If you joined us at The Pearl Event Center for the 2026 Fort Wayne ADDY Awards, you probably felt what we did: it was a really good night for our regional creative community. Hosted by AAF Fort Wayne, this year’s event felt less like hype and more like progress. The room was full. The conversations were real. And there was a clear sense that people are ready to show up again—for the work and for each other. As a mid-size agency, we were glad to be part of it. We were also honored to receive five ADDY awards. In a room filled with strong work from agencies, in-house teams, and freelancers from across Indiana, that recognition meant a lot to our team.
A Night That Felt Like Community
The evening was held at The Pearl Event Center, and the new venue was exactly right: welcoming, polished, and set up for conversation. It was a sold-out crowd, with agency teams, in-house brand managers, educators, and students all sharing the same room. That mix matters. When you get different parts of the industry together, good things tend to happen. The new AAF chapter board members delivered on their promise last year to redesign the event. Attention to detail helped set the tone:
- A layout that encouraged people to sit, stay, and actually talk
- Live music from Ta'Korei Moore added energy without taking over the room
- Great food from Ceruti's Catering that kept people mingling
- A well-built event app that encouraged engagement and helped the evening flow.
- Timely delivery of the downloadable awards booklet and well-organized presentation of the trophies.
It wasn’t overproduced. It wasn’t trying too hard. It just worked. More importantly, people lingered. They caught up. They met new faces. They talked about projects, open roles, lessons learned, and what they hope to see from the chapter moving forward. That’s the part that sticks with us.
Why the ADDYs Still Matter
The American Advertising Awards are a three-tier competition that moves from local to district to national levels. But at the local level, they serve a different—and arguably more important—purpose. For American Advertising Federation chapters like ours, the mission is simple: connect and inspire marketing professionals and recognize strong work. This year’s program felt like a step in the right direction, especially in how it brought together:
- Agencies and in-house teams competing alongside each other
- Students getting exposure to professional work (and real networking opportunities)
- Professionals from Indianapolis, Muncie, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, and everywhere in between -- all raising the overall level of competition
If we want a stronger creative economy in Northeast Indiana, we need all of those pieces. Not just awards, not just winners -- but real opportunities to connect, grow, and test ourselves against the best in the state.
Grateful for the Recognition
Winning five ADDYs was meaningful for our team. Not because it proves any superiority, but because it validates the kind of work we aim to do every day: thoughtful strategy, clear messaging, and creative that’s built to solve real problems. We’re proud of our team. We’re grateful to our clients who trust us. And we respect the other creative professionals in the room who continue to raise the bar.
Personally, I am encouraged. Rebuilding and strengthening a local AAF chapter doesn’t happen overnight. It takes volunteers, sponsors, board members, entrants, and people willing to show up—even when it would be easier to sit it out. To everyone who helped make the 2026 Fort Wayne ADDYs happen: thank you. It felt like momentum. And that’s something worth building on. - John
