Best Catered Event

Best in Snow - Food Network Episode Viewing Party

Feast Your Imagination

Lynnette MacDonald, SWIRL Custom Cakes & Desserts​

SWIRL Custom Cakes & Desserts celebrated their appearance on Food Network show The Big Bake with an innovative Viewing Party that brought the episode to life and blurred the line between TV and reality. During a live-streaming of the episode, food and beverage, décor, and activations mirrored the action unfolding onscreen, demonstrating the power of merging food with environment to create an immersive experience that engaged all of the senses.

Erin Crofchick, Brûlée Catering​

Imaginative culinary creations surrounding the notion that sometimes there's more than meets the eye was the inspiration around the client's annual gala. With the client looking for a creative experience that would service 400 VIP guests, they focused on tying in the local food scene and the continued support of their chef's mentor role in development of aspiring culinary students, both important pieces as they established the client's menu.

Best Event Filmmaking (Videography)

Austin City Limits

IEEE Conference - Power Forward Event

Kelly Greenheart, CIRCUS PICNIC

Nearly 500,000 people attend Austin City Limits each year, making it one of the largest music festivals in the world. Over the course of two weekends, we captured highlights of 130 featured artists and spearheaded creative content that expressed the spirit of the fest through the lens of the fan experience.  We produced, edited and directed six daily recap videos and over 30 social media marketing videos that were shared daily during the festival.

Chris Orwat, Pure Cinematography

Welcome to the IEEE Power Forward event held at the Colorado Convention Center. The IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition hosts the biggest and most collaborative tradeshow/exhibition in the world for the electric power industry. This specific conference event welcomes guests to the city of Denver. Our event film will take you on a journey through the final setups of the room, décor, vignette activities and the guest experience.

Best Event Photography

Bell Museum Opening Celebration

Great Clips Biennial Convention

Joe Szurszewski, Joe Szurszewski Photography LLC

The Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota celebrated the grand opening of its new location with a week of activities in July 2018. The photos of these events captured the excitement and wonder as visitors came face to face with many aspects of our natural world, and it especially focused on the experience of children, many of whom were encountering woolly mammoths, snakes and the immensity of space for the first time.

Joe Szurszewski, Joe Szurszewski Photography LLC

The Great Clips Biennial Convention brings together owners, franchisees, managers and stylists from their 4,000+ locations across the U.S. and Canada. Activities included a hair cutting competition and appearances by Bryce Kenny, driver of the Great Clips Monster Jam truck. I led a team of three photographers and an assistant in photographing the convention from start to finish and we delivered hundreds of photos that documented this amazing event.

Best Print Marketing/Design Collateral

Art Basel Miami 2018

Seeing Red: The Grand Reveal of 7121

UNVEILED - The Ultimate Wedding Planning  Event

Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE, MGM Resorts Event Productions

MGM Resorts Art and Culture is a proud sponsor of Art Basel. Participating in three art fairs each year and a partner since December 2016, MGM Resorts has an impressive art collection within their hospitality resorts. Partners host a collectors lounge at the fair and any other activations they desire to further their brand. MGM Resorts hosted a beach party at the Kimpton Surfcomber on the famous Miami Beach for 700 VIP guests.

Jason Sick, CMP, Red Velvet Events

Roses are red. The party was too. Sorry you missed it. Here’s the overview… The client was a creative events agency that purchased their own office and needed to throw an epic grand reveal party to show off the new space to the harshest critics – event people!

Matthew Trettel, The Wedding Guys®

By creating a bold palette with striking visuals, two producers worked to grab attention, whether via a direct mail piece, double page print ad or on billboards. This design story would translate into a fuller picture at UNVEILED - The Ultimate Wedding Planning Event where the graphics would come to life in digital animations, through their incorporation on backlit displays and in important take-aways like the show program and stylized gift bags.

Best Industry Contribution

Music City Jam Session

San Francisco: Global Meetings Industry Day

Marie Mitchell, CSEP, Maple Ridge Events

The Music City Jam Session raises the bar on corporate team building by creating an immersive experience, benefiting local at-risk music students, highlighting the company’s mission and included a surprise ending that brought the students and attendees to tears. This feel-good afternoon of music, creativity and teamwork took giving back to a new level.

Sara Grauf, CSEP, Giants Enterprises​

It was a grand slam at AT&T Park in San Francisco as 10 associations, 15 vendors and 500 attendees from the San Francisco Bay Area gathered to celebrate the Global Meetings Industry Day on April 12, 2018. This unforgettable event celebrated the undeniable value that meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to businesses and communities.

Best Industry Innovation

'LETHRBAR In a box' Activation Crosses Borders

xPRESS

Kat Marks, Kat Marks Ventures Inc.

In 2018, Kat Marks, owner of LETHRBAR, needed to find a way to take the popular LETHRBAR LIVE activation out of the local Canadian market and meet demand for the activation in the U.S. market. The innovation of LETHRBAR In a bOX allowed this unique activation to cross borders in a simple and cost-effective way. Through this innovation, guests at an event in Indianapolis were able to participate in the memorable experience.

