2026 BEST ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
Official Rules and Regulations
SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY:
August 6th, 2026 by 11:59 pm
WHAT ARE THE ARIZONA NACEy AWARDS:
The awards are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts, performance and outstanding contributions of NACE members and future members in the special events industry. Winners will be recognized at our Awards Gala on Sunday, September 20th, 2026.
WHO CAN ENTER:
Any NACE member or future NACE Member.
WHO JUDGES THE AWARDS:
In order to maintain fairness in the judging, the awards are submitted anonymously. They are judged by a NACE Chapter with no affiliations to our Phoenix Chapter. Scores are returned to Phoenix NACE and totaled to determine winners in each award category.
HOW DO I ENTER:
All entries are submitted through the Phoenix NACE website. Be sure to follow all of the rules and submit your entry by the noted deadline. All entries must be for events that occurred between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
AWARDS SUBMISSION RULES:
Follow the step-by-step instructions and category-specific guidelines for your entry to be valid. The event must be from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. The event entry cannot be from other organizations in the same industry. Please complete all fields, including collateral attachments, and must not include the company name, website or logo to keep anonymity and remove any judging bias.
WHAT IS THE COST:
Submission fees:
$100.00 for members *email joann@aproposcreations.com for your $50.00 discount code
$150.00 for future members.
WHO DO I REACH OUT TO IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?
You can reach out to Joy Edwards, our Awards Committee Co- Chair at joy@aproposcreations.com
WHO CAN ENTER:
Open to professionals and companies who design and deliver live entertainment experiences for events. This includes:
Entertainment agencies and booking managers
DJs, bands, solo musicians, and live performers
Specialty acts, cultural entertainers, and performance artists
Choreographers and production coordinators
AV and staging companies supporting entertainment design
If your entertainment brought the energy and left guests raving, this is your spotlight!
Best Entertainment Production (100 Points Total)
The Best Entertainment Production of the Year award recognizes outstanding achievement in entertainment concepts and execution for events. This includes DJs, live musicians, emcees, performers, interactive acts, and entertainment management companies who elevate the guest experience. Please do not include individual names in your submission. Title the award submission based on the event or theme.
Overview: (30 Points Each)
- Entertainment Overview, Client Goals & Objectives (30 points) Describe the overall event and the entertainment services provided. What were the client’s goals related to entertainment? What were your service objectives, and how did you accomplish them? Up to 500- 1000 word limit
- Entertainment Planning & Production Process (30 points) What was the degree of difficulty in planning and executing the entertainment? Describe your management process from development through pre-production, production, and post-production. Include how coordination, logistics, and execution were managed throughout. Up to 500 - 1000 word limit
WOW Factor: (20 Points)
- WOW Factors – Impact & Production Complexity (20 points) How did the entertainment enhance or support the overall event theme and guest experience? Rate and describe the level of complexity in executing the entertainment production, including timing, coordination, special effects, talent management, and technical needs. Up to 500- 1000 word limit
Materials (20 points) – all materials must be submitted to receive full credit for this portion of the submission
- Upload entertainment run-of-show or performance schedule.
- Upload 1- 4 visual references (e.g., set lists, playlists, stage designs, artist renderings).
- Upload 5–6 high-quality photos that showcase the scope and execution of the event (e.g., branding elements, stage design, guest experience, food & beverage presentation, activations).
- Optionally, submit one video segment. Must be a maximum of two minutes in length and must be submitted through a link such as Vimeo or YouTube.
