The Event Formerly Known as The Big Wigs Reveals Over 30 Winners; New Name?

By Dana Muruffo, Board Member, Buzz Puplic Relations
Last month, nearly 200 attendees didn't let a little thunder and rain get in the way of The Event Formerly Known as The Big Wigs. The event was held at the Mansions at Judges' Hill, proving our local ad community really knows how to recognize its industry partners. And what a heckuva of a time it was! The sold-out ceremony oozed elegance and style, and we were quite impressed with those donning masks that turned 'creative' into an understatement.

Even though we could only select two mask contest winners - everyone shined. The silent auction raised nearly $3,000 for the Austin Ad Fed's annual funding of the National Student Advertising Competition. Online nominations and voting were positively overwhelming, clearly indicating that our community had someone, somewhere, in mind they felt needed recognition for his or her outstanding efforts.  The results spoke for themselves. During the sipping of libations and eating a feast fit for a king, the Austin Ad Fed unveiled more than 30 winners including Lifetime Achievement (Judy Trabulsi/GSD&M), Ad Person of the Year (Gay Gaddis/T3), Educator of the Year (Holly Shields/Texas State), Silver Service (Lisa O'Neill/SicolaMartin) and Unsung Hero (Ted Burton/EnviroMedia Social Marketing).  For a complete list of winners, click here.
 
At the end of the evening, the Austin Ad Fed also revealed “The Vendies” as the new name of this event. We realize it didn't make the biggest impression. And that's cool - you win some, you lose some. On that note, let us assure you that we’ve listened and we've got new plans up our sleeves, so stay tuned.