This paper defines and conceptualizes hallmark events, as there is neither clarity in the literature about what the term means nor the exact roles they should play within a community and tourism context. This generates a model for use by communities and other event-tourism developers. Our model is structured around three main outcome goals (attraction, image and branding, and the community) and three major process goals (sustainability, marketing, and organization and ownership). This paper is the first attempt to define and conceptualize a critical concept in both the event tourism and event management literature.