PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Festivals & Events Association (FFEA) recently announced the winners of its annual SUNsational Awards during its 24th annual convention and tradeshow.

The program recognizes members’ innovation, individuality and creative collaboration, and the City of West Palm Beach Community Events Division earned 15 awards for its signature programming.

“It is wonderful to receive recognition from the FFEA for our efforts to provide free, family-friendly fun for locals and tourists, especially among strong statewide competition,” said Jeri Muoio, mayor of the City of West Palm Beach. “We led the way against other municipalities, proving that West Palm Beach is truly one of the best places to live, work and play. Our events, many of which have been happening for more than 20 years, give our residents and visitors a sense of community. We hope everyone takes the time to experience all West Palm Beach has to offer – it is truly special.”

The City received more awards than any other municipality in Florida and was tied for first place in the state for the total number of awards with the South Florida Fair and Palm Beach County Expositions. The City’s celebrated events included Clematis by Night, Holiday in Paradise, which includes Sandi the world’s only 700-ton sand tree, Summer in Paradise and the West Palm Beach GreenMarket.

Nominations were accepted in nine categories, including Printed Materials; Outdoor Advertisement; PR/Media Campaign; Photo; Promotional Item; T-shirt; Broadcast Media; Multimedia Marketing and Programming. Each category included three budget levels. A total of 140 events submitted their materials for consideration.

In total, FFEA members in the County received a total of 72 awards. The nominations were judged by a blue-ribbon panel representing media outlets, printing companies, website designers, photographers, promotional marketing professionals and social media experts.

“The SUNsational Awards have recognized and celebrated the talents of our members for more than two decades,” said Suzanne Neve, executive director of the FFEA. “We’re proud of our members and their events – and excited to recognize them in this way each year.”

Celebrating 24 years, FFEA is a not-forprofit association dedicated to supporting and promoting more than 3,500 festivals, events, and fairs in the state of Florida through education, networking and dissemination of information and the cultivation of high standards. For more information about FFEA, visit www.ffea.com.

For more information about the City of West Palm Beach’s events, visit wpb.org/events, call 561-822-1515.