UNION CITY, Tenn.. – The best and brightest were spotlighted this week at the Southeast Festivals and Events Association’s Kaleidoscope Awards in Pigeon Forge and Discovery Park of America took home four awards.
The event was held in conjunction with the Southeast Festivals and Events Association Annual Conference. Top festivals and events throughout the southeast were recognized for their outstanding contribution to the events industry.
Discovery Park of America was the recipient of a Gold Award for the “Best Photograph” for the 9/11 Memorial Tower Stair Climb, taken by in-house photographer Carly Christiansen. Another Gold Award was given for the “Best Vendor/Supplier” honoring Volunteer Distributing in Dresden, Tenn. The park received a Silver Award in the “Best Social Media Marketing” category for the 9/11 Memorial Tower Stair Climb, and a Bronze Award for the “Best Festival or Event Video” for the Budweiser Clydesdales Visit in April 2018. The video was shot and edited by Luke Johnson. Lauren Jones and Kayla Uzzle from the events team at Discovery Park of America were in attendance to receive the awards on behalf of the park.
“The quality of submissions continues to increase each year making it more difficult for the judges to select the winners,” noted Lisa McCray, executive director for SFEA. “Of course, to ‘win gold,’ becomes all the sweeter when there is additional competition and the recognition a festival receives for winning is priceless.”
The name “kaleidoscope” was selected due to the colors in the logo image that represent the many different elements and facets within festivals and events. A call for entries was posted last fall and all southeast festivals and events were encouraged to participate. A panel of experts in event planning, marketing and tourism spent an entire day reviewing the entries from five states. The judges looked for originality, creativity, media impact, volunteer programs, and the overall impact to the community. The categories, in which one can win recognition, are also diverse, ranging from Best Marketing Campaign to Best T-Shirt to Best Festival or Event.
The Southeast Festivals & Events Association (SFEA) is a 501 (c) 6 membership-based organization comprised of festival and event planners, venues, and industry service providers. SFEA was founded in 2009 to strengthen the festival and event industry throughout the southeast United States by hosting educational sessions, networking opportunities, award recognition, and additional events throughout the year; thus, allowing for continued professional growth within the festivals and events industry. Membership is open to those in the festivals and events industry as well as those wanting to get their start and learn more about this exciting profession.