Rob Barber, ATOMIC

The ATOMIC laboratory recently launched xPRESS: a large-scale interactive fabric touch screen that reacts by being pressed. Hundreds of pieces of content become visually and sonically explorable through this touch. These fabric screens are built into your favorite SuperWall and packaged with all of the parts (and labor) to make the interactiveness possible. Simply display your very own branded content to create your next responsive unit!

Best Event Logistics and Support Services

Google "Pave the Way" Global Summit

Rugby World Cup Sevens

Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopver - Corporate Hospitality

Cathy Genetti, Next Level Event Design

The roads we pave go both ways! Bringing 400 sales representatives and leadership from over 18 different countries “home” to Silicon Valley for their biennial summit didn’t come without a few detours! While strategizing new roads towards success, attendees also experienced nearly 60 miles of roads connecting the conference center, two exclusive off-site event venues and five different hotel properties that comprised their California experience.

Sara Grauf, CSEP, Giants Enterprises​

The Rugby World Cup Sevens Tournament, held at San Francisco’s AT&T Park, July 20-22, 2018, hosted more than 100,000 attendees across three days and required maximum ingenuity, critical problem-solving and superior logistical expertise to engineer and accomplish. Brought for the first time to this country, this event paved the way for future world-class international rugby events to be played in venues across America.

Laurie Stroll, Newport Hospitality, Inc., a DMC Network Company

As the selected DMC for the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover, we simultaneously orchestrated 30 client programs totaling 65 events, utilizing hundreds of vehicle charters, over 100 vendors, over 30 hotels/inns and an expanded team of 60 onsite staff. Ultimately, the Newport Stopover was declared the best North American Stopover in recent Race history!

Best Event Solution

Live from Chicago - it's Saturday Night!

Luke Bryan's 32 Bridge Grand Opening

Mystic Rhythms

Barb Harris, CSEP, DMCP, CTC Destination Management, A DMC Network Company

Two hundred renewable energy executives were welcomed into a fully-immersive experience with one of the most iconic television programs in the history of broadcasting. Guests were invited to take a seat on Wayne and Garth’s sofa, laugh along with our very own “Weekend Update” and “Jeopardy” game show, rub elbows with The Blues Brothers and take a stroll though 43 years of SNL history.

Aaron Sayre, Hello! Destination Management

His first nine albums contained 14 number-one hits, with tens of millions of albums and singles sold worldwide. A judge on American Idol, an advisor on The Voice…Luke Bryan’s popularity only continues to grow. So what happens when one of the premier country stars in the world opens their own bar on Nashville’s famous Lower Broadway? The celebration needed to be as grand as the man himself. After all, the entire country would be watching.

Aaron Sayre, Hello! Destination Management

For our client’s closing celebration we swept guests away to a fairytale world inspired by Avatar’s Pandora. The storyline we wove throughout the program came to a dramatic conclusion as we told Nashville’s “real” history. Each year for one special night, a grand celebration is held at the base of the ancient Tapestry Tree for a night of endless entertainment, and our guests were invited. Welcome to “Mystic Rhythms.”

Best Technical Production

Celestial Centennial

Intergalactic Confetti

Rogers Upfronts 2018

Tressa Rini, Hello! Destination Management

Our client celebrated their 100-year anniversary with a “Celestial Centennial” celebration at The Phoenician. Under the night sky, our guests reflected on the past century of success while celebrating the splendor of the stars — both the ones in the heavens and each other. With transformative décor elements and a larger-than-life drone show, we used cutting-edge design and entertainment to exalt the past and inspire future success.

Rocky Toomey, Future Affairs Productions

The midnight explosion at Madison Square Gardens in New York was all part of the show – and came from cannons on a pirate ship. This grandiose custom special effect for rock band Phish’s New Year’s Eve concert was created by Future Affairs Productions, and included Cryojets, streamers, 40,000 balloons dropping and three million pieces of confetti falling as revelers below rang in the New Year.

Anthony Vade, FMAV, and Todd Skinner, Production Canada

For the 2018 Rogers Upfronts, Production Canada and FMAV were presented with an initial design concept that stacked enormous cubes one on top of another (think: Q’bert). Fifteen cubes combined into one massive three-dimensional projection surface. Topped with an 18’ x 10’ screen, this colossal playground offered our clients the perfect canvas to project their annual Upfronts presentation.

Best Event Design/Décor (Under $25,000 USD)

An Evening Under the Texas Sunset

A Modern Twist on Tradition

RETAIL

Allie Perkins, Ultimate Ventures

Vibrant, captivating and breathtaking…these are just a few of the adjectives used to describe the beauty of a sunset. It takes audacity to try to capture and convey the majesty of a Texas sunset inside a hotel, but that’s exactly what we did for a VVIP group of 36 of our client’s top distributors. 

Gretchen Culver, Rocket Science Events, and Lacie Dehn, BLOMMONSTER

When planning their wedding, Ellora and Ishan wanted to honor their Indian heritage while embracing their American lifestyle. Their modern wedding paid homage to their roots, but didn't adhere to tradition. We literally went halfway across the globe to source the perfect items and teamed up with local vendors to create a one-of-a-kind design.

Carolyn Luscombe, CSEM, CSEP, CMP, Eclectic Events International Inc.

