Minnesota STAR Award Winners Best Catered Event______________________________________________________________

CATCO's Culinary Collaboration Using cooking as a catalyst for team building, we designed an interactive experience where 72 participants created culinary masterpieces while being challenged to manage and share inventories, ingredients and space. The result was a beautiful, gourmet meal prepared and devoured by a delighted team.

Susan Diamond CSEP, Jigsaw Unlimited Marshall O’Brien, Chef Marshall O’Brien

Best Corporate Event____________________________________________________________

Capital Markets Day To showcase its vision for the future to key stakeholders, this global agribusiness leader bypassed a traditional setting and transformed a rural research site into a multi-building compound featuring a Dome City built from the ground up in a farm field. Multiple divisions of this agency joined forces to ensure a meaningful experience.

metroConnections

Best Creative Solution___________________________________________________________

Green Tie Affair This first time fund raising event had a long list of goals and many constituencies to please. The creative solution featured a taste of nature walking dinner and focus on Earth’s most precious habitat zones. Guests signed up for nature escapes and were inspired by tales of conservation and adventure by media rock-star, Scientist Dr. M.A. Sanjayan.

Char Mason, Coleman Mason Events Cookie Coleman, Coleman Mason Events

Best Entertainment Production____________________________________________________

Spring Jam 2011 Spring Jam 2011 was our rendition of the annual spring music festival taking place on a large scale college campus. With over 5 years of history behind this event, we decided to head back to a place where music was the focus, with three-days, three stages, 60,000+ students, and a wicked 27 performance line-up.

Xander Castro, University of Minnesota

Best Technical Production________________________________________________________

Virtual National Sales Meeting Launching the National Sales Meeting as a virtual meeting gave 400 financial reps an opportunity to receive education without losing valuable time out of the office. It was remarkable because 70% of virtual attendees participated online through the entire three day event when typical virtual events retain attendees for 2-3 hours at a time.

Steph Pfeilsticker, Thrivent Financial

Best Event Design & Décor (Budget $25,000 and over)_________________________________

Capital Markets Day To showcase its vision for the future to key stakeholders, this global agribusiness leader bypassed a traditional setting and transformed a rural research site into a multi-building compound featuring a Dome City built from the ground up in a farm field. Multiple divisions of this agency joined forces to ensure a meaningful experience.

metroConnections

Best Event Design & Décor (Budget under $25,000)____________________________________

Spangles & Sparkles For this annual client appreciation celebration, guests were treated to a unique evening of ‘Spangles & Sparkles’. It was all about transforming a typical hotel ballroom into an interactive and inspiring experience where the attendees felt pampered and special. The goal of this event was also to inspire and challenge the guest’s perceptions.

Event Lab

Best Event Photography__________________________________________________________

Tour de Cure We volunteered to document a charity bike tour that helps raise money for diabetes research. We provided photography coverage for our client, allowing them the ability to show future fundraisers all possibilities of this huge event. This bike tour covers 141 miles through multiple cities in Minnesota, raising about $700,000 for diabetes research.

Amy Coppersmith, Coppersmith Photography

Best Logistics___________________________________________________________________

Carlson Global Conference 1,000 guests were treated to a unique experience in Washington DC for their global conference. It required 480 individual, branded tables, over 220 fresh floral centerpieces, 2,200 chairs, management of over 60 staff and a seamless logistical plan. The success of these events required working with local and national vendors.

Lauren Segelbaum, Event Lab

Best Nonprofit Event____________________________________________________________

The Masqueray Ball The Emmanuel Masqueray Ball in the Ballpark was held at Target Field and benefited the efforts of The Basilica Landmark. This event is their key fundraiser and celebrated the newest and oldest landmarks in Minneapolis. The energetic evening exceeded attendance and revenue goals for the preservation and restoration of the historic church.

