The Denver & Colorado Hospitality Industry's
OPEN TO ALL EVENTS INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS (NACE Members and non-members)
Industry Professionals...
Now is your time to show off.
Get recognized with the
in the Denver & Colorado Events Industry
Official Rules and Regulations
What are the NACE LEGEND AWARDS?
The awards are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts, performance, and outstanding contributions of professionals in the special events industry. Winners will be recognized at our Awards Gala on April 14, 2026.
WHO CAN ENTER THE AWARDS?
Any NACE Member and future NACE member (hint... hint:)
WHO JUDGES THE AWARDS?
To maintain fairness in the judging, the awards are submitted anonymously. They are judged by a NACE Chapter with no affiliations to our Denver Chapter. Scores are returned to NACE Denver and tallied to determine winners in each award category.
WHAT IS THE COST?
You can submit for a small fee of $50 for submission.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR SUBMITTING AND GETTING AWARDS?
January 1: Open submissionMarch 7 - Submission deadlineApril 1 - Finalists AnnouncedApril 14 - Awards night
NACE 2026 LEGEND AWARDS CATEGORIES AND SUBMISSION FORMS
Submissions for 2026 will open Jan 1, 2026, at 8 am.
BEST of the BEST:
Wedding
Honors exceptional creativity, design, and execution in a wedding celebration. This award recognizes events that beautifully reflect a couple’s vision while delivering an unforgettable guest experience through flawless planning, artistry, and attention to detail.
Philanthropic Event
Celebrates events designed to inspire giving, raise awareness, or support a cause. This award honors the creativity, execution, and heart behind events that make a difference.
Catered Event
Celebrates excellence in catering for any occasion, highlighting innovation in menu creation, service, and presentation. This award honors culinary artistry and execution that elevate the overall guest experience and showcase the highest standards of hospitality.
Social Event (Non-Wedding)
Recognizes exceptional design and execution of milestone celebrations outside of weddings, such as birthdays, anniversaries, mitzvahs, or retirement parties.
Public Event
Honors the creativity, design, and execution of events open to the public, such as festivals, parades, community gatherings, or civic celebrations.
Food and/or Beverage Presentation
Honors exceptional presentation of culinary or beverage offerings. This category highlights creativity, design, and the artistry of turning food and drink into an immersive guest experience.
Dessert Presentation
Celebrates outstanding creativity and craftsmanship in the design, display, and delivery of desserts. This award honors those who elevate sweets into unforgettable experiences through innovation, artistry, and flavor.
Entertainment (Non-Live)
Recognizes excellence in entertainment that engages guests without live performance, including DJs, multimedia experiences, interactive activities, or digital enhancements that add memorable energy to an event.
Live Musical Performance
Recognizes excellence in live music that enhances the atmosphere of an event. From soloists to ensembles, this award honors talent and the ability to engage and delight audiences.
Event Design
Honors exceptional vision and execution in designing an event’s overall aesthetic. From concept to décor, this award celebrates cohesive storytelling and a transformative guest experience.
Event Photography
Acknowledges the artistry and technical skill of event photographers who capture the emotion, beauty, and story of an event through exceptional imagery.
Event Videography
Highlights excellence in videography that documents and elevates the event experience, blending storytelling, artistry, and technical expertise to create lasting memories.
Floral Design
Celebrates innovative use of florals that enhance an event’s design. This award recognizes creativity, craftsmanship, and the ability to transform spaces with flowers.
Technical Production
Highlights outstanding achievements in event production, including staging, audio, video, rigging, and behind-the-scenes technology that bring events to life seamlessly.
Use of Lighting and/or Special Effects
Celebrates exceptional innovation and artistry in the use of lighting, pyrotechnics, projections, or special effects to transform spaces and create memorable moments.
Activation Concept/Experience
Recognizes innovative activations that engage, inspire, and immerse guests in a brand or concept. This award honors creative experiences that spark interaction, deliver impact, and leave a lasting impression.
HOW DO I ENTER?
All entries must be for events that occurred between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.
Be sure to follow all of the rules and submit your entry by the noted deadline.
Simply fill out the entry form and touch on all the key points below to get full credit and the highest marks.
-A compelling story goes a long way
-If you have video, that usually gets good scores from the judges
-Professional photos score higher than non-professional
-Be sure to gather collateral as the event is happening to make gathering collateral easier
JUDGING CRITERIA:
1. Description of the overall event (each submission is for one event only) and the design services you provided. Please note that the more compelling the story, the better you will score. (10 points)
2. Client Goals: What were your client's goals? Include reviews if possible. (10 points)
3. Objectives: What were your objectives for your services? How were these accomplished? (10 points)
4. Event Management: What was the degree of difficulty, and how were any challenges or obstacles overcome? Describe your production management process. Describe each phase of the process, including development, pre-production, production, and post-production phases of event management. (10 points)
5. WOW Factor: Did the entry demonstrate creative dynamics with the theme decor? (10 points)
6. Rate the degree of difficulty of creating and executing the entry (10 points)
7. Did the collateral contain pertinent supporting materials: Marketing, invitations, announcements, floor plans, timelines, renderings, BEOs? (10 points)
8. Was the entry's design exciting and dynamic? (10 points)
COLLATERAL:
1. Completed collateral must NOT contain any logos or references to you or your company. (20 POINTS)
2. Multiple photographs may appear on a single page as long as the page meets these requirements. Photos must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
3. Please have someone check the links to make sure they work.
JUDGING WILL BE DONE BY :
Each entry is judged 3 times by NACE Chapters in other states. The winner will be the entry with the highest average score.
RECATEGORIZATION:
If your entry is deemed to have been submitted into the incorrect category by our local awards committee, we reserve the right to recategorize it.
REASONS FOR DISQUALIFICATION:
If you follow the step-by-step instructions and category-specific guidelines, your entry will be valid. The event must have been in 2025, cannot be from a competitor organization, must have completed all fields, including collateral, and must leave out the company name or logo to keep the anonymity and remove any bias.
DO NOT IDENTIFY YOURSELF OR YOUR COMPANY/ORGANIZATION. YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
WHO DO I REACH OUT TO IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?
You can reach our awards director at awards@nacedenver.com