MAD STARS
MAD STARS is a Busan-based non-profit that organizes an annual international marketing, advertising, and digital content festival serving roughly 20,000 entry submissions from 60+ countries through awards, conferences, and youth competitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBusan, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MAD STARS does
MAD STARS is a non-profit organizing committee that runs one of Asia's largest international marketing, advertising, and digital content festivals, held annually in Busan, South Korea. Founded in 2008 under the original name AD STARS and rebranded to MAD STARS in 2022, the organization is now preparing its 19th edition for 26-28 August 2026 at SIGNIEL BUSAN and the Haeundae area. The offering is structured around three core pillars: an awards platform accepting entries across 2 Groups (SOLUTION and POSITIVE IMPACT), 25 Stars, and 442 Categories; a three-day conference with approximately 40 sessions across Marketing, AI Technology, and Creativity tracks; and supplementary competitions including Young Stars (undergraduate students) and New Stars (junior professionals with up to 5 years of experience). Entry volumes have historically ranged from 12,000 to 21,530 submissions from 57-73 countries, with a jury of 350+ industry professionals from 83 locations.
The technology foundation is a web-based platform hosted at madstars.org supporting multi-language access (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese), online entry submission with file uploads, and a multi-tier judging workflow (Preliminary Judging, Final Judging with 1st round online and 2nd/last round offline in Busan). The platform supports supplemental products including a Trophy & Certificate Store, press accreditation, and live public entry counters. No public API, SDK, or app is offered, and there is no evidence of AI/ML products or proprietary models. Revenue is generated through Professional and Non-Professional Division entry fees (paid in the Professional Division since 2024), festival attendance packages (USD 1,100 complete, USD 610 conference-only, USD 110 student), trophy and certificate sales (USD 700-900 trophies, USD 100-200 certificates), and a tiered sponsorship program (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Cooperation, Media, Government) anchored by partners such as Cheil, Korea Tourism Organization, INNOCEAN, CJ, Daehong, TBWA, and the Busan Metropolitan City government. The organization operates with 11-50 employees from a single headquarters in Haeundae, Busan, with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or external institutional investors.
MAD STARS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MAD STARS
- Legal name
- MAD STARS Organizing Committee
- Website
- https://madstars.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MAD STARS is a Busan-based non-profit that organizes an annual international marketing, advertising, and digital content festival serving roughly 20,000 entry submissions from 60+ countries through awards, conferences, and youth competitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MAD STARS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Awards & Marketing Festival
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General & Multi-Industry Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)
Keywords
Where MAD STARS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Busan
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
MAD STARS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Competition Entry Fees: Professional division and general public division entry fees for the advertising awards competition
- Festival Attendance Packages: Complete package ($1,100) and Conference-only package ($610) for festival attendees
- Trophy and Certificate Sales: Sale of trophies ($700-$900) and certificates ($100-$200) to winners and finalists
- Sponsorship Revenue: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Photo Streaming, Cooperation, and Media partnership tiers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time | Festival Attendance - Complete Package |
| Subscription | One time | Festival Attendance - Conference Only |
| Subscription | One time | Student Package |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Trophy - Grand Prix of the Year / Grand Prix / Special Awards |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Trophy - Gold / Silver / Bronze / Crystal |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Certificate - Professional Division |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Certificate - Non-Professional Division |
| Subscription | One time | Young Stars Competition Entry |
| Subscription | One time | New Stars Competition Entry |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
MAD STARS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MAD STARS operates an annual international marketing, advertising, and digital content festival with a global awards competition across 2 Groups, 25 Stars, and 442 Categories, judged by 350+ jurors from 83 locations. The core offering includes a three-day professional conference, a Trophy & Certificate Store, supporting competitions (Young Stars for students, New Stars for junior professionals), and the annual festival in Busan, South Korea.
Product overview
MAD STARS is a festival and awards platform that combines creativity with cutting-edge technology for the marketing, advertising, and digital content industries. The platform consists of a core awards submission and judging system (MAD STARS Awards Platform), a professional conference with Marketing/Creativity/AI Technology tracks, and supplementary offerings including Young Stars (student competition), New Stars (junior professional competition), Trophy & Certificate Store, Festival Exhibition, and Networking Events. The ecosystem serves both professional and general public participants across 25 Stars categories and 442 subcategories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MAD STARS Awards Platform An international awards platform for marketing, advertising, and digital content that accepts entries across 2 Groups, 25 Stars, and 442 Categories. Features online entry submission, preliminary and final judging by global jury members including Executive Jury, Final Jury, and Preliminary Jury.