Nationwide high-profile corporate presidents were invited by our client to attend an exclusive, intuitive and interactive collaborative symposium in the heart of downtown Toronto’s retail district. The event featured soft seating with very detailed accents, a living water wall, custom stage design and a stunning VIP luncheon area complete with plate gifts set amongst the living wall and a bold Autumn-inspired large custom chalk art installation.

Best Event Design/Décor ($25,000 - $75,000 USD)

Bullseye Bash

Keyano College Gala

Midnight in Gotham

Ryan Hanson, CSEP, BeEvents

Bullseye’s Bash transformed the reception spaces of a local hospital specializing in treating children’s with disabilities into a joy-filled winter wonderland. Patients and parents partook in this give-back brand activation sponsored by a local retail brand and professional baseball team. Snow, play, gifts, cocoa, cookies, candy and more than enough gingerbread combined to provide our guests with the perfect celebration for the holiday season.

Dustin Westling, CSEP, OneWest Event Design

Set in a sport and wellness centre in the heart of Fort McMurray, this college fundraiser proved that creativity and innovation can transform any space. One would not expect to find a Pagoda Park, Dragon Hall or Sky Garden within the walls of this campus building; yet inside these elevated, immersive experiences indeed took over two field-house arenas, a running track, and a cafeteria!

Andryia Browne, Events with Vizability

The event design of Midnight in Gotham emulated the darkness that homeless and abandoned animals can face before they find a safe haven at the animal shelter and the stakeholders, donors and volunteers who become heroes for them when they donate, adopt and give of their time to the organization.  Emerald lighting and accents were used to build a shadowy underworld with oversized architectural elements accented with gold and onyx details.

Best Event Design/Décor (Over $75,000 USD)

The Black & White Ball

Curtain Call Ball

UNVEILED - The Ultimate Wedding  Planning Event

Sharon Bonner, Bright Ideas Events

The Black & White Ball was held to celebrate 30 years in business. In an empty train station with 20,000 square feet of available event space, we designed and custom built the NorLand Manor House to hold the Ball. The house contained a foyer, library, parlour and games room. However, it was the majestic 'Titanic-themed' double staircase leading to a carpeted mezzanine that was the highlight of the event. Guests loved the 360 bird's-eye view!

Ryan Hanson, CSEP, BeEvents

“Out with the Rageous!” was the theme for a gala celebration to benefit a local children’s theater. Creating an opulent world fit for Marie Antoinette, we invited guests into a world of palace glamour, juxtaposed with punk accents and brought to life through hand-drawn artwork. Throughout the experience, surprises unveiled and things aren’t always what they seemed, making this one truly outrageous party to remember.

Matthew Trettel, The Wedding Guys®

UNVEILED - the Ultimate Wedding Planning Event would set a new standard for bridal show design and decor. Utilizing strategic design, two event producers created a boutique department store style environment by breaking up a vast 100,000 square foot exhibit hall. Filling the space with luxury decor and retail-inspired fixtures the producers created an intimate shopping experience for couples to curate their dream weddings.

Best Entertainment Production (Under $25,000 USD)

Cheerathon

NHL All-Star Sunday Celebration - Bringing the Beach to the City

Jeff Hudson, CSEP, Spacecraft Entertainment

Texas's largest cheerleading and dance competition company puts on several events every year. In particular, their Cheer Bowl and Freedom Dance Nationals event in Houston attracts more than 30,000 athletes and spectators. Spacecraft Entertainment's DJ Jeff Hudson, CSEP, DJ'd for 25 hours in a 36 hours time span and entertained them all! He improvised with the event MCs, created a soundtrack that punctuated various moods and kept the kids dancing!

JC York, Classic Entertainment / Wise Guys InterACTive

To supply more than 3,000 VIP guests during a 3-hour event, an entertaining experience to celebrate the local area, Classic Entertainment / Wise Guys InterACTive helped bring the “beach” to downtown Tampa Bay, FL. With 19 different acts, activations and performers spread out through three large ballrooms and the main entrance, the tone was set for the “NHL All-Star Sunday Celebration” prior to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.

Best Entertainment Production ($25,000 - $75,000 USD)

Game of Thrones Season 8 Wrap Party

Give Kids the World Black and White Gala: The Color of Imagination

A Work of Art

Barry Muldowney, Verve The Live Agency

An incredible wrap party for Game of Thrones. Twenty-five hundred cast, crew and producers were treated to our spectacular fire and ice themed event. A blank canvas venue overlooking the famous Lagan River in Belfast was transformed into a unique space, complete with a large 20 meter split screen which hosted customised content.

Jordan Bickel and Cameron Rust, CSEP, Hello! Destination Management

On September 15, 2018, Give Kids the World hosted its 30th annual gala for 1,550 attendees at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Featuring the theme "The Color of Imagination," immersive video and theatrical technology, powerful dance, song and acrobatics told the story of a woebegone man who finds a kaleidoscope that refracts the forgotten memories of his time at the Village into a prismatic fantasy world that leaves the audience empowered to imagine.

Linsey Lindberg, Austin Oddities & Entertainment

A world of excitement and unknown wonders await the special guests of the newly opened Austin Fairmont Hotel. Step in the doors and find yourself lost in a surrealist work of art complete with mysterious word greeters, a sculptural butterfly queen and a swinging bubble songstress floating high above the crowd just to name a few. This night will live on in your dreams.

