SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE!
Mark your calendars for March 26th at Axis Pioneer Square for the award event of the season. Call for entries is now
open for submission.What is the deadline to enter? Friday, February 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
Late entry deadline allows you to enter one week later, by Friday, February 14, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
How much does it cost to enter? For the regular entry deadline: $100 for ILEA Members, $125 for non-members. Due by 5:00 PM on Friday, February 7, 2020. LATE ENTRY: $125 for ILEA Members, $175 for non-members if received by 5:00 PM on Friday, February 14, 2020.
Nominees will be announced on March 2, 2020. Read the
Submission Guidelines and FAQ here.
Being an Emerald City Applause Award recipient provides the distinct competitive advantage to present your award-winning event or program to customers, potential clients, vendors and colleagues. The award reminds your industry peers of your team's hard work, creativity, uniqueness, accomplishments and industry expertise.
The Emerald City Applause Awards (ECAAs) were developed to acknowledge and honor Washington event industry professionals and their finest examples of creativity, planning, strategic management, resourcefulness and successful event solutions throughout the year. The awards offer multiple categories that represent the different disciplines within the event industry.
Here are this year's catergories.
Best Industry Innovation
This category honors individuals or companies that have developed a new idea, product or process that further elevates the event industry. The innovation could be a new technology, method, device, a product, service or service ware item that increased the success of a singular event or events industry as a whole.
Best Creative Solution
This category honors individuals or companies that have met and overcome significant and/or unique challenges such as unusual or difficult client demands/requests, locations, logistics and/or time frames in the planning and production of an event. Please Note: Limited budgets do not qualify as an award-worthychallenge.
Best Catered Event
This award honors excellence and creativity in the use of food and/or beverage at an event through culinaryplanning, preparation, execution and/or presentation. No weight will be given to the size or scope of the event. The event merit will be equally based on culinary and service excellence and creativity.
Best Live Event Entertainment
This category recognizes the use of live entertainment, performance, or presentation to enhance and contribute to the overall theme and vision of an event. Examples of entrants include speakers, musicians, auctioneers, masters of ceremonies, interactive entertainment, and performers. This award honors excellence in any of the following categories: stage presence, showmanship, technique and skills, uniqueness, artistry, creativity, and/or audience engagement.
Best Designed Event
This category honors excellence in a cohesive event design to achieve the goals of the event. Design/Décor elements includes, but are not limited to; theme décor, linen selection, props, and scenery and/or displaydesign, floral design and balloon artistry.
Best Event Support Services
This category honors excellence in event support services. Eligible entrants include but are not limited to, component of the event such as tenting, transportation, rentals, linens, furniture and/or other support services.
Best Technical Production
This category honors excellence in special event technical production, design or execution services. Eligible itemsinclude, but are not limited to, audio visual, multi-media, sound, lighting, special effects, video mapping, staging andrigging.
Best Meeting/Conference
Entrants in this category should display excellence in the area of meetings and conferences, such as educational or information sharing gatherings for shared interest groups, industries, universities, societies, corporations, or non-profits. Eligible entrants include event planning professionals, producers, vendors, facilitiesor venues.
Best Public Event
This category honors excellence in planning and implementing events that are attended by the general public. Events in this category may include, but are not limited to, street fairs, festivals, tradeshows, concerts, and sporting events.
Best Photography
This category honors excellence in event photography by capturing the essence of the event through visual medium – photography. Award worthy submissions exhibit excellence in any of the following categories: impact, creativity, style, composition, print presentation, center of interest, lighting, subject matter, technical excellence or storytelling.
Multimedia Collateral (REQUIRED FOR THIS CATEGORY):
- Consists of content that captures the essence of the event and helps tell the story of the event to the judges.
- File may not exceed 25 Mb
**Special instructions: For this category, entries are allowed to reveal client/company name, and utilize event and organizational name and branding. This is not a requirement of entry. Client/company approval is the responsibility of the entrant and should be arranged in advance of entry submission.
Best Videography
This category honors excellence in event videography by capturing the essence of the event through visual medium – videography, live event streaming, for event experience or post-event. Award worthy submissions exhibit excellence in any of the following categories: impact, creativity, style, composition, center of interest, lighting, subject matter, technical excellence or storytelling.
Multimedia Collateral (REQUIRED FOR THIS CATEGORY):
- Consists of content that captures the essence of the event and helps tell the story of the event to the judges.
- Collateral must be uploaded as a video file or PowerPoint presentati This upload is required for Best
- Event Filmmaking Entries.
- Accepted file types include: .mov, .wmv, pp
- File may not exceed 25 Mb
- Limit: 1, no longer than 10-minute video/PowerPoint File per entry.
Note: Video files must be presented in .MOV format and of a reasonable file size
**Special instructions: For this category, entries are allowed to reveal client/company name, and utilize event and organizational name and branding. This is not a requirement of entry. Client/company approval is the responsibility of the entrant and should be arranged in advance of entry submission.
Best Event Marketing
This award honors creativity and effectiveness in event marketing and its strategy and design. Entries will be judged on the creative use of event and (where appropriate) organizational brands, and success of strategies used to promote an event, which may include: Design/packaging elements include brand, promotional collateral, or web presence. Implementation and cohesiveness of the marketing strategy, which may include but is not limited to, the use of advertising, social media, online and/or experiential marketing.
MARKETING CONCEPT: Describe the marketing strategy including all creative elements. Explain how the collateral is integrated into the overall event.
**Special instructions: For this category, entries are allowed to reveal client/company name, and utilize event and organizational name and branding. This is not a requirement of entry. Client/company approval is the responsibility of the entrant and should be arranged in advance of entry submission.
**NOTE: It is assumed all client approvals needed for event and organizational branding elements included in selected marketing images have been pre-arranged by entrant in advance of submission.
Best Team Effort
This award recognizes a team effort for an entire event or portion of an event. This category requires three or more companies/organizations and at least one ILEA member to be eligible. The team leader is responsible for the entry submission and full payment. Please note: In this entry, the participants must be only referred to as caterer, decorator, florist, etc. (or similar descriptions that eliminate specific names).
MEMBER PARTICIPATION: Each team member (including the Primary Entrant) should write a description of theirrole and contribution to the success of the event.
SUCCESS: The Primary Entrant should explain how the team worked together to accomplish the client’s goals and objectives for the event.
BUDGET SPECIFIC: These categories require you to choose a budget level and to upload the supporting budget documentation. For these categories, a budget MUST be uploaded, or the entry will be disqualified.
Best Non-Profit Event