Members of the Special Events Advisory Board met last month in the magazine's editorial offices to choose the following as nominees for the Gala Award, the most prestigious award in special events.
Photos and descriptions of all nominees will appear in the January-February 2010 issue of Special Events.
Winners will be named on Jan. 15 during a black-tie event at The Special Event 2010 in New Orleans.
BEST FAIR/FESTIVAL
Dominic Phillips Event Marketing, San Francisco
"Slow Food Nation"
Event Architects, Chicago
"Rachael's Big Block Party"
The Lundquist Co., Roseville, Calif.
"First 5 Sacramento"
BEST INVITATION
Experiential Events, Calgary, Alberta
"i \ cue"
Jobe & Associates, Dublin, Ohio
"Costa Rica Exotic Adventure"
Pleon Event & Sponsoring, Bonn
"Interactive Media Roadshow"
BEST DINING TABLE DESIGN
Janet Flowers Wedding & Event Designs, Rockville, Md.
"Luminous Affair"
Magic Moments Catering and Event Facilities, Norcross, Ga.
"Opposites Attract"
One Smooth Stone, Downers Grove, Ill.
"Chairman's Circle Arrival Lunch"
BEST OFF-PREMISE CATERED EVENT
A Legendary Event, Atlanta
"DIFFA's Dining by Design"
Culinary Capers Beijing Catering and Special Events, Beijing
"Great Wall of China Luncheon"
Culinary Capers Catering, Vancouver, British Columbia
"Restaurant Industry Wine Tasting Luncheon"
BEST CATERED EVENT PRODUCED BY A HOTEL BANQUET DEPARTMENT
Chicago Restaurant Partners, Chicago
"Chicago Auto Show First Look for Charity Gala"
Harith Productions, Willow Grove, Pa., and Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Reykjavik, Iceland
"Country of Contrasts"
Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton, Wis.
"Wonderfully Wicked"
BEST FUNDRAISING EVENT
Catalina Island Conservancy, Long Beach, Calif.
"14th Annual Conservancy Ball: Take a Hike!"
GEM Events, Vienna, Va.
"The Elements of Surprise"
MGM MIRAGE Events, Las Vegas, and Keep Memory Alive, Las Vegas
"Keep Memory Alive"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Event Creative, Chicago
"2008 After School Matters Gala"
Jess Flood Event Design, Santa Rosa, Calif.
"2008 Leakey Prize Gala"
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago
"Partner: The Campaign for the Future"
BEST WEDDING: BUDGET UNDER $1,000 PER GUEST
About Last Night … Event Planning, Oklahoma City, Okla.
"Sarah Leedy Wedding"
Events of Distinction, San Francisco
"Lake Tahoe Views and Vows"
Your Great Event, Glendale, Calif.
"Annie Amaral"
BEST WEDDING: BUDGET $1,000 AND ABOVE PER GUEST
Events of Distinction, San Francisco
"The Spice of Life"
Puttin' on the Rizz, Denver
"Shanahan-Sachs Wedding"
Xena Productions, Dublin
"Vineyard Wedding"
BEST MULTIPLE-DAY INCENTIVE EVENT
Afilias, Horsham, Pa.
"2009 Afilias Retreat"
Harith Productions, Willow Grove, Pa., and Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
"Country of Contrasts"
Event Architects, Chicago
"Trip of a Lifetime"
BEST MULTIPLE-DAY EVENT PROGRAM FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION
Barkley Kalpak Associates, New York
"ITS World Congress"
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
"Press Launch for BMW X6M"
Method 42 Productions, San Jose, Calif.
"'UP' Press Junket"
BEST EVENT STAGED IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Inventa, Vancouver, British Columbia
"BCLC 2010 Winter Games Dome"
Pleon Event & Sponsoring, Bonn
"Interactive Media Roadshow"
The Companies/The Event Co., Munich
"Larger Than Life"
BEST FLORAL DESIGN
John Creager Weddings, San Diego
"A Tropical Evening in the Colorado Rockies"
Newberry Brothers, Denver
"Wright-Mandel Green Reception"
Something New Events, Canfield, Ohio
"An Enchanted Beginning"
BEST TENT INSTALLATION
Classic Tents, Los Angeles
"The Ryder Cup"
Pleon Event & Sponsoring, Bonn
"250 Years of Man Jubilee Event"
Regal Tent Productions, Stoney Creek, Ontario
"NHL All-Star Games"
BEST USE OF LIGHTING
Digital Lightning, Kensington, Md.
"From India with Love"
Eye Dialogue, Charlotte, N.C.
"Keeping it Real Pink: Oysters on the Lawn"
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.
"Rat Pack New Year's Eve Celebration"
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Aggreko, Houston, Texas
"2009 Presidential Inauguration"
Global Events ID Corp., Madrid
"Dreams 2"
Richter Scale Productions, Denver
"Conference in the Round"
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN LOGISTICS
EdgProductions, Eden Prairie, Minn.