Best Entertainment Production (Over $75,000 USD)

Mystic Rhythms

Tamarack Music Festival: 50th Birthday Bash

Aaron Sayre, Hello! Destination Management

For our client’s closing celebration, we swept guests away to a fairytale world inspired by Avatar’s Pandora. The storyline we wove throughout the program came to a dramatic conclusion as we told Nashville’s “real” history. Each year for one special night, a grand celebration is held at the base of the ancient Tapestry Tree for a night of endless entertainment, and our guests were invited. Welcome to “Mystic Rhythms.”

Lori Hart, Silhouette Group

A private property in remote Connecticut was transformed into a private music festival with headliners like Gogol Bordello and Andrew Bird. Guests could enjoy the shows under giant open air teepees or view from above in a hot air balloon. Craft cocktails, a line of food trucks and a pig roast fulfilled every taste bud. Dancing and bliss ensued before all 250 guests retired to their individual glamping tents.

Best Corporate Event (Under $75,000 USD)

An Evening Under the Texas Sunset

Funky Carousel

Seeing is Believing

Allie Perkins, Ultimate Ventures

A vibrant sunset, the smell of leather and the taste of a cold Texas beer… what’s more “Texan” that that?! Our client wanted to create a memorable evening for their VVIP group of 36 top distributors to experience a taste of Texas - with a twist - in the French Room at the historic Adolphus Hotel. This three-part progressive evening celebrating “Texas Nightfall” gave guests an intimate and VVIP experience - An Evening under the Texas Sunset.

Cassandra Darling, ZenGenius

Quantum Health threw their annual company celebration at the Bluestone, Columbus with a funky carousel theme. The design was brought to life with silk drapes swagged from the ceiling, a glamorous sequin backdrop, vibrant lighting and decor. Entertainment was around every corner with theatrical circus performers, stilt-walkers, aerialists, wandering candy girls passing food, tattoo artists, a psychic and so much more! Truly an unforgettable event!

Miro Arguijo, Accent Indy, a DMC Network Company

Seeing is Believing, the name for the program chosen to express the celebration and rebirth of a newly renovated hotel, was billed as an over-the-top cocktail and networking spectacle meant to inspire, bewilder and entertain. Our team was approached to craft, design and execute an event experience that had “not been seen before" in our market, as well showcase the renovations in a “sexy but professional manner” for 250 guests.

Best Corporate Event ($75,000 - $150,000 USD)

Big Bash 2018

Bullseye Bash

Dinner with the Dinosaur

Lindsey Hollingsworth, CSEP, JLL @ Atlassian; Kelly Greenheart, Circus Picnic; JC York, Classic Entertainment / Wise Guys InterACTive

An annual team building event, otherwise known as Big Bash, took place at a local concert venue for just under 300 employees on Thursday, August 9. The teams puzzled, plotted and perplexed their way through the weirdest tea party they had ever been to. This particular event is always unique, created from scratch by the event team. Staged as a product launch for White Rabbit Software, teams quickly realized that it was not a product launch.

Ryan Hanson, CSEP, BeEvents

Bullseye’s Bash transformed the reception spaces of a local hospital specializing in treating children with disabilities into a joy-filled winter wonderland. Patients and parents partook in this give-back brand activation sponsored by a local retail brand and professional baseball team.  Snow, play, gifts, cocoa, cookies, candy and more than enough gingerbread, combined to provide our guests with the perfect celebration for the holiday season.

Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE, MGM Resorts Event Productions

Imagine the stunning beauty and grandeur of a 100-year-old building lined with majestic Ionic Columns reaching skyward from sparkling marble floors. Now imagine this same space proudly featuring a 122-foot-long cast skeleton of the world’s largest dinosaur ever to be roam the earth! This is the Stanley Field Hall of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and our event, “Dinner with the Dinosaur.”

Best Corporate Event (Over $150,000 USD)

The Black and White Ball

Elements

Rocking Through the Decades

Sharon Bonner, Bright Ideas Events

The Black and White Ball was held to celebrate 30 years in business. In an empty train station with 20,000 square feet of available event space, we designed and custom built the NorLand Manor House to hold the Ball. The majestic 'Titanic-themed' double staircase leading to a carpeted second floor was the highlight of the event. Focusing on core values of the company, we never lost sight of our key objective - "teammates get treated like family."

David Merrell, AOO Events

The nature of our client's business deals with Earth, Wind/Air, Fire and Water after natural disasters. What better way to impress 180 top environmentalists than to create an event encompassing them all?  “Elements” featured entertainment, décor, menus and digital mapping that blew guests away at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, October 2018. Right after a desert wind storm!

Casee Safford, Ultimate Ventures

Twenty-eight hundred guests, five decades, six music acts and eight separate event spaces all made for one epic evening. Would you boogie on the LED dance floor in Studio 54, or say, “Whatever, Nevermind!” while rocking in the 90s room? In November 2018, guests got to do it all. At the end of the evening, Ultimate Ventures and their software company clients were totally psyched about the righteous reaction from their guests. Survey says, party on!

