Tuesday, June 2, 2026
San Diego Tourism Authority wins top honor at 2026 Sandie Awards
The agency earned Best of Show at the 2026 Sandie Awards, while the San Diego Foundation's Theresa Nakata was named Marketer of the Year and Ignite Visibility's Karen Devlin received Trailblazer of the Year honors.
The San Diego Tourism Authority captured the highest honor at the American Marketing Association San Diego chapter's 2026 Sandie Awards, which recognized outstanding marketing campaigns and achievements from the past year.
More than 250 marketing professionals, agency executives, nonprofit leaders and students attended the awards ceremony May 21 at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley. The annual event recognized 75 winners across 14 categories, including branding, digital marketing, public relations, social media, video production and experiential marketing.
"The incredible caliber of work submitted is a testament to the strength, creativity and innovation coming out of San Diego's marketing community right now," AMA San Diego president Nick Hofer said in a statement.
The San Diego Tourism Authority received Best of Show for its "Game On: Capturing Mexico's Sports Tourism" campaign. The effort also earned a Gold Award in the public relations category and was recognized for helping position San Diego as a sports tourism destination through cross-border marketing efforts targeting visitors from Mexico.
Several organizations collected multiple awards during the ceremony.
The tourism authority and the Shipyard each received five awards. The Shipyard earned three Gold Awards for its work with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, along with a Silver Award in video and a Bronze Award in experiential marketing for projects involving the tourism authority.
Six organizations received three awards each, including the San Diego Foundation, Red Door Interactive, San Diego International Airport, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Compass Digital and Mixte Communications.
In collegiate competition, Point Loma Nazarene University led all schools with eight awards, followed by the University of San Diego with six. San Diego State University and California State University San Marcos also received honors.
"The Sandies are about more than awards -- they're about recognizing the people, teams, brands and agencies that continue to push our industry forward," Hofer said. "I'm incredibly proud of what this community is building together, and AMA San Diego remains committed to creating opportunities for marketers to connect, grow, give back and help position San Diego as one of the premier marketing communities in the country."
The association also presented three special individual and organizational awards.
Theresa Nakata, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at the San Diego Foundation, was named Marketer of the Year. The award recognized her leadership and communications efforts supporting the foundation's philanthropic mission throughout the county.
Kanbar Digital received Agency of the Year honors for its client work, business growth and contributions to the regional marketing industry. The agency also earned a Silver Award in the SEO/SEM category for its work with Bagmasters.
Karen Devlin, vice president of AI-SEO at Ignite Visibility, was named Trailblazer of the Year. The award recognized her leadership in digital marketing innovation and her efforts to advance the use of artificial intelligence and search optimization strategies while mentoring emerging marketing professionals.
"The work we celebrated tonight reflects the very best of what San Diego marketers are capable of -- bold ideas, sharp execution and campaigns that deliver real results for clients, causes and communities," AMA San Diego board member and Sandies chair Summer Haines said in a statement.
"Our judges had a difficult job this year, and the depth of talent across every category made for some of the closest scoring we've ever seen. I'm especially proud of this year's special honorees on their well-deserved recognitions."
The Sandie Awards are presented annually by AMA San Diego to recognize excellence in marketing campaigns produced by or for organizations throughout the region.
More than 250 marketing professionals, agency executives, nonprofit leaders and students attended the awards ceremony May 21 at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley. The annual event recognized 75 winners across 14 categories, including branding, digital marketing, public relations, social media, video production and experiential marketing.
"The incredible caliber of work submitted is a testament to the strength, creativity and innovation coming out of San Diego's marketing community right now," AMA San Diego president Nick Hofer said in a statement.
The San Diego Tourism Authority received Best of Show for its "Game On: Capturing Mexico's Sports Tourism" campaign. The effort also earned a Gold Award in the public relations category and was recognized for helping position San Diego as a sports tourism destination through cross-border marketing efforts targeting visitors from Mexico.
Several organizations collected multiple awards during the ceremony.
The tourism authority and the Shipyard each received five awards. The Shipyard earned three Gold Awards for its work with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, along with a Silver Award in video and a Bronze Award in experiential marketing for projects involving the tourism authority.
Six organizations received three awards each, including the San Diego Foundation, Red Door Interactive, San Diego International Airport, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Compass Digital and Mixte Communications.
In collegiate competition, Point Loma Nazarene University led all schools with eight awards, followed by the University of San Diego with six. San Diego State University and California State University San Marcos also received honors.
"The Sandies are about more than awards -- they're about recognizing the people, teams, brands and agencies that continue to push our industry forward," Hofer said. "I'm incredibly proud of what this community is building together, and AMA San Diego remains committed to creating opportunities for marketers to connect, grow, give back and help position San Diego as one of the premier marketing communities in the country."
The association also presented three special individual and organizational awards.
Theresa Nakata, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at the San Diego Foundation, was named Marketer of the Year. The award recognized her leadership and communications efforts supporting the foundation's philanthropic mission throughout the county.
Kanbar Digital received Agency of the Year honors for its client work, business growth and contributions to the regional marketing industry. The agency also earned a Silver Award in the SEO/SEM category for its work with Bagmasters.
Karen Devlin, vice president of AI-SEO at Ignite Visibility, was named Trailblazer of the Year. The award recognized her leadership in digital marketing innovation and her efforts to advance the use of artificial intelligence and search optimization strategies while mentoring emerging marketing professionals.
"The work we celebrated tonight reflects the very best of what San Diego marketers are capable of -- bold ideas, sharp execution and campaigns that deliver real results for clients, causes and communities," AMA San Diego board member and Sandies chair Summer Haines said in a statement.
"Our judges had a difficult job this year, and the depth of talent across every category made for some of the closest scoring we've ever seen. I'm especially proud of this year's special honorees on their well-deserved recognitions."
The Sandie Awards are presented annually by AMA San Diego to recognize excellence in marketing campaigns produced by or for organizations throughout the region.
