July feels a little bit like the holidays here at IHAF. That’s because it’s the time of year when package upon package arrives containing your submissions for our annual creativity awards.

As we eagerly unwrap and admire your parcels, we know it’s just a matter of time before our panel of judges more carefully scrutinizes your wares—reviewing, scoring and determining who will earn gold at the IHAF Conference & Awards in November.

Well, our judging event just wrapped and as these candids show, there was plenty of magic in the air again this year! Now begins the process of engraving 38 trophies and preparing 76 certificates, as the best of show, gold, silver and honorable mention winners are announced in just under two months.

We can’t tell you who won, but we can tell you that our judges were blown away by the caliber of work they evaluated and debated. Without tipping our hand, let’s hear what a few of them had to say about their experience reviewing your 700+ creative entries. From print to events to video to social, they saw it all and had a ball!

“What a privilege and responsibility it has been to evaluate such an incredible body of work. The creativity is inspiring and reinforces my belief that some of the very best talent is in-house talent.”

—Jessica Fein, VP, Brand, Content & Creative, Bright Horizons

“It was amazing to see so much great work being produced in a lot of different media by in-house teams. Great pairings of creative concepts and high-quality production—not just in traditional media like print but in animation, video and digital

—Adam Bailey, Head of Design, Harpoon Brewery

“It was both an honor and a privilege to judge the IHAF Creativity Awards this year. Seeing the level of talent and quality of work from in-house agencies shows the benefit of being so close to the brand. I left feeling inspired and excited about the future of in house. Great work, everyone!”

—Jon Reil, Director of Creative, Art and Design, Liberty Mutual Insurance

“For a long time, I’ve been writing on my Forbes blog that in-house agencies are the future of advertising. Judging the IHAF Creativity Awards this year only affirms my prediction. Lots of very creative and strategic work. Watch out, traditional agencies!”

—Will Burns, CEO, Ideasicle

That’s all we can share for now. You’ll have to join us in Boston for the live reveal of the winners at the IHAF Conference & Awards on November 13-14. If you have not yet purchased your ticket, we’re anticipating another sold-out event, so be sure to save your seat.

Register now and enjoy two days packed with inspiring keynotes, targeted skills labs, incomparable networking and, of course, lots of creative sparkle at our awards celebration!