¡ARTE VIVA! Wins Statewide Awards for Hispanic Art and Culture
Published on September 11, 2025
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Yearlong Hispanic Art and Culture Initiative Honored by Florida Festivals & Events Association
NAPLES, Fla., September 11, 2025 – The Florida Festivals & Events Association (FFEA) recently announced the winners of its annual SUNsational Awards during its 31st annual convention and trade show. The program recognizes members' innovation, individuality, and creative collaboration.
Nominations were accepted in 10 categories, including Printed Materials; Outdoor Advertisement; PR/Media Campaign; Photo; Promotional Item; T-shirt; Broadcast Media; Multimedia Marketing; and Events and Programming. Each category included three budget levels. Over 200 events submitted their materials for consideration.
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB’s) ¡ARTE VIVA! is a collaborative initiative that brings together the arts and culture organizations and hospitality partners of Florida’s Paradise Coast to celebrate the artistic contributions of the Hispanic community. ¡ARTE VIVA! was honored with two awards:
- First place in Printed Materials category for one of the ¡ARTE VIVA! print ads
- Third place in the Website category for www.arte-viva.com
“¡ARTE VIVA! provides a tremendous platform to promote Collier County’s cultural assets and the programming of our hospitality partners," said John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB. “Having FFEA recognize our marketing efforts on a statewide platform shows the tremendous growth and appeal of ¡ARTE VIVA!”
Nominations were judged by a blue ribbon panel representing media outlets, printing companies, website designers, photographers, promotional marketing professionals and social media experts.
“The SUNsational Awards have recognized and celebrated the talents of our members for more than two decades,” said Suzanne Neve, CEO of the FFEA. “We’re proud of our members and their events–and excited to recognize them in this way each year.”
For more information about participating in ¡ARTE VIVA!, please contact John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager, at the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB at john.melleky@colliercountyfl.gov
About Florida’s Paradise Coast
The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official source for travel and tourism information about Florida's Paradise Coast. Located in Southwest Florida, this premier vacation and meeting destination offers leisure, group, and business travelers a variety of exceptional year-round options – the sophistication of Naples, the charm of Marco Island and the authentic, rural beauty of Everglades City. Boasting a 30-mile coastline along the Gulf of Mexico ribboned with soft, white-sand beaches, visitors enjoy a refined yet relaxed atmosphere and a variety of accommodations from luxurious beachfront resorts to upscale boutique hotels and welcoming family-friendly lodging. The destination is renowned for its thriving arts and culture scene, exceptional restaurants, art galleries, designer boutiques and eclectic shopping experiences. A mecca for sports enthusiasts, it is home to over 90 public and private golf courses and is the host destination to three major PGA and LPGA championship tournaments, as well as the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. The Paradise Coast Sports Complex is home to the United Soccer League’s FC Naples team and hosts national and regional sports tournaments year-round. Water activities abound, ranging from world-class fishing and sailing charters to kayaking, paddleboarding and airboat rides. Outdoor adventure activities include exploring the world-famous Everglades – the only sub-tropical mangrove wilderness in the U.S. that features endangered and rare wildlife species in their natural habitat, including the elusive Florida panther, alligators, bobcats, Florida black bear, and over 350 species of birds.
Florida’s Paradise Coast is truly where the high life meets the wildlife. Accolades include being named the No. 1 “Best Place to Live in the U.S.,” the No. 1 “Healthiest and Happiest City in America” and “One of the Best Small Cities in the U.S.” Located just two hours from Miami, three hours from Tampa, and four hours from Orlando, Florida’s Paradise Coast is easily accessible by Interstate highway. Travelers outside of the Sunshine State can fly into Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Punta Gorda (PGD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA). For more information about Florida’s Paradise Coast, call 800-688-3600, visit ParadiseCoast.com, and follow us on X, (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
About ¡ARTE VIVA!
¡ARTE VIVA! is a collaborative initiative that brings together the arts and culture organizations and hospitality partners of Florida’s Paradise Coast to communally celebrate the artistic contributions of the Hispanic community. The year-long celebration features local events, exhibitions, performances, and educational opportunities throughout the destination. Presented by the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB and supported by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners, ¡ARTE VIVA! will enhance the visitor experience as well as offering residents community-wide educational and entertainment experiences throughout the year. For the most recent information about the event schedule, please visit ¡ARTE VIVA!. For information about participating in this yearlong project, contact John Melleky at john.melleky@colliercountyfl.gov.
About the Florida Festivals & Events Association (FFEA)
Celebrating 29 years, FFEA is a not-for-profit association dedicated to supporting and promoting more than 5,500 festivals, events, and fairs in the state of Florida through education, networking and dissemination of information and the cultivation of high standards. For more information about FFEA, visit www.ffea.com.