Awards

2019 International Festival & events association (IFEA) pinnacle AWARDS

Gold Pinnacle Award:

• Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials (Single Page) – 500 Festival Off the Grid, presented by KeyBank, 2019 Ticket
• Best Volunteer Program – 500 Festival Volunteer Program, presented by Citizens Energy Group
• Best Children’s Programming – 500 Festival Mini-Moves, powered by INSHAPE
• Best Community Outreach Program – 500 Festival Princess Program, presented by Reis-Nichols
• Best New Promotion Activity – 500 Festival mini-mini Partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Silver Pinnacle Awards:

• Best Miscellaneous On-Site Décor – OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Floor Graphics at IND Airport
• Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation – Delta Dental Entitlement Partnership of 500 Festival 5K
• Most Creative/Effective News Stunt – 2019 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Pacesetter With Eva Kor and #TeamEva

Bronze Pinnacle Awards:

• Best Full Length TV Program (Local Programming) – 2019 AES 500 Festival Parade Broadcast
• Best Individual Sponsor Follow-Up Report – 500 Festival & Indianapolis 500 Education Program, presented by Indiana University Health
• Best Sponsor Partner – OneAmerica, Entitlement Partner of 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
• Best Parade – 2019 AES 500 Festival Parade
• Best Educational Program – 500 Festival & Indianapolis 500 Education Program, presented by Indiana University Health
• Best Event/Program within an Event to Benefit a Cause – Sam Schmidt as Grand Marshal of AES 500 Festival Parade & Keynote Speaker at 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by Midwestern Engineers, Inc., in support of Conquer Paralysis Now
• Best Event (Within an Existing Festival) – AES 500 Festival Parade
• Best Social Media Campaign – OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K is a fun-filled race weekend experience that you won’t want to miss! But don’t just take our word for how great these races are. Check out the awards and honors we have received:

America’s Best Half Marathon, the 2019 BibRave 100
Top 15 Races 10 Miles or Less, the 2019 BibRave 100
Top 10 Race Weekend Experience, the 2019 BibRave 100
One of America’s Most Iconic Races, Runners’ World
Top 15 Running Events in America, lonely planet

PLACE MARKETING FORUM AWARD

In Spring 2018, the 500 Festival was selected as one of the seven laureates of the fifth edition of the Place Marketing Forum. The 500 Festival received the award at the event on March 26 in France, at the Convention Center and the Exhibition Park of Strasbourg.

Created in 2013, this annual international meeting invites participants to discover and exchange new trends and practices of place marketing around the world. After a pre-selection of 42 worldwide emblematic projects in place marketing, the 500 Festival won the 2018 award for the theme, “events as a lever for mobilizing local actors.” The jury, made up of the A&NMT Chair’s members and experts, based its selection on three criteria of excellence: innovation, remarkable results and emblematic projects.

500 Festival president and CEO Bob Bryant delivered a keynote presentation entitled, “Place Marketing with a Purpose,” to 400 professional decision-makers, elected officials and managers focused on the attractiveness of territories. The 500 Festival’s diverse and large-scale schedule of community events, mostly free to the general public, highlight much of what is great about Indianapolis.

ROSE Awards

In recent years, numerous 500 Festival staff members and volunteers have been selected as ROSE Award nominees (Recognition of Service Excellence). This prestigious honor is an annual award ceremony based on nominations from Indianapolis organizations. The 500 Festival is proud to play a vital part in the success and atmosphere of our Indianapolis community through community service and celebrations.

In 2020, the 500 Festival nominated Lydia Thurston for the award. In 2017, the 500 Festival nominated the Volunteer of the Year and OneAmerica employee, Rhonda Smith. In 2016, the 500 Festival’s Kati O’Brien won the award.