Nominations are now being accepted for the Special Events 2024 Gala awards!  We invite you to submit your best work from the past year. Join in the excitement and the spirit of our industry as we celebrate the hard work and exceptional accomplishments of our peers. 

Check out this year's winners for inspiration! 

The categories for 2024 are:  

• Designer of the Year 
• Best Fundraising or Nonprofit Event 
• Micro Event of the Year 
• Virtual or Hybrid Event of the Year 
• Sustainability in Events 
• Best Wedding: Budget Under $1,000 Per Guest 
• Best Wedding: Budget $1,000 and Above Per Guest 
• Best Event Produced for a Corporation or Association: Overall Budget Under $500,000 
• Best Event Produced for a Corporation or Association: Overall Budget Over $500,000 
• Best Event for a Private Individual: Budget Under $1,000 Per Guest 
• Best Event for a Private Individual: Budget $1,000 and Above Per Guest 
• Total Décor: Budget Under $500,000 
• Total Décor: Budget Over $500,000 
• Best Entertainment: Budget Under $100,000 
• Best Entertainment: Budget $100,000 and Above 
• Most Outstanding Spectacle, Fair, or Festival 
• Best Multiple-Day Event Program for a Corporation or Association 

To submit an entry to this year's Gala awards, please visit our awards portal. 

Important Dates 

• Tuesday, April 1, 2023 | Gala Award Submissions Open 
• September 1, 2022-September, 30, 2023 | Eligibility Period for Entries 
• Sunday, October 15, 2023 | Regular submission deadline ($99 fee) 
• Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | Late Bird submission deadline ($160 fee) 

If you are interested in entering in the ACE awards instead, you can enter the 2024 Catersource ACE awards in the same online portal as the Gala awards. Catersource + The Special Event will run February 12-15, 2024 in Austin, TX. Both the ACE and Gala awards will be presented during the conference at a to-be-determined location in Austin.