Golden Palm Awards

Catering Manager of the Year

Purpose: This award honors a catering manager who exemplifies outstanding hospitality, strengthens business success, and elevates the guest experience through creativity, collaboration, and leadership. It celebrates the vital role catering managers play in making not only the event, but the business a success.

Special Requirements: The "Catering Manager of the Year" Award nominee is required to meet the following criteria:

• Have been employed for the entire 2024-2025 event season as outlined above.
• Work within a business based in the Coachella Valley.

Nominations for this award may be submitted by the nominee themselves or by someone else on their behalf.

Conference Service/Event Manager of the Year

Purpose: This award recognizes a Conference Service Manager who delivers exceptional event coordination, fosters strong client relationships, and ensures every experience is executed with precision and care. It celebrates those who exhibit operational excellence and a commitment to creating flawless group and meeting experiences.  

Special Requirements: The "Conference Service Manager of the Year" Award nominee is required to meet the following criteria:

• Have been employed for the entire 2024-2025 event season as outlined above.
• Work within a business based in the Coachella Valley.

Nominations for this award may be submitted by the nominee themselves or by someone else on their behalf.

Team of the Year

This award honors a team within a single company, venue or property that delivered outstanding events and elevated the guest experience through collaboration, creativity, and operational excellence. It recognizes the collective achievement of hospitality professionals who work together to make an extraordinary impact on the event industry.

Special Requirements: The "Team of the Year Award" nominees are required to meet the following criteria:

• Have completed greater than 80% of their business within the Coachella Valley.
• Have equal to or greater then two team members

Who should apply: Any team operating within the catering and event industry inside of Coachella Valley.

Social Event of the Year

Individual or Team Entries

Purpose: The "Social Event of the Year" recognizes outstanding planning and execution for social events including galas, fundraisers and personal celebrations produced by venues, caterers, restaurants, clubs, or hotels.  This category excludes any and all events related to weddings.  

Special Requirements: The “Social Event of the Year” Award nominations will be split into two subcategories (your entry should include your event's budget).

• Event Budget Less than $75,000
• Event Budget Greater than $75,000

Who should apply: Planners, caterers, hotels, private clubs, and restaurants.

Corporate Event of the Year

Individual or Team Entries

Purpose: The "Corporate Event of the Year" recognizes outstanding planning and execution of corporate events including events produced by DMCs, meeting planners, venues, clubs, or hotels for both on or off premise events.  

Special Requirements: The “Corporate Event of the Year” Award nominations will be split into two subcategories (your entry should include your event's budget).

• Event Budget Less than $75,000
• Event Budget Greater than $75,000

Who should apply: DMCs, caterers, meeting planners, venues, clubs and hotels.

Wedding of the Year

Individual or Team Entries

Purpose: The "Wedding of the Year" award recognizes outstanding achievement in the overall event planning and production of a wedding celebration, ceremony and/or reception. 

Special Requirements: The "Wedding of the Year Award" nominations will be split into two subcategories (your entry should include the wedding's budget).

• Event Budget Less than $75,000
• Event Budget Greater than $75,000

Who should apply: Wedding planners, venues, hotels, on-premises and off-premises caterers, private clubs.

Catered Event of the Year

Individual or Team Entries

Purpose: Celebrating the creativity and execution of food and beverage, the "Catered/Food & Beverage Event of the Year" recognizes outstanding planning and execution for all on-premises and/or off-premises events including wedding reception events, events produced by venues, caterers, restaurants, clubs, or hotels with both in-house and outside catering facilities.  

Special Requirements: The “Catered/Food & Beverage Event of the Year” Award nominations will be split into two subcategories (your entry should include your budget and retail value).

• Event Budget Less than $75,000
• Event Budget Greater than $75,000

Who should apply: On-premises caterers, off-premises caterers, hotel caterers, private clubs, and restaurants.

Entertainment Production of the Year

Individual Entries Only

Purpose: Celebrating the artists and showmanship that bring our events to life, this award aims to showcase the best in Event Entertainment concept and execution for events, such as parties, banquets, award ceremonies, fundraisers, festivals, sporting events, concerts, conventions, and expositions.

This individual recognition is for innovative entertainment talents; therefore, team submissions are not eligible for this category.

Who should apply: DJs, live entertainment professionals, auctioneers, live musical groups, emcees, and event management companies.

Floral Design and Execution of the Year

Individual Entries Only

Purpose: Celebrating the artistic vision, talents and execution of floral, this award recognizes outstanding achievement in overall floral design and execution for an event.

Who should apply: Florists and decor vendors.

Event Rental Collaborator of the Year

Purpose: Celebrating those who make the event vision come to life, the Event Rental Collaborator of the Year award recognizes outstanding achievement in event rental support, including furniture, linens, flatware, tableware, chairs, bars, tents, dance floors, staging, pipe and drape, and anything you can rent for events.

Who should apply?

• Party rentals, furniture rentals, linen rentals, audio-visual companies, tabletop rentals, specialty rentals, tent rentals, unique rentals

Shot of the Year

Individual Entries Only

Purpose: This award honors excellence in capturing still moments from behind the camera.  This individual recognition is for the photographer's artistic talents, therefore team submissions are not eligible for this category.

Who should apply: Photographers, photo booths and drone photographers.

Video of the Year

Individual Entries Only

Purpose: This award honors excellence in capturing moving moments from behind the camera.  This individual recognition is for the videographer’s artistic talents, therefore team submissions are not eligible for this category.

Who should apply: Videographers and drone videographers

Beauty of the Year

Purpose: This award honors excellence by an individual or team in beauty production for events.  

Who should apply?

• Hair and/or make-up artists, full beauty companies and teams.