卓越奖

This category honors creativity, innovation, and excellence in developing a new menu item, food and/or drink, that is unique or superior to what has been accomplished in the industry.

Note: Limited operation facilities are considered as facilities that are open 9 months or less of the calendar year. If your facility is open for 10 months or more of the calendar year, please apply in the year-round operation category.

This category honors creativity, innovation, and excellence in developing a new menu item, food and/or drink, that is unique or superior to what has been accomplished in the industry. 

Note: Year-round operation facilities are considered as facilities open 10 months or more of the calendar year. If your facility is open for 9 months or less of the calendar year, please apply in the limited operation category.

This category honors creativity, innovation, and excellence in the development of a new festival or special event centered around food and/or beverage that is unique or superior to what has been accomplished in the industry at a facility. Festivals or Events must have taken place between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025. Festivals can start or end before these dates as long as they were running at least one day inside this window. 

Note: A festival or special event is defined by having a set start and end date, a theme, may or may not require special ticketing, and has a separate operational and marketing budget apart from regular operations.
 

This category honors creativity, innovation, and excellence in the development of a new food & beverage build, including renovations and new facilities. The new build may increase transactions, improve/showcase quality, streamline labor, and more. The building must have been completed between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025. 

This category honors excellence in visual merchandising across an entire game area or full retail store. Your entry should showcase various products and other creative, innovative displays that work together to create a cohesive store and/or game area experience that links with the store/attraction’s theme or story, enhances guest engagement and drives sales. 

Note: Limited operation facilities are considered as facilities that are open 9 months or less of the calendar year If your facility is open for 10 months or more of the calendar year, please apply in the year-round operation category.
 

This category honors excellence in visual merchandising across an entire game area or full retail store. Your entry should showcase various products and other creative, innovative displays that work together to create a cohesive store and/or game area experience that links with the store/attraction’s theme or story, enhances guest engagement and drives sales. View the full Games & Merchandise Excellence criteria.

Note: Year-round operation facilities are considered as facilities open 10 months or more of the calendar year. If your facility is open for 9 months or less of the calendar year, please apply in the limited operation category.
 

This category honors excellence in visual merchandising for a single display. Entries should showcase that single display, products, creativity, and experience and demonstrate how it celebrates a specific product, elevates a specific experience, enhances guest engagement, drives sales, or supports a cohesive store experience that links with the store/attraction’s theme or story. 

Note: “Best Individual Visual Merchandise Display” encompasses both limited and year-round operational facilities.

This category honors excellence in visual merchandising across an entire game area or full retail store. Your entry should showcase various products and other creative, innovative displays that work together to create a cohesive store and/or game area experience that links with the store/attraction’s theme or story, enhances guest engagement and drives sales. 

Note: Limited operation facilities are considered as facilities that are open 9 months or less of the calendar year If your facility is open for 10 months or more of the calendar year, please apply in the year-round operation category.
 

This category honors excellence in visual merchandising across an entire game area or full retail store. Your entry should showcase various products and other creative, innovative displays that work together to create a cohesive store and/or game area experience that links with the store/attraction’s theme or story, enhances guest engagement and drives sales. 

Note: Year-round operation facilities are considered as facilities open 10 months or more of the calendar year. If your facility is open for 9 months or less of the calendar year, please apply in the limited operation category.
 

This category honors a creative and innovative item that uniquely represents and celebrates a midway game’s concept, theme, or storyline. Game prizes must be won and cannot be bought at a store. 

Note: “Best Customized Game Prize” encompasses both limited and year-round operational facilities.

This category honors the most innovative and effective new or updated talent acquisition programs, initiatives, or strategies that have significantly enhanced an organization’s hiring efforts. The winning program will demonstrate a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to sourcing, attracting, and retaining top talent, while addressing key organizational hiring needs.

Talent acquisition programs entered can include but are not limited to new projects or programs, one-off projects in specific areas, or any other related efforts. Entries should demonstrate the effectiveness of submitted programs. 

