accomplishments and top-quality creative, promotional, operational and community outreach programs and marketing materials, winning in their respective budget categories.

“We are always hosting something, whether it be a small music fest, a large-scale cultural celebration or, our very own internationally-acclaimed McAllen Holiday Parade, and these events and festivals and celebrations are why people from throughout the Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico flock to McAllen,” said McAllen Assistant City Manager and IFEA Board Member Joe Vera.

This year’s convention boasted 400-plus members, including festival and event producers, and the professional peers suppliers and host cities who support them from 10 different countries and 29 states who attended this year’s event. The convention offered informative, entertaining and educational sessions, providing event organizers the tools and resources to ensure they can plan and host the most creative, safe and sustainable events possible, for their respective communities and countries.