Best of the Valley/
Best Fest
An annual staple event that celebrates the top local businesses, restaurants, bars, and entertainers as chosen by the magazine's readers and editorial staff. It is a large, immersive event where the PHOENIX magazine's "Best of the Valley" issue comes to life.
Goal
The goal is to encourage businesses to participate in the event because it gives them meaningful, high-value exposure to an affluent and engaged local audience. By taking part, businesses can strengthen recognition, expand their reach through event marketing, and build the kind of visibility that leads to long-term advertising and partnership opportunities.
why it matters
Business participation is essential to PHOENIX magazine because it brings the publication’s mission to life by celebrating and supporting the best of the Valley while creating vibrant events, strengthening community engagement, building long-term collaborations, and helping the magazine continue delivering meaningful content and experiences to its audience.
My role
I oversaw the creative development for the event campaign, building on the established event branding to create a cohesive set of materials for that year’s promotion. I produced all supporting assets, including Meta ads, web graphics, eblasts, publication ads, signage, banners, and sponsor materials, working closely with the art director and marketing director to ensure alignment across every touchpoint.
The “Best of the Valley” contest by PHOENIX magazine has been running for 24 years as of 2024, with the 2025 edition marking its 25th anniversary. The logo design has been in use since the contest began in 2000, making it an iconic and instantly recognizable part of the brand. The colors are refreshed each year to keep the look current while preserving the long-established identity audiences know and trust.
Designed all web graphics for the full three-phase campaign rollout: the nomination phase, where readers submit their favorite businesses; the voting phase, which drives daily engagement to determine the winners; and the Best Fest promotion, which spotlights the annual celebration where vendors showcase their offerings and guests experience “Best of the Valley” highlights. Each asset is produced in a full range of sizes and formats, including app-ready versions, to ensure consistency and visibility across every platform.
Credits
Art Director: Mirelle Inglefield
Marketing Director:Johann Warnholtz
Senior Graphic Designer: Joanna Montano
Video Content: Matt Johnson