Meghan Gustafson, The Basilica of Saint Mary

Best Public Event________________________________________________________________

UNVEILED For the launch of a new bridal event in Minneapolis two event producers took the market by storm; creating a tantalizing shopping experience for the sophisticated bridal couple. Combining the best wedding experts, the latest trends and immersive experiences, UNVEILED – The Ultimate Wedding Planning Event forever redefined the term ‘Bridal Show’.

The Wedding Guys®

Best Rental Support (non-tenting)__________________________________________________

NOLA Annual Gala for 350 guests was themed around Prohibition Era New Orleans. An intimate speakeasy atmosphere was created by individually lighting each of the dining tables. An elaborate French Quarter back drop, replete with gas lights, plantation shutters and filigree cast iron set the stage for the boogie woogie entertainment.

Gabriel Backlund, Ultimate Events

Best Social Event (non-wedding)___________________________________________________

4th Annual Summer Spectacular This annual lakeside celebration of friends and family redefines the term “Backyard BBQ”. Growing from just 50 guests in 2008, this year over 600 guests of all ages ate, drank, danced and played until they were awed by a dazzling display of spectacular fireworks shimmering off the lake in the sky above.

Susan Diamond CSEP, Jigsaw Unlimited Tim Smith, Ultimate Events Mira LaCous, Hollywood Pyrotechnics

Best Tent Installation (tie)________________________________________________________

Rooftop Extravaganza The event was held on a rooftop at a local art gallery for an employee appreciation event. Our client required an enclosed environment to address and welcome all 630 people to the event. We also needed to set and distribute seating for 630 people throughout the museum after closing for dinner that would start one hour after closing for the day.

Kevin Nelson, Ultimate Events

Custom Elevated Tent Install The tent installed was a 100’ x 181’ tent on a level, tiered floor. The challenges faced; there was a 4’ drop from one side of the tent to the other, only three weeks to plan and design the layout of the event, a very tight space, and 50 mile an hour winds. Flooring, Custom legs, and guttering were used.

John Swanson, Ultimate Events

Best Use of Floral_______________________________________________________________

Wish Ball 2011 The glittering Make-A-Wish Foundation ball was a magical Parisian-themed soiree, decorated with sumptuous red and pink florals, iconic black lace and damask linens, tabletop chandeliers, and a Parisian market complete with black and white striped cafe awnings, bloom-filled umbrella-topped flower carts, and a lavish two-story lighted Eiffel tower.

Marsha Hunt, Haute Flower Boutique Bridget Connell, Haute Flower Boutique

Best Use of Marketing/Graphic Design______________________________________________

Celebration for Life Gala In 2011, we held our organization’s 31st annual black-tie fundraising gala. Attendees included hospital employees, donors and community partners

Angela Bernhardt, Park Nicollet Health Services

Best Wedding__________________________________________________________________

Local Love This wedding was designed to be a showcase of the couple’s hobbies and passions, using local vendors, hence the name of their wedding, “Local Love.” Their family and friends delighted in the personal details and enjoyed a beautiful day starting with a thoughtful ceremony, followed by a sit down dinner and great band.

Gretchen Culver, Rocket Science Weddings & Events

Best ISES Team Effort____________________________________________________________

2011 CRV MN EXPO “THE CRV EXPO; Stories of Our Community” used intimate cafes and a game format to frame the focus of the 2011 employee meeting. In this informal setting, attendees explored and engaged in different ways as they participated in informative and interactive café activities designed to STRENGTHEN, BELIEVE AND CELEBRATE patients and Boston Scientific.

Cheryl Kranz, Creative Events by Kranz Jean Peine, Perimeters Group, LLC Laura Jolcover, CORT Event Furnishings Matthew Trettel, The Wedding Guys® Peter Provost, Propel Transportation Ryan Hanson CSEP, BeEvents Sam Smith, Interactive Meeting Technology Susan Diamond CSEP, Jigsaw Unlimited Steve DeVries, Showcore, Inc.