Best Event for a Non-Profit Organization (Under $75,000 USD)

14th Annual Academic Awards Dinner

2018 Furry 5K

Dean's Spring Dinner - A Night at the Museum

Charlene McWilliams, Sam Houston State University and Renee Moran-Chavez, Magic Moments Parties and Events, Inc. 

This event is one of the signature Presidential events at the University.  Held each August with a new theme each year, the purpose of the President's Awards Dinner is to recognize and honor faculty members who have obtained outstanding achievements and have reached significant milestones in their careers during the past year. These achievements and milestones include retirements, promotions and tenure, emeritus and faculty excellence.

Gazala Uradnik, GFS Events, LLC

The Seattle Furry 5K was held on June 9, 2018, at a picturesque lakeside park in Seattle. More than 1,700 walkers/runners and 1,000 of their furry friends gathered together for the largest 5K dog-inclusive event in the region. For this complicated event, we coordinated 200 volunteers, 50 vendor booths, EMTs for both dogs and humans, food trucks, waste management, security and rentals. We created a fun-filled day for humans and their furry companions!

William Smiley, MBA, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

The Dean's Spring Dinner - A Night at the Museum, included docent-guided private gallery tours of the Columbus Museum of Art, a reception in the historic Derby Court and dinner in the Schottenstein Pavilion. The program highlighted the relationship between art and agriculture and featured the museum's chief curator, a college alumnae and donor, a professor leading controlled environment food production (living art) and the Dean of the college.

Best Event for a Non-Profit Organization ($75,000 - $150,000 USD)

Give Kids the World Black and White Gala: The Color of Imagination

Midnight in Gotham

YESS Gala for Youth 2018

Jordan Bickel and Cameron Rust, CSEP, Hello! Destination Management

On September 15, 2018, Give Kids the World hosted its 30th annual gala for 1,550 attendees at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Featuring the theme "The Color of Imagination," immersive video and theatrical technology, powerful dance, song and acrobatics told the story of a woebegone man who finds a kaleidoscope that refracts the forgotten memories of his time at the Village into a prismatic fantasy world that leaves the audience empowered to imagine.

Andryia Browne, Events with Vizability

Midnight in Gotham emulated the darkness that homeless and abandoned animals can face before they find a safe haven at the animal shelter.  Masked guests encountered animal standees inside chainlink kennels used to further the message of "Will you be their hero?" The other-worldly, dark environment was used to create a sense of urgency for the charity’s mission in saving animals and building their enrichment facility at the shelter.

Erin Clyde, Foundry Conferences & Events

Youth Empowerment and Support Services provides immediate and low-barrier shelter, temporary housing and individualized wrap-around support for youth ages 15-24. Annually, YESS hosts a fundraising gala, designed to bring awareness to the organization’s mission. 2018 marked a new chapter in the organization’s history: a brand-new executive director was at the helm with a new vision for the future of the organization.

Best Event for a Non-Profit Organization (Over $150,000 USD)

Heart & Stroke Heart of Gold Gala

The TIFF Tribute Gala

Your Adventure Begins Here

Shelley Johnson, CSEP, Nasco Productions

The sold out 2018 Heart of Gold Gala returned in triumph after a one-year break with an all-new look and committee. Our team proved that absence can make the heart grow fonder as the sold out event raised over $900,000 to support Heart & Stroke’s critical work. Named as one of Vancouver’s Top 12 Most Memorable Events of 2018, it marked one of the most successful Heart of Gold Gala’s in its 13 year history.

Jocelyn Flanagan, CSEP,  e=mc² events

The TIFF Tribute Gala: CELEBRATE. EMPOWER. ACTION. was a lavish, once-in-a-lifetime fundraising event that celebrated and empowered women in the film industry, and honored Piers Handling, TIFF’s outgoing CEO. The high-profile event brought together more than 600 of the world’s most prominent members of the film community for an event that included custom décor, video content and one of a kind entertainment.

Jen Poyer, CSEP, Catalina Island Conservancy

“Your Adventure Begins Here” started the build-up to the grand opening of the organization’s new visitor center, a hub for its adventuring activities – hiking, biking, camping and four-wheel drive eco tours across the 42,000 acres of wild lands the organization stewards. It was also the culmination of the first phase its first-ever capital campaign. The event netted over $437,000 towards annual conservation, education and recreation programs.

Best Event with a Legacy

Give Kids the World Black and White Gala: The Color of Imagination

One Night for One Drop

Special Olympics 2018 USA Games Opening Ceremony

Jordan Bickel and Cameron Rust, CSEP, Hello! Destination Management

On September 15, 2018, Give Kids the World hosted its 30th annual gala for 1,550 attendees at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Featuring the theme "The Color of Imagination," immersive video and theatrical technology, powerful dance, song and acrobatics told the story of a woebegone man who finds a kaleidoscope that refracts the forgotten memories of his time at the Village into a prismatic fantasy world that leaves the audience empowered to imagine.

Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE, MGM Resorts Event Productions

Sustainable access to safe water is one of the essential components of individual and collective development. Lack of water contributes to severe poverty and disease across the globe. Every minute of every day, a child dies from contaminated water and poor sanitation, 2.1 billion global citizens lack access to clean water. Shocking? Absolutely! But hope and verifiable progress is found in the commitment of One Drop founded by Cirque du Soleil.

