LAREDO, TX – The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association received the highest and most prestigious award for excellence in marketing at the state level for the second year in a row with the Kaliff Zenith Award; It was another banner year for WBCA, as the Association celebrated a total of 50 top honors at the 27th Annual Texas Festivals and Events Association Marketing Awards competition held virtually this year.
In addition to the coveted Kaliff Zenith Award, the Association, which competed against other festivals across the state of Texas, garnered a total of twenty-one first-place plaques, seventeen second-place awards; and twelve third place honors.
“We’re proud of the Celebration and we’re especially proud that we get to showcase not only the Celebration but our great city of Laredo by competing against the best festivals and celebrations in Texas,” said WBCA President Natalie Hernandez. “It just speaks volumes to the great work the organization does and the city pride it displays by competing and winning against the largest Celebrations and Festivals around.”
“None of the awards and recognitions would’ve been possible without the consistent support from its board members, its volunteers, its Sponsors, the City of Laredo, Webb County and the WBCA staff”, she continued.
The TFEA Marketing & Communications Awards program recognizes excellence in event promotion and communication campaigns and is open to all members of the organization.
While 2020 was a year which saw many events postponed, some Texas Festival and Events were able to celebrate before the pandemic and virtually after the pandemic arrived. It is those events that the Texas Festivals & Events Association opened their Annual Kaliff Marketing Awards to, for events that were held from June 1, 2019 through the May 31, 2020. The award competition, which recognizes the best of the best amongst the various Texas festivals and events, is the highlight of the annual TFEA summer conference, which was also postponed. However, the show must go on and this year’s award ceremony, like so many things this year, was held virtually, airing live on the City of McAllen’s own MCN 1300, which was livestreamed throughout the state.
The TFEA Marketing Awards program recognizes excellence in marketing campaigns used to promote festivals and events. The entries were judged by a panel of marketing, public relations, web design and festival professionals; all festivals were fairly judged with others within their same budget category.
“The goal for festivals and events is to create memorable experiences and signature destination events that are unrivaled in their entertainment value, as well as all the other elements associated with such programs,” said Kay Wolf, Executive Director of TFEA, a professional trade association for festival and event planners, volunteers and suppliers from across Texas.
TFEA is an official affiliate of the International Festivals & Events Association, the premier professional association supporting festival and event leaders worldwide. For more information about TFEA, visit www.tfea.org or find the association on Facebook.
The complete list of awards received by WBCA are as follows:
Gold
Silver
Bronze
The Washington’s Birthday Celebration, founded in 1898, is the largest Celebration of its kind in the United States. Throughout the years, the Celebration has grown to be over a month long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling Jalapeño Festival and much more. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors, and yearly contributes an estimated $14 million to the local economy.
For additional information, visit wbcalaredo.org or e-mail wbca@wbcalaredo.org, contact the WBCA office at (956) 722-0589, or visit 1819 E. Hillside Road in Laredo, TX.
