2014 ISES Minnesota Star Awards
The International Special Events Society’s Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter announces its 2014 award-winning events.
Each fall, the International Special Events Society (ISES), Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter, seeks entries for its Minnesota Star Awards. Submissions are accepted from anyone who plans or produces events or who supplies the Minnesota special events industry. Categories focus on event planning, design, installations, food and event services. The ISES Team Effort category is the only category where entrants must be ISES members.
Members of ISES chapters in Rhode Island and Austin, Texas, judged the qualifying entrants. The three entries with the highest scores become the nominees, and the top score wins the category.
Below, Twin Cities Business highlights the winning events. Read on to learn whose menu was the most innovative, whose event logistics went off without a hitch, and more, at events that were the toast of town.
Best Event Logistics
Randy to the Rescue
The Wedding Guys; Ryan Hanson CSEP, BeEvents
When TLC’s hit show Say Yes to the Dress hit the road to bring the dresses to the brides, it presented distinct logistical challenges. Building, tearing down and moving an entire set while keeping 200 couture wedding dresses in pristine condition, plus accommodating a TV crew, kept the company busy. The company also provided pre-event registration support, on-site support, inventory management and problem-solving on the fly.
Other nominees:
“Cultural Music Fair,” Colleen Healy, Irish Fair of Minnesota. “Frozen Lake Golf,” Dawn Westermann, Ultimate Events
Twin Cities Bridal Show – the Wedding Dream Expo
The Wedding Guys; Matthew Trettel, the Wedding Guys; Laurie Falk, Lauren B Photography; Ryan Hanson, BeEvents; Sheree Bochenek, Apres Party Rental; Jane Klein, Big Ink; Joel Schetter, Green Spring Media; Ryan Daniel, Zandolee Media; Andrew Meyer, Midway Party Rental; David Baer, Level 11; Elizabeth Wright, Avant Decor
It was a total team effort to bring together this huge wedding expo. Preparations and marketing began long before the fair opened, with billboards, radio and TV spots, and a special section in a local lifestyle magazine. Consistent branding through all the different media types was achieved through color matching and typography. The event brought together planners, rental providers and photographers. Each facet worked smoothly with the other throughout the multi-pronged expo, from fashion show runways to a café to the “Club Groom,” a sleek bar geared toward grooms-to-be.
Other nominees:
Best Marketing/Graphic Design: “Spotlighting Success with Old Holly- wood Glam,” Liam McMonagle, Type A Events. “Irish Pink Wedding Suite,” Gretchen Berry, Gretchen Berry Design Co. Best ISES Team Event: “SOAR,” Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, Ultimate Events, Eurest Dining Services, Ziegler, Event Lab, Biff’s, AVEX