"RNC Convention 2008"
ES Group Ltd., London
"Chanel Mobile Art"
Vok Dams Group, Wuppertal, Germany
"Skoda World Dealers Conference Yeti '09"
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EVENT RENTAL SUPPORT
Classic Party Rentals, San Francisco
"Second Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine"
Classic Tents, Chicago
"2009 Kentucky Derby Festival"
Town and Country Event Rentals, Van Nuys, Calif.
"A Tropical Dream Destination Wedding"
BEST NEW, INNOVATIVE EVENT PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY
Creative Juice Group, Conshohocken, Pa.
"Living Bars"
Kindle Living, Los Angeles
"Kindle Glow"
Velon Designs, San Francisco
"Crystal Velon"
BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION: ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET UNDER $100,000
Bravo Productions Entertainment, Dallas, and The Special Event Co., Durham, N.C.
"Cultural Carolina"
Creative Juice Group, Conshohocken, Pa.
"Bootleggin' Bettys"
Eclectic Events International, Toronto
"Holiday Glamour"
BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION: ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET ABOVE $100,000
Bravo Productions Entertainment, Dallas, and In Good Company, San Ramon, Calif.
"Hot Hot Hot Americas"
Current Affairs, Honolulu
"Achievers Dinner Hawaii 2009"
Vok Dams Group, Wuppertal, Germany
"Puma Fam 2010"
MOST OUTSTANDING SPECTACLE
JHE Production Group, Harrisburg, N.C.
"2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Pre-race"
John Donnelly & Associates, Vancouver, British Columbia
"2009 World Police and Fire Games"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL/INDIVIDUALS: BUDGET UNDER $1,000 PER GUEST
Eve Events, Minneapolis
"Club 416"
Events of Distinction, San Francisco
"A Super Silver Jubilee"
Experiential Events, Calgary, Alberta
"Alchemy"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL/INDIVIDUALS: BUDGET $1,000 AND ABOVE PER GUEST
Plan-It Parties, North Potomac, Md.
"Amanda's Chocolate Factory"
Rogers and Gala Creative Partners, Charlotte, N.C.
"Ali's Rock and Style Collection"
Save the Date, Potomac, Md.
"Music Mitzvah"
BEST EVENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Inventa, Vancouver, British Columbia
"BCLC 2010 Winter Games Dome"
Serviceplan Brandevent, Munich
"The Sony Ericsson Fan Walk 2008"
"Larger Than Life"
BEST THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
Global Events ID Corp., Madrid
"Dreams 2"
Index Event Agency, Bangkok
"Thai Life Musical: Music of Glory"
Luminous EMC Ltd., Hong Kong, China
"Audi Q5 Launch"
BEST DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET UNDER $20,000
A Joy Wallace Catering Production & Design Team, Miami
"Paris Bat Mitzvah"
E=MC2 Event Management, Calgary, Alberta
"Distinctive Collection Grand Opening Dinner"
USA Hosts, New Orleans, and New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans
"A Winter's Solstice"
BEST DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET $20,000 TO $49,999
Method 42 Productions, San Jose, Calif.
"Una Notte d'Amore"
Vangard Inc., Tacoma, Wash.
"Microsoft CEO Dinner"
Caravents Inc., Beverly Hills, Calif.
"2009 InStyle Golden Globes Suites"
BEST DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET $50,000 TO $150,000
All Occasions Event Productions, Lexington, Ky.
"2009 Stallion Parade and After-party"
A Legendary Event, Atlanta
"Nature-inspired Nuptials"
AOO Events, Los Angeles
"Aczone"
BEST DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET ABOVE $150,000
MGM MIRAGE Events, Las Vegas
"Concerto"
Something New Events, Canfield, Ohio
"Linne's Fashion Week"
Syzygy Event Productions, Gaithersburg, Md.
"Amanda's Chocolate Factory"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET UNDER $100,000
Elias Events, Houston, Texas
"Fashionably Social"
Jung von Matt Relations, Cologne, Germany
"The Biggest Concert in the World"
Total Event Resources, Schaumburg, Ill.
"Batter Up"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET $100,000 TO $249,999
Consider It Done Productions, Calgary, Alberta
"CREB President's Gala MLS Awards: Dancing with Our Stars"
Labatt Food Service, San Antonio
"Fiesta de Gracias Gala 2009"
Welcome Event Marketing, Copenhagen
"The Alpha Take-off"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET $250,000 TO $500,000
EuroEvents Ltd., Dublin
"BMW 7 Series Launch"
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
"BMW Press Launch Malibu"
Insgluck Gesellschaft fur Markeninszenierung, Berlin
"International Opening Ceremony CeBIT 2009"
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET ABOVE $500,000
Insgluck Gesellschaft fur Markeninszenierung, Berlin
"Welcome Night"
Mana, Allison & Associates, San Francisco
"Financial Group Marketing Meeting"
Vok Dams Group, Wuppertal, Germany
"Skoda World Dealers Conference Yeti '09"