This category honors new or updated training programs and initiatives that demonstrate innovation in enhancing employee skills, knowledge, and professional development. The winning program will showcase a forward-thinking approach to learning, incorporating cutting-edge techniques, technologies, and strategies that drive employee growth and contribute to organizational success.

Training programs may include, but are not limited to: manager-in-training, internships and early career development, internal promotion and career advancement, personalized learning paths, cross-functional or departmental training, leadership development initiatives, micro-learning or on-the-job training annual/seasonal training. 

This category honors new or updated programs within an organization that have made significant strides in improving and supporting employee health and wellness. The winning program will demonstrate a holistic approach to promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being, contributing to a healthier, more engaged workforce.

Programs may include, but are not limited to: mental and/or physical health focused benefits or programs, medical benefits plans, employee assistance programs, work/life balance programs, bereavement benefits, any other related efforts designed to support employee health and wellness.

This category honors new or updated rewards and recognition programs within an organization that improve and strengthen employee engagement, productivity, and retention. This category honors new or updated rewards and recognition programs that have a positive impact on employee engagement, productivity, and retention. The winning program will demonstrate an innovative and meaningful approach to acknowledging and celebrating employee achievements, fostering a culture of recognition, and motivating employees to perform at their best. 

Programs may include, but are not limited to: ongoing recognition programs (daily, monthly, quarterly, etc.), employee recognition platforms, employee milestone celebrations, non-monetary recognition, annual awards ceremonies, compensation analysis (may include organizational restructure and title updates), any other related efforts designed to further employee engagement and improve retention. 

This category recognizes a production that features exceptional entertainment value not on a stage but throughout a park, featuring intimate engagement with guests and limited technical resources.
 

This category recognizes a haunt, show, or experience that features exceptional production and entertainment value with a Halloween theme.

This category recognizes an exceptional production that happens once (or twice) a day or once a season, that is meant to keep people in the park to celebrate the day. May feature multimedia, fireworks, parades, live actors, and may not be confined to a traditional stage.

This category recognizes a presentational stage show that features exceptional production and entertainment value at a facility with limited operation of 9 months or less of the calendar year. 

This category recognizes a presentational stage show that features exceptional production and entertainment value at a facility open 10 months or more of the calendar year.

This category recognizes a production with Winter Holiday theming that features exceptional production and entertainment value.

This category recognizes one specific element in a presentational stage or atmosphere show that enhances the production and entertainment value of the presentation.  An element that makes the show even better!  

This category honors excellence, creativity and originality through any outdoor advertising. This includes but is not limited to: billboards, bus stop signage, vehible wraps, window graphics, vinyl advertisements (window, floor, building exterior, dooes, ceilings, etc), posters, handbills, and any other advertising that takes place in the physical, rather than digital world. 

This category honors excellence, creativity, and originality through any digital marketing campaigns. This includes, but is not limited to: email marketing, website ads, in-app ads, search-engine-optimization (SEO), and more. View the full Marketing Excellence criteria.

Note: Social Media Marketing campaigns will fall under “Most Creative Social Media Marketing Campaign”, not “Most Creative Digital Marketing Campaign”

This category honors excellence, creativity, and originality through any social media marketing campaigns. This includes, but is not limited to: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter/X, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WeChat, Snapchat, and any other social media campaigns, as well as including graphics, reels/videos/TikToks, stories, influencer marketing, live chats, social media partnerships, PR packages and more. 

Note: Social Media Marketing campaigns will not fall under “Most Creative Digital Marketing Campaign”, but rather “Most Creative Social Media Marketing Campaign”.
 

This category honors excellence, creativity, and originality across multiple marketing channels, and applicants must include at least three (3) elements from their campaign to be considered for this award. Elements may include, but are not limited to: print, radio, TV, online, social media, outdoor, public relations, and more.