Kevin White, CSEP, XPL

A two and a half hour televised spectacle, these opening ceremonies paid tribute to perhaps the greatest athletes the United States has ever produced. The Opening Ceremonies to the Special Olympics USA Games served as the moment when a city puts its arms around 4,000 athletes. As the kickoff to a week of athletic competition in Seattle, this event helped bring a movement of radical inclusion to the world.

Best Public Event

2018 Furry 5K

Give Kids the World Black and White Gala: The Color of Imagination

UNVEILED - The Ultimate Wedding Planning Event

Gazala Uradnik, GFS Events, LLC

The Seattle Furry 5K was held on June 9, 2018, at a picturesque lakeside park in Seattle. More than 1,700 walkers/runners and 1,000 of their furry friends gathered together for the largest 5K dog-inclusive event in the region. For this complicated event, we coordinated 200 volunteers, 50 vendor booths, EMTs for both dogs and humans, food trucks, waste management, security and rentals. We created a fun-filled day for humans and their furry companions!

Jordan Bickel and Cameron Rust, CSEP, Hello! Destination Management

On September 15, 2018, Give Kids the World hosted its 30th annual gala for 1,550 attendees at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Featuring the theme "The Color of Imagination," immersive video and theatrical technology, powerful dance, song and acrobatics told the story of a woebegone man who finds a kaleidoscope that refracts the forgotten memories of his time at the Village into a prismatic fantasy world that leaves the audience empowered to imagine.

Matthew Trettel, The Wedding Guys®

Determined to shatter the mold of the traditional bridal show, two event producers set out to create the ultimate wedding planning event where wedding planning couples and the region's premier wedding businesses mixed and mingled in a retail-style environment. UNVEILED would transform the wedding shopping experience by offering a luxury destination with high-touch service, signature design and the best wedding related goods and services.

Best Social Event (Non-Wedding) (Under $25,000 USD)

Tori's Tropical Bat Mitzvah "Caribana Wild"

Raviv Krikunets, R5 Event Design

Tori’s Tropical Bat Mitzvah was “Caribana Wild!" R5 Event Design created an event that was visually appealing to 12-13 year old children, as well as the family and all of their friends. Every single element of the décor incorporated something tropical and colorful, from the florals, the ceiling installation structure, the photo wall and backdrops, down to the grand entrance float!

Best Social Event (Non-Wedding) ($25,000 - $75,000 USD)

Bon Voyage!

Galentine's Day

Carolyn Luscombe, CSEM, CSEP, CMP, Eclectic Events International Inc

Bon Voyage! was a retirement party designed to celebrate the accomplishments of an outgoing President with guests including staff, retirees, friends and family. This social event was designed to reflect the honouree's personal life and his passions, which included travel, art, animals, food and music. The event designed was a perfect send-off to this magnificent man.

Brooke Greer, Contigo Catering

This event was to show appreciation and pamper all the fellow rock star women who work in the hospitality industry with us.

Best Social Event (Non-Wedding) (Over $75,000 USD)

Jessica's Totally Tubular 50th

Tamarack Music Festival: 50th Birthday Bash

Deborah Elias, CSEP, CMP, Elias Events

To celebrate a 50th birthday party, this 80s themed event had all the totally tubular throwbacks. Unique new elements infused with tried and true ones, made for an awesome evening. Guests were wowed at every corner with arcade games, a rotating cake, two incredible bands, 80s themed food and beverage. The Rubix Cube candy walls, live painting guest book, funky decor and the “Lite Brite” drink wall made them want to Rock Me Amadeus all night long.

Lori Hart, Silhouette Group

A private property in remote Connecticut was transformed into a private music festival with headliners like Gogol Bordello and Andrew Bird. Guests could enjoy the shows under giant open air teepees or view from above in a hot air balloon. Craft cocktails, a line of food trucks and a pig roast fulfilled every taste bud. Dancing and bliss ensued before all 250 guests retired to their individual glamping tents.

Best Wedding (Under $75,000 USD)

My Best Man Is A Storm Trooper

A Swoonworthy Wedding in a Vineyard

Leah Anderson, Entourage Events Group

Lightsabers. Storm Troopers. Ewoks. Elegance. Charm. Sophistication. These were the words given to us by our full of life, beautiful couple to describe the vision of their dream wedding day. A love built on connection and a common enthusiasm for the popular saga, our couple wanted to intertwine their love for Star Wars with a sophisticated theme. With the help of our designers, we were able to transform our mansion venue into a dream.

Debra Lykkemark, Culinary Capers Catering and Special Events

Delicious wine and a farm-to-table menu featuring playful food stations, combined with a rustic setting of lush greenery made for an unforgettable vineyard wedding. Okanagan Lake shore at the base of a winery property was the setting for the wedding of Brittany and Bobby. The three-generation family-farmed vineyard oozes romantic vibes. Gazing over rows of grapevines, guests were wined and dined with a bounty of local food products.

