Special Events magazine today announces that the late event education pioneer Patti Shock will be honored with the 2020 Gala Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award will be presented posthumously at The Special Event 2020 in Las Vegas on March 12.
An educator, speaker, consultant and author, Shock spent 28 years as a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, including chairing the tourism and convention administration department. In 2006, she joined TISOH as an academic consultant. She also pioneered online courses for Florida International University and Kennesaw State University.
She described her legacy as her influence: "I love knowing that I have made a difference in the lives of so many people, both students and industry professionals I have mentored over the years."
Describing her career, Shock said, “Rarely do I go to the [Las Vegas] Strip hotels without a former student coming up to speak to me." Indeed, her students have advanced to leadership roles in the hospitality industry, including such luminaries as Daniel Rush, vice president of global sports and events sales at MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas; Michele Polci, CPCE, CMP, director of citywide catering sales in Las Vegas for Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas; James Gelfand, vice president of catering and special events at PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Kaye Chon, Dean, Hotel School & Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Guy Fieri, restaurateur and television personality, The Food Network; and Yuichi Tanaka, director of event management at salesforce.com, Japan.
History of the Gala Awards The Gala Awards have been given by Special Events magazine, the premier industry publication, since 1986, when the awards honored the "top 10 events of 1985." The awards recognize the finest work in special events worldwide. For the 2020 Gala Awards, the magazine received entries from around the world, including Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Thailand and the United States. Members of the Special Events Advisory Board evaluated the entries and determined the nominees.
For a complete list of 2020 nominees, click here.
To register for The Special Event 2020, click here.
