THEY READ, THEY analyzed, they debated, and after three rounds of judging, members of the Special Events Magazine Advisory Board narrowed the field from nearly 370 entries to the event professionals listed below — the nominees for the 2003 Gala Awards.
These entries will be transported to The Special Event 2004, Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, where our Advisory Board will pick the winners. The Gala Award winners will be announced at a black-tie celebration on Jan. 9.
Watch for our January issue, which will contain photos and descriptions of all of these exciting events. Congratulations to all who created this outstanding work.
— The Editors
BEST FAIR/FESTIVAL
City of Garland, Garland, Texas
Shapiro & Co., Plano, Texas
Top Productions, Richmond, Calif.
BEST INVITATION
BK Design, Boston
Imagination Ltd., London
Someone's in the Kitchen, Tarzana, Calif.
BEST DINING TABLE DESIGN
Fancy Faces, Covington, La.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa., and Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Legendary Events, Atlanta
BEST FOOD PRESENTATION
Culinary Capers Catering, Vancouver, British Columbia
Feastivities Catered Events, Berwyn, Pa.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa., and Atlantis Paradise Island, Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas
BEST OFF-PREMISE CATERED EVENT
A Joy Wallace Catering, Miami
Alison Silcoff Events, Montreal, and Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montreal
Legendary Events, Atlanta
BEST CATERED EVENT PRODUCED BY A HOTEL BANQUET DEPARTMENT
Chicago Marriott Downtown, Chicago, and The Meetinghouse Companies, Elmhurst, Ill.
Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, Detroit, and Whiteside Productions, Southfield, Mich.
New York Marriott Marquis, New York
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
BEST FUND-RAISING EVENT
Alison Silcoff Events, Montreal
EventScape Inc., Barrington, Ill., and Kehoe Designs, Chicago
Legendary Events, Atlanta
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
EventScape Inc., Barrington, Ill., and Kehoe Designs, Chicago
Tolo Events, Wexford, Pa.
Zeigler & Co., Nashville, Tenn.
BEST WEDDING: BUDGET UNDER $500 PER GUEST
EJP Events, Portland, Ore.
Legendary Events, Atlanta
Someone's in the Kitchen, Tarzana, Calif.
BEST WEDDING: BUDGET $500 TO $2,000 PER GUEST
Event Design Studio, Los Angeles
Xena Productions, Dublin, Ireland
Yifat Oren & Associates, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
BEST WEDDING: BUDGET $2,000 PER GUEST AND ABOVE
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif., and Lori Parks Corporate Events, Bloomfield, Mich.
Matthew David Events, New York, and Elizabeth Allen, New York
BEST MULTIPLE-DAY INCENTIVE EVENT
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Go West Events and Multimedia, Westlake Village, Calif.
Harith Productions, Oreland, Pa., and Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
PGI, Vancouver, British Columbia
BEST MULTIPLE-DAY EVENT FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION
Create Food Ltd., London
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
BEST FLORAL DESIGN
EventWorks, Los Angeles, Calif.
Good Gracious! Events, Los Angeles, and Ronald Mann at The Park Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles
Matthew David Events, New York
BEST TENT INSTALLATION
De Boer Vinings LLC, Atlanta
Regal Tent Productions Ltd., Stoney Creek, Ontario
Top Productions, Richmond, Calif.
BEST USE OF LIGHTING
Airstar Space Lighting, Los Angeles
Airstar Space Lighting, Austin, Texas
Pacific Destination Services, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Q1 Production Technologies, Vancouver, British Columbia
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT
ASI Production Services, Orlando, Fla.
Go West Events and Multimedia, Westlake Village, Calif.
Top Productions, Richmond, Calif.
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN LOGISTICS
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif., and Lori Parks Corporate Events, Bloomfield, Mich.
PRI Productions, Jacksonville, Fla.
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EVENT RENTAL SUPPORT
Abbey Event Services, Montebello, Calif.
ASI Production Services, Orlando, Fla.
Austin RentAll Party, Austin, Texas
BEST NEW, INNOVATIVE EVENT PRODUCT/TECHNOLOGY
Fastlane Produtions, Denver
Graphic Globe, Orlando, Fla.
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION: ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET UNDER $25,000
Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Farrington Productions, Las Vegas
Timot McGonagle, Nashville, Tenn.
BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION: ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET $25,000 TO $100,000
Aspen Productions, Atlanta
Imagination Entertainment, San Diego
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif., and New Century Dance Co., Miami
Sensix Communications and Events, Montreal
BEST EVENT ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT AND EXECUTION: ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET ABOVE $100,000
Pacific Destination Services, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Rand Productions, Las Vegas
PGI, Vancouver, British Columbia
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
MOST OUTSTANDING SPECTACLE
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
Fooled Ya, Rochester, N.Y., and John Ninomiya, Solana Beach, Calif.
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL: BUDGET UNDER $500 PER GUEST
ASE Group, Overland Park, Kan.
Big Wave International Ltd., Roxbury, Conn.
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL: BUDGET $500 AND ABOVE PER GUEST
Center of Attention, Burbank, Calif.
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
Faye Gardenswartz, Denver
BEST EVENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Automotive Marketing Consultants, Marina del Rey, Calif.
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany
BEST THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
Barkley Kalpak Associates, New York
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
E=MC2 Event Management, Calgary, Alberta
BEST THEME DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET UNDER $20,000
An Original Occasion, Los Angeles, and Steve Kemble Event Design, Dallas, Texas
An Original Occasion, Los Angeles
EventWorks, Los Angeles
BEST THEME DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET $20,000 TO $50,000
EventWorks, Los Angeles, Calif.
Pacific Destination Services, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Art of the Party, Surrey, British Columbia
Timot McGonagle, Nashville, Tenn.
BEST THEME DECOR: TOTAL DECOR BUDGET ABOVE $50,000
Alison Silcoff Events, Montreal, and DWW Corp., New York
Designs by Sean, Dania, Fla.
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif.
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET UNDER $100,000
Extraordinary Events, Orlando, Fla.
Festivex Special Events, Gatineau, Quebec
Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET $100,000 TO $249,999
Alden Image Network, Westport, Conn.
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Moving Venue Management, London
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET $250,000 TO $500,000
ISES New England, Boston
John Daly Inc., International, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Rare Indigo, Vancouver, British Columbia
BEST EVENT PRODUCED FOR A CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION: OVERALL BUDGET ABOVE $500,000
Imagination Ltd., London
MGM Mirage Events, Las Vegas
Vok Dams Gruppe, Wuppertal, Germany