Festival Awards 2004

Carolina In The Fall wins 7 NCAF & E Awards

The Carolina in the Fall Festival has been recognized for the second consecutive year for excellence in the festival industry. The North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events held a joint conference with South Carolina Festival and Events Association in Greenville, SC in February, 2005.
During the Awards Luncheon on the final day of the conference, the Carolina Showfest Excellence Awards were presented for the 2004 calendar year. Festivals from across North Carolina and South Carolina competed in different categories.
With a combined, two-state conference, the awards process was considerably more competitive this year.

The awards presented to Carolina in the Fall are:

Event of the year 2004, Carolina in the Fall
The most prestigious award bestowed upon Carolina in the Fall is Event of the Year. The festival's mission statement, goals, event budget, promotional campaign, communications programs, merchandising, special programs, and volunteer base are analyzed in consideration of this award.
Monica Shepherd, Director of Marketing and Publicity for Carolina in the Fall, noted, "This is quite an accomplishment for such a young festival. Carolina in the Fall competed against festivals that have been established for almost 30 years for the recognition of Event of the Year. We are ecstatic that our festival was rewarded for its commitment to providing an excellent musical program in a family-atmosphere environment."

Director of the Year 2004, Brenda Shepherd
Brenda Shepherd was recognized as Director of the Year for the second consecutive year. During her long history of involvement with festivals and events, Brenda Shepherd has developed quite a knowledge base and is considered an expert in festival planning and organization. From the earliest development stages of planning Carolina in the Fall, Brenda Shepherd's efficient style ensured that each aspect of the festival would be considered all the way down to the tiniest detail. As the Festival Director, Brenda's duties included coordinating everything from the stage schedule of musical performers, to Box Office ticket sales, to securing sponsors, to collaboration with local agencies including the Town of North Wilkesboro and the North Wilkesboro Police Department. Every single aspect of the festival was positively influenced by Brenda. Festival organizers described Brenda's leadership style with a summative remark, "Most Festival Directors reside in an office and delegate different tasks to other employees or volunteers. Although Brenda understands the art of delegation, she also understands that a leader leads through example. She models her work ethic daily and staff members half her age cannot keep up with Brenda's pace. It is truly amazing to see her in action."

Associate of the Year 2004, Party Time Rentals, Inc
Dan Eller of Party Time Rentals, Inc was named Associate of the Year 2004, nominated by the Carolina in the Fall Festival for his efforts in assisting with site development and optimal use of the festival grounds. Dan Eller is originally from North Wilkesboro and now lives in Charlotte where he owns and operates his rental business. Party Time Rentals Inc has earned a reputation as a high-quality rental company with a tremendous inventory and experienced event planners for Charlotte and the Carolinas. In planning the Carolina in the Fall festival, organizers automatically included Dan Eller of Party Time Rentals, Inc in the process.

Best Brochure for the festival brochure that is published and distributed prior to the festival.

Best Sponsorship Packet for cultivation of relationships with potential sponsors to ensure that both the festival and the individual or business mutually benefit from the sponsorship endeavor.

Best Press Kit which includes Press Releases and communication with various Media Representatives for promotional articles and/or interviews.

Best T-Shirt for the orange tie-dyed t-shirt with the Carolina in the Fall logo screen printed on the front. Festival Organizers were pleased to recognize Brad and Renee Simmons of LogoPros of Charlotte, NC, who provide all festival merchandise and remain on-site during the festival to staff the Festival Merchandise booth.