Special Events magazine today announces that longtime event industry leader Kathy Miller will receive the 2019 Gala Award for Lifetime Achievement. She will accept her trophy during the Gala Awards ceremony, Jan. 10 in San Diego at The Special Event.
Miller started her hospitality career at Hyatt Hotels, rising through the ranks. “My years with Hyatt were my industry training,” she told Special Events in 2008. “Those experiences are invaluable to me now as an event planner because I know how hotels work, and I know who to talk to do get things done.”
She launched her own event company—Total Event Resources—in 1995; she serves as president and chief creative officer. The Schaumburg, Ill.-based firm has overseen an extensive array of event programs for Fortune 500 corporations, major trade associations and nonprofit organizations. The global, certified woman-owned meeting and event planning company offers strategic, creative meeting and event services. All told, Total Event Resources has won more than 50 industry awards, including multiple Special Events Gala Awards.
In 2012, Miller completed the Goldman Sachs “10,000 Small Businesses” program, participating in the inaugural class of the prestigious program.
Miller served an eight-year team on the ILEA Board of Governors, including holding the post of international president. She has been honored by a wide range of organizations including business groups and MPI.
She has also served on the Advisory Board of Special Events magazine.
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 2019 Gala Awards, the magazine received entries in 34 categories from 13 countries. Members of the Special Events magazine Advisory Board, made up of leaders in the event profession, review all entries to determine the nominees and winners.
For a complete list of 2019 nominees, click here.
To register for The Special Event 2019, click here.
