From the hundreds of outstanding entries received by Special Events Magazine in this year's Gala Awards competition, a blue-ribbon panel of judges from our Advisory Board narrowed the field to these nominees. The judging process took three days, a testament to the high quality of entries submitted. We congratulate all who entered the competition. The finalist entries below will be transported to The Special Event 2002, Jan. 9-12 in Phoenix, where Advisory Board members will select the Gala Award winners. The winners will be announced Jan. 12 at the Gala Awards Ceremony and Celebration. Watch for our January 2002 issue for photographs and descriptions of all the nominees--blueprints from the best.
--The Editors

BEST FAIR/FESTIVAL
B.A.S.S., Montgomery, Ala.
City of Garland, Garland, Texas
Jay Howard Events, Concord, N.C.

BEST BALLOON CREATION
Goody Balloon Co., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan/NHK Chugoku Software & Planning, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
Goody Balloon Co., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
The Balloon House Design Studio, Flower Mound, Texas

BEST INVITATION
Aspen Productions, Atlanta
BK Design, Boston
Century Guild Press, Monrovia, Calif.

BEST DINING TABLE DESIGN
La Fleur/Princeton Flower Shop, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Legendary Events, Atlanta
Theme Events, Dublin, Ireland

BEST FOOD PRESENTATION
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa./Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas/Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
The Peake of Catering, Vancouver, British Columbia

BEST CORPORATE/COMPANY PICNIC
Culinary Capers Catering, Vancouver, British Columbia
D'Rose Accents, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Enchanted Parties, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

BEST OFF-PREMISE CATERED EVENT
Good Gracious! Events, Los Angeles
Patti Coons & Associates, Orlando,Fla./A La Carte Catering, Tampa, Fla.
The Peake of Catering, Vancouver, British Columbia

BEST CATERED EVENT PRODUCED BY A HOTEL CATERING DEPARTMENT
Chicago Downtown Marriott, Chicago/The Meetinghouse Companies, Elmhurst, Ill.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa./Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia
Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, Las Vegas

BEST FUND-RAISING EVENT
Classic World Events, San Jose, Calif.
Legendary Events, Atlanta
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
California Science Center, Los Angeles
Classic World Events, San Jose, Calif.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa./Welcome America, Philadelphia

BEST WEDDING, BUDGET UNDER $50,000
Magic Moments, Norcross, Ga.
Nancy Chase Weddings and Celebrations, Denver
Pura Vida Productions, Annapolis, Md.

BEST WEDDING, BUDGET $50,000 AND ABOVE
Creative Parties, Bethseda, Md.
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas
Yifat Oren & Associates, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

BEST MULTIPLE-DAY INCENTIVE EVENT
Cacique International, Nassau, Bahamas/Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa./Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Patti Coons & Associates, Orlando, Fla./Wayne Lachman Productions, New York

BEST FLORAL DESIGN
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Legendary Events, Atlanta
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas

BEST TENT INSTALLATION
DeBoer Structures, Kennesaw, Ga.
Prime Structures, Phoenix
The Stuart Rental Co., Milpitas, Calif.

BEST USE OF LIGHTING
Big Wave International, Roxbury, Conn.
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla./Hy-Lite Productions, West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Full Effect, Bedford, England

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Big Wave International, Roxbury, Conn./North American Theatrics, Oxford, Conn.
Charles C. Technical Productions, Newport Beach, Calif./Creative Technology, Van Nuys, Calif.
Professional Event Solutions, San Diego

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN LOGISTICS
BT Event Productions, Breckenridge, Colo.
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Sensix Communications & Events, Montreal

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EVENT RENTAL SUPPORT
Abbey Event Services, Rancho Dominguez, Calif.
Abbey Party Rents, Dallas/Outstanding Productions, Dallas
Austin RentAll Party, Austin, Texas

BEST NEW, INNOVATIVE EVENT PRODUCT/TECHNOLOGY
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Transformit, Gorham, Maine
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany

BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION, ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET UNDER $25,000
Eclectic Events International, Toronto
TLC Creative Special Effects, Marina del Rey, Calif.
Tribble Creative Group, Charlotte, N.C.

BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION, ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET $25,000 TO $100,000
Sensix Communications & Events, Montreal
Showtime Events, Raleigh, N.C./Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Tribble Creative Group, Charlotte, N.C.

BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION, ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET ABOVE $100,000
Cast of Thousands, McLean, Va.
Irwin Productions, Vista, Calif.
Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, Las Vegas/Best Model Talent & Best Production, Las Vegas

MOST OUTSTANDING SPECTACLE EVENT
B.A.S.S., Montgomery, Ala.
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla./Logistics Management Group, North Miami Beach, Fla.
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, BUDGET UNDER $50,000
Barbara Wallace Weddings, Corona del Mar, Calif.
Eclectic Events International, Toronto
Famous Firsts, Pompano Beach, Fla.

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, BUDGET $50,000 AND ABOVE
Creative Consulting, Chicago
Giants Enterprises, San Francisco
Rave Reviews, Kensington, Md.

BEST EVENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Event Lab, Minneapolis
The Lundquist Co., Sacramento, Calif.
The Special Event Co., London/Cornerstone Associates, London

BEST THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
Charles C. Production Group, Newport Beach, Calif.
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif./Delaney Marketing, Dublin, Ireland
Imagination Entertainment, San Diego

BEST THEME DECOR, TOTAL DECOR BUDGET UNDER $20,000
EventWorks, Los Angeles
Legendary Events, Atlanta
Lena Malouf Platinum Events, Sydney, Australia
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas

BEST THEME DECOR, TOTAL DECOR BUDGET $20,000 TO $50,000
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Theme Events, Dublin, Ireland

BEST THEME DECOR, TOTAL DECOR BUDGET ABOVE $50,000
Classic World Events, San Jose, Calif.
Koby Bar-Yehuda Special Event Designer and Producer, Rishon Lezion, Israel
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION, OVERALL BUDGET UNDER $100,000
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif./Delaney Marketing, Dublin, Ireland
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
The Arrangers, Denver

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION, OVERALL BUDGET $100,000 TO $249,999
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
The Meetinghouse Companies, Elmhurst, Ill./Chicago Marriott Downtown, Chicago
Zeigler & Co., Nashville, Tenn./Destination Nashville, Goodlettsville, Tenn.

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION, OVERALL BUDGET $250,000 TO $500,000
Andersen, Chicago
Aspen Productions, Atlanta
The Full Effect, Bedford, England

BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION, OVERALL BUDGET ABOVE $500,000
Autostadt GMBH, Wolfsburg, Germany
Cacique International, Nassau, Bahamas/Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif./George P. Johnson Co., Torrance, Calif.