2026 BEST INNOVATIVE CATERED EVENT
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:
This category is open to culinary professionals and teams that deliver exceptional and inventive catering experiences. Eligible entrants include:
Caterers and catering companies
Executive chefs and culinary directors
Food and beverage managers
Restaurants that provide off-site or custom catering
Hotels or resorts with in-house catering teams
Event venues with dedicated catering departments
Institutions (corporate, cultural, or educational) with internal culinary teams
If your team created a unique, forward-thinking food and beverage experience, this is your category!
Best Innovative Catered Event (100 Points Total)
The Innovative Catered Event of the Year award recognizes outstanding planning and execution for on-premise and off-premise events.
Overview: (30 Points Each)
- Event Overview & Objectives (30 points) Describe the overall event and the services you provided.What were the client’s goals for the event? What were your own objectives for delivering your services, and how were those objectives achieved? Up to 500-1000 word limit
- Event Management & Production Process (30 points) Describe your production management process. Include each phase of event management: development, pre-production, production, and post-production. Explain how each phase contributed to the successful execution of the event. Up to 500-1000 word limit
WOW Factors: (20 Points)
- Venue & Culinary Experience (20 points) Describe the venue or event site, including location and any unique challenges it presented. How did the menu coordinate with the event theme? Describe the food and beverage experience in terms of color, texture, flavor, and presentation, and explain how it supported the overall theme. 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 timeline including the day of the event timeline.
- Upload the budget 5-6 high quality photos of the event to show your work. Examples include food displays, beverage displays, menu items, floor plan/diagram, room shots, table presentations, décor, print materials, invitations, marketing materials.
- 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.
