2026 BEST EVENT COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
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:
Any team of two or more companies or professionals who partnered to produce a standout event may enter.
Event planners, designers, and coordinators
Caterers, florists, entertainers, tech teams, venues, and more
Members and future members of NACE are welcome
Submitting company must identify all collaborators and their NACE membership status
If your event succeeded because of true collaboration and teamwork, showcase it here!
Best Event Collaboration of the Year (100 Points Total)
The Best Event Collaboration of the Year award recognizes an outstanding team effort by multiple companies working together to create a successful event. One award will be presented per team submission. Additional trophies may be purchased for $100 each. Please do not include individual names in your submission. Title the award submission based on the event or collaboration name.
Collaborative Team: (0 Points)
- Please list the submitting company and primary contact person, along with all collaborative team members and their respective companies. For each individual and company listed, indicate whether they are a current NACE member or a future member.
Overview: (30 Points Each)
- Event Overview & Purpose (30 Points) Provide an overview of the event, including the client's vision, goals, and desired outcomes. Describe the scope of the event and the services provided by each collaborative team member. Explain how the team worked together throughout the planning process to align on objectives and deliver a successful event experience. Include: brief description of the event, client goals and objectives, services and responsibilities of each team member, and how the collaborative team aligned to meet those objectives. Up to 500-1000 word limit
- Collaboration & Execution (30 Points) Describe how the team coordinated development, pre-production, production, and post-production. Highlight any challenges encountered throughout the process and explain how they were resolved through communication, creativity, and collaboration. Include: planning and production workflow, communication and decision-making processes, challenges faced, solutions implemented, post-event collaboration and wrap-up. Up to 500-1000 word limit
WOW Factor: (20 Points)
- WOW Factor & Guest Impact (20 Points) What elements made this event memorable and exceptional? Describe how the collaborative team brought the event to life through innovative design, entertainment, technical production, catering, or other creative components. Explain what stood out most to the client and guests and how the team's collective efforts elevated the overall experience and final outcome. Include: design and creative highlights, guest experience enhancements, innovative solutions or unexpected touches, client and guest reactions, and the lasting impact of the collaboration. 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 the overall event plan and timeline.
- Upload 1-3 design boards, renderings, or floor plans from contributing vendors.
- Upload 5–6 high-quality photos representing the full team’s work.
- 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.