- MAD STARS Conference A three-day professional conference with approximately 40 sessions organized into Marketing, Creativity, and AI Technology tracks. Features keynote speakers, panel discussions, and industry insights from global advertising leaders.
- Young Stars MAD Competition Global marketing and advertising competition for college and university students. Participants receive briefs and present innovative ideas evaluated by industry professionals. Winners receive trophies and internship opportunities.
- New Stars MAD Competition Creative marketing competition for junior advertising professionals with up to five years of experience. Participants compete on real-world briefs with judging by international creative industry experts.
- Trophy & Certificate Store Online store for award winners to purchase physical trophies (Grand Prix, Gold/Silver/Bronze/Crystal) and certificates in professional and non-professional categories.
- Festival Exhibition Exhibition of Professional Division finalists' work displayed during the three-day festival at SIGNIEL BUSAN and the Haeundae area.
- Networking Events Various networking events including Opening Ceremony & Gala, Networking Party, Galing Pilipinas Networking Party, and Closing Party for industry professionals to connect.
Quantifiable outcome
- Entries from 60+ countries annually with 20,000+ submissions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MAD STARS
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MAD STARS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
MAD STARS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 한국관광공사 (Korea Tourism Organization)flagshipGold partner providing tourism promotion support for the international festival in Busan, South Korea
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MAD STARS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- New York Festivals Advertising Awards: New York Festivals runs international advertising awards with global jury panels and category structures, directly comparable to MAD STARS in operating a multi-category global ad awards competition.
- D&AD Awards: D&AD runs annual creative awards judged by global creative leaders and is widely regarded as one of the top benchmarks for creative excellence in advertising and design, directly comparable to MAD STARS' awards and jury-driven model.
- Effie Awards: Effie Worldwide recognizes marketing effectiveness across global markets with annual awards programs and is a complementary creative/advertising awards franchise attracting the same global agency and brand-side participants as MAD STARS.
- Clio Awards: Clio Awards is an international advertising awards program with annual judging, gala ceremonies, and conference programming, directly comparable as another tier-one festival in the global ad-creative awards category.
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: Cannes Lions is the world's most prestigious annual advertising awards festival, also held annually in person with global submissions, judging panels, and a week-long program of conference sessions and networking events - structurally the closest analog to MAD STARS in scope, format, and audience.
- The One Show: The One Show is a flagship U.S.-based creative advertising awards program with global entries and professional juries, comparable to MAD STARS in operating an awards platform aimed at agencies and brands worldwide.
- ADC Annual Awards (Art Directors Club): ADC Annual Awards is a long-running creative awards program recognizing craft, design, and innovation in advertising, serving as another direct competitor for global creative agencies and brands submitting work to MAD STARS.
Regional players
- Eurobest: Eurobest is the European creative festival of the year, another regional awards event under the Cannes Lions umbrella with comparable conference and awards structure serving a distinct geographic market.
- Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity: Dubai Lynx is a MENA-focused creative advertising festival organized under the Cannes Lions umbrella, similar in structure to MAD STARS as a regional ad awards and conference event serving a specific geography.
- Spikes Asia: Spikes Asia is the APAC-region creative awards festival operated under the Cannes Lions brand, providing the most direct geographic competitor to MAD STARS for Asia-based agencies and brand-side entries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MAD STARS social profiles
Digital presenceMAD STARS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MAD STARS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
MAD STARS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MAD STARS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MAD STARS
What does MAD STARS do?
MAD STARS operates an annual international marketing, advertising, and digital content festival with a global awards competition across 2 Groups, 25 Stars, and 442 Categories, judged by 350+ jurors from 83 locations. The core offering includes a three-day professional conference, a Trophy & Certificate Store, supporting competitions (Young Stars for students, New Stars for junior professionals), and the annual festival in Busan, South Korea.
Is MAD STARS a public or private company?
MAD STARS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MAD STARS founded?
MAD STARS was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MAD STARS based?
MAD STARS is headquartered in Busan, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does MAD STARS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Competition Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are festival Attendance Packages, trophy and Certificate Sales and sponsorship Revenue.
Who are MAD STARS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are New York Festivals Advertising Awards, D&AD Awards, Effie Awards, Clio Awards, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show and ADC Annual Awards (Art Directors Club). Regional players are Eurobest, Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity and Spikes Asia.
Does MAD STARS have an API?
No public API is recorded for MAD STARS.
What industry is MAD STARS in?
MAD STARS's product category is Advertising Awards & Marketing Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAA, General & Multi-Industry Trade Show Organizers, with a secondary code of MPAGAHAF, Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events. Its NAICS code is 56192.