Top 100 Events and Festivals

ABA's Top 100 Events in North America is an annual compendium of the best events for group travel in the United States and Canada. Each spring, a committee of ABA-member motorcoach and tour operators selects the Top 100 Events for the subsequent year; the list is unveiled in September. Winners are chosen from hundreds of celebrations, festivals, fairs, commemorative events, and more that have been nominated by ABA members. From among the winners, ABA names the Number One Event for both the United States and Canada.

ABA launched the Top 100 program in 1982 to help motorcoach and tour operators plan itineraries. Each year, 100 U.S. and Canadian events are selected for the program. Two events from the list of 100 are singled out for top honors, one from each country.

Now in its 29th year, the Top 100 Events receive worldwide attention via the media--television, radio, and print--such as USA Today and CNN. ABA distributes some 10,000 copies of the Top 100 Events in North America magazine, featuring the winners, to all of its members and to thousands of travelers worldwide. For previous publications, please see Top 100 Archives and Marketing Information below.

[1]For the 2011 Top 100 edition ABA will work in conjunction with Group Leaders of America (GLAMER) on special promotions. These promotions will result in leads for the winning destinations and events. The leads will be distributed to the nominating member and the winning event/festival contacts.

Top 100 Events Nominations and Judging

For the first time this year all current ABA members of all membership categories may submit nominations for the Top 100 Events.  Nominations are solicited via e-mail from those eligible to nominate.  This year the nomination process will begin February 17, 2010. Official State/Provincial Tourism Offices may submit seven (7) nominations.  ABA members may submit three (3) nominations.  There is no cost to nominate events for ABA members.  Non-ABA-members may submit one (1) nomination for a nominal fee.  This fee will be rebated if the company joins ABA in 2010.

 

The nomination process is easy and completely online. Member nominators go to https://aba.teameventmanagement.com/team/award/Login.asp [2]and follow the online instructions. (If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, it must be turned off to complete the nomination process.) Non-members contact ABA at 800-283-2877 to be assigned a company ID and password in order to access the online nomination system.

The deadline for nominations is May 7, 2010.

Below is a copy of the online survey questions. Contact ABA at 800-283-2877 or email at Top100@buses.org [3] with any questions on the nomination process or the Top 100 Program.

• 2011 ABA Top 100 Events in North America FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS [4]
• 2011 Top 100 Nomination Survey [5]

Judging Criteria

The judging committee considers these factors when reviewing an event:

1. Does the event have wide appeal to motorcoach and tour groups?

2. Is the event near other attractions that allows tour operators to create a package?

3. Does the event have adequate motorcoach parking and group accommodations?

4. Is the event worthy of media coverage and is it the finest that area has to offer groups?

Notification

Selected nominators and nominees will be confidentially notified via email in the month of June to confirm all entry information for the Top 100 publication. Official notification will tentatively take place on August 31, 2010.

Host Destination & Selection Committee

Each year, the Top 100 Selection Committee meets at a different host destination location, providing local CVBs, DMOs and attractions with the opportunity to showcase the meeting site and surrounding region to ABA member bus & tour operators. Cities or destinations interested in hosting the 2012 Top 100 Events In North America Selection Committee in June 2011 should contact Jana Fields for a Request for Proposal.

2012 Top 100 Request For Proposal [6]

2011 Top 100 Selection Committee

The Top 100 Selection Committee is composed of 12-15 judges chosen from ABA-member motorcoach and tour operators. Judging takes place in May and June each year.

This year the committee will meet in Springfield, Massachusetts June 6-9. ABA member operators interested in serving on the Selection Committee should contact Courtney Davis at 800-283-2877, or email cdavis@buses.org [7].

Please see the 2011 Top 100 meeting itinerary and FAM activities below

2011 Top 100 Meeting Itinerary and Activities [8]

Thank you to all of our 2011 Top 100 Committee Hosts & Sponsor Partners.

Top 100 Archives and Marketing Information

Top 100 Events in North America Magazine [9]
The Top 100 Events for the coming year are published in a full-color magazine which is distributed with the September/October issue in of ABA's Destinations Magazine. ABA distributes some 10,000 copies of the Top 100 Events in North America magazine, featuring the winners, to all of its members and to thousands of travelers worldwide.ABA's Web site -www.buses.org- also lists the winners and links directly to the events.

• 2010 Top 100 Events in North America Magazine [10]
• 2009 Top 100 Events in North America Magazine [11]
• 2008 Top 100 Events in North America Magazine [12]
• 2007 Top 100 Events in North America Magazine [13]

We have organized and archived the past Top 100 Events from 1982 for both the United States and Canada as follows:

Top 100 Events - United States - 1982- 2010 [14]

Top 100 Events - Canada - 1982- 2010 [15]

Top U.S. & Canadian Top 100 Events - Highest Honors Through 2010 [16]

Top 100 Event Publications [17]

Top 100 Event Logos - 1999- 2010 [18]