The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) - The Premier Association Supporting and Enabling Festival and Event Professionals Worldwide - announced and recognized the 2019 recipients of their "IFEA World Festival & Event City” award, during the 64th Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States on September 25, 2019.  

2019 IFEA World Festival & Event City Award Recipients included:

• Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
• Gimje-Si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
• Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands
• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

The IFEA World Festival & Event City Award was designed and created as a way for the global festivals and events industry to openly encourage, support and recognize positive local environments for festivals and events worldwide. 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.

City entries were judged by an international panel of industry experts in the only recognition program of its kind.  Each city entry was considered based upon a compilation of detailed information in the following areas:

• Community Overview - providing the judges with a better understanding of each community and the infrastructure in place to host and/or support those producing and attending festivals and events.
• Community Festivals & Events - providing the judges with an understanding of the diversity and success of current festivals and events that serve each market’s city residents and visitors.
• City / Government Support of Festivals & Events - helping the judges to understand the strength and depth of support by each Applicant City and other area governmental bodies (County, State, taxing districts, etc.) as it pertains to festivals and events.
• Non-Governmental Community Support of Festivals & Events - helping the judges to understand the commitment to festivals and events and direct support provided by community individuals and non-governmental organizations. Without this type of support most festivals and events could not achieve the level of success that these important partnerships help to build. 
• Market Leveraging of the "Community Capital” Created by Festivals & Events - helping the judges to understand how the City and its non-governmental partners maximize the branding and marketing images/opportunities provided by local festivals and events to leverage return in other areas; and
• An Extra Credit section giving each city the opportunity to highlight additional programs, services, and event-related resources that were not covered in the areas above (local University degree programs in Event Management, local certified professionals, shared event-resource programs, etc.)

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