Best Wedding ($75,000 - $150,000 USD)

Lagasse Wedding

A Southwestern Wedding's Ode to Family Heritage

Vibrant Love in the Mountains

Rocky Toomey, Future Affairs Productions

A family-owned pier in the heart of Boston, awe-striking views of yachts, the USS Constitution and the Boston Skyline created the perfect balance that set the stage for a wedding design that evolved all night long. Future Affairs Productions designed a tented pier-side party, that enabled all to engage, enjoying all of the special surprises including water taxis and The Coast Guard Water Hose Display.

Crissalane Discher, Disch Events, and Brenton Schumacher, Executive Chef, Pink Avocado

Bringing together a family from the dry dessert of New Mexico and a charismatic family from Mexico required a Southwestern ode to the backgrounds, and the people, that made them who they are. With a pallet of terra cotta and turquoise, this couple welcomed guests to a cocktail hour prior to the ceremony among the Villa terraces, an intimate chapel ceremony and surprised their guests with a late night club scene after party in the wine cellar of the villa.

Amy Nelson, Lynn Fletcher Weddings

From the traditional Indian dinner on an alpine ski hill including an Indian dance party, to a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony, followed by a scenic and timeless cocktail hour, formal dinner and dance at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, creativity and imagination ensured these very different elements felt seamlessly combined to create something truly unique and celebratory. MARRIAGE in it's truest form.

Best Wedding (Over $150,000 USD)

Viva Maselyn!

India Rhodes, CSEP, and Billinda Wilkinson, Wilkinson Rhodes

“Viva Maselyn!” was inspired by this couple’s love of their hometown culture, cuisine and dynamic colors. This wedding fiesta incorporated these influences via custom pieces such as look-a-like bride and groom piñatas, a tree of life bar and a vibrant floral wall installation. Guests dined on local cuisine and drinks from burros to the sounds of mariachis. The evening ended with guests shaking their maracas on the dance floor.

Best Meeting/Conference Program (Under $500,000 USD)

Canadian Council of Private and Public Partnerships Annual Conference

First International PSP and CBD Research Symposium

GKO Conference - Bigger and Better in Dallas

Dana Zita, CSEP, CMP, aNd Logistix Inc

The annual P3 National Conference is recognized as the premier event on public-private partnerships across the globe. It began in 1993 and has since grown to include more than 1,200 senior public and private sector participants. CCPPP includes representation from all levels of government across Canada and aboriginal communities and attracts key players from international developing and developed markets.

Jaclyn Zendrian, CurePSP

The PSPA and the US PSP nonprofit collaborated to bring the tau research community together for the First PSP and CBD International Research Symposium in London, U.K. This was one-and-half days of basic to clinical research, including care research, current clinical trials and patient registries, plus two poster-centered cocktail receptions. The Duchess of Gloucester opened the meeting, underlining the importance of this research.

Morris Goen, DMCP, Goen South

Goen South's third year in a row providing DMC services for this client proved to be bigger and better in Dallas. Their team assisted with general session seating, transportation, dine-arounds, an onsite 80s themed event and the grand finale awards dinner at Cowboys Stadium. What better way is there to kick off the year than on the field of NFL legends?

Best Meeting/Conference Program (Over $500,000 USD)

Amway Achievers 2018

Energy Disruptors Unite - EDU2018

Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover - Corporate Hospitality

Aaron Sayre, Hello! Destination Management

Five-thousand guests poured into Nashville for the only incentive program our client hosts in North America. Expectations were high since the city was a new and smaller destination for this group of well-traveled, international attendees. Over the course of the week, guests fell in love with Tennessee as we showcased its natural southern charm and world-famous venues, all while successfully providing turnkey services as the client’s sole DMC.

Keri Miller, CSEP, e=mc² events

The very first Energy Disruptors Unite took place over two days with a bold ambition: to accelerate pragmatic and profitable solutions to the world’s most significant energy challenges by igniting a global movement of game-changing energy technologies. Disruptors united to rally together to ignite a global movement. A combination of disruptive content and human connection created a unique experience with Sir Richard Branson as the key catalyst.

Laurie Stroll, Newport Hospitality, Inc., a DMC Network Company

As the selected DMC for the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover, we simultaneously orchestrated 30 client programs totaling 65 events, utilizing hundreds of vehicle charters, over 100 vendors, over 30 hotels/inns and an expanded team of 60 onsite staff. Ultimately, the Newport Stopover was declared the best North American Stopover in recent Race history!

Best ILEA Event Volunteer Collaboration

14th Star Awards: An Undercover Affair

Seas the Night - Celebrating Our Industry Wave Makers

Somewhere Over: The Vancouver Event Industry Holiday Party for ILEA Vancouver, MPI BC Chapter and PCMA Canada West

Christie Altendorf, D'Amico Catering
Alissa Bemis, BeEvents
Lisa Marie Borchert, CSEP
Paloma Mohler, BeThings
Kim Fischer, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Defil Hall, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
Dale Kivimaki, Freestyle Productions
Joe Szurszewski, Joe Szurszewski Photography

The theme for the 14th annual ILEA Minnesota Star Awards was ‘An Undercover Affair, a mystery cloaked in intrigue’ and included classic spy imagery, from vintage Cold War to modern cyber. Many nights of the year, these event professionals are working undercover or behind the scenes at events so the theme put guests on the other side, double-agents if you will, as distinguished guests whose work was spotlighted at this killer party!

Sherri Brady, Sunny Umbrella Design Co.
Jana Heinrichs, CORT Party Rental
Clayton Hibbert, Crimson Haze Event Lighting
PJ Hummel, PJ Hummel and Company Inc
Ileigh Reynolds, Animate Objects Physical Theater
Shelby Sewell, Foodz Catering

Seas the Night was an immersive journey on the high seas, celebrating industry wave makers in a highly esteemed ILEA awards gala. A team of 16 vendors transformed six distinct areas of a raw, industrial venue to take passengers on an unforgettable maritime odyssey. This four-hour tour featured captivating oceanic entertainment, delectable maritime eats, alluring aquatic lighting, immersive nautical décor and enchanting undersea graphics.

Alex Bickers, Reveal Events Group
Mark Happeney, Showkraft Production Services Ltd.
Jennifer Harper Uncao, Elevate Strategies
Roger Haskett, Engagement Unlimited
Chris Jodoin, Christopher J Design Inc
Shelley Johnson, CSEP, Nasco Staffing Solutions
Corinne Kessel, CSEP, Greenscape Design and Décor
Christopher Lyne, DJ Goodspin
Steve Matthews, Innovation Lighting
Rober Porter, Elizabeth Stanley Event Design
Tanya Robichaud, Galactic Entertainment
Datar Sandhu, PEAK Technologies
Gemma Scott, Go 2 Productions
Tom Stulberg, Loungeworks, Inc.
Jennifer Winter, Rebelux Creative

Somewhere Over: The Vancouver Event Industry Holiday Party for ILEA Vancouver, MPI BC Chapter and PCMA Canada West transported more than 450 guests into the wonderful world of Oz. Thirty-nine of Vancouver’s best and most creative producers, designers, suppliers and industry sponsors came together to create a completely immersive holiday experience for the local event community and raise funds for the respective association scholarship and educational programs.

Best ILEA Team Effort ($75,000 - $150,000 USD)

Big Bash

YESS Gala for Youth 2018

Lindsey Hollingsworth, CSEP, JLL @ Atlassian; Kelly Greenheart, Circus Picnic; and JC York, Classic Entertainment / Wise Guys InterACTive

An annual team building event, otherwise known as Big Bash, took place at a local concert venue in Austin, Texas, for just under 300 employees on Thursday, August 9, 2018. The teams puzzled, plotted and perplexed their way through the weirdest tea party they had ever been to. This particular event is always unique, created from scratch by the event team.

Justin Armstrong, Invert720 Productions Inc; Bruce Clarke, Moments in Digital Photography Ltd; Erin Clyde, Foundry Conferences & Events

Youth Empowerment and Support Services provides immediate and low-barrier shelter, temporary housing and individualized wrap-around support for youth ages 15-24. Annually, YESS hosts a fundraising gala, designed to bring awareness to the organization’s mission. 2018 marked a new chapter in the organization’s history: a brand-new executive director was at the helm with a new vision for the future of the organization.

Best ILEA Team Effort (Over $150,000 USD)

Journey Through Wonderland - Holiday Party

RIMS - Go Big Texas

Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover - Corporate Hospitality

Danielle Austin, USAA
Lance Baker, USAA
Lisa Gonzales, USAA
Gina Kraly, USAA
Eden Stotts, USAA

Annually, our company hosts this event to celebrate the holiday season and show employees appreciation. The event is one of San Antonio’s largest premier holiday events. This year, 23,000 attendees began their “Journey Through Wonderland” featuring the iconic American rock band Journey, falling down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of living characters in a wonderland forest where attendees become part of the fairy tale.

Sydney Archer, AFR Events
Benji Bisnov, Cedar and Oak Entertainment
Sylvia Carrier, The Briscoe Western Art Museum
Danielle Dixon, Shag Carpet Prop Rentals
Matthew Gonzales, CSEP, Wilkinson Rhodes
Matthew Hartwig, Marquee Event Group
Art Menchaca, The RK Group
Gretchen Olivares, Aly Am Paperie Invitations and Gifts
Fay Seeman, Peerless Event Rentals
Armando Seledon, CSEP, CTA, Capers DMC
Kimberly Straughan, Barriba Cantina
Amanda Wells, Quest Events

A jam-packed conference agenda utilizing exhibit halls and 14 meeting rooms, a show-stopping opening reception, a charity golf tournament and 5K run, A-list entertainment, hospitality for VIPs, multiple brand-hosted events with unique decor and themes and transportation between 17 venues all in four days. It took a village, but everythings bigger in Texas.

William Corcoran, Newport Tent Company
Maris Corujo, Newport Vineyards
John Edick, Blackstone Caterers
Jennifer Gullins, CSEP, PEAK Event Services
Derek Iorfida, JDI Productions, Inc.
Meagan Mann, All Occasion Transportation
Alexis Radkovich, McGrath Clambakes, Inc.
Laurie Stroll, Newport Hospitality, Inc., a DMC Network Company

As the selected DMC for the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover, we simultaneously orchestrated 30 client programs totaling 65 events, utilizing hundreds of vehicle charters, over 100 vendors, over 30 hotels/inns and an expanded team of 60 onsite staff. Ultimately, the Newport Stopover was declared the best North American Stopover in recent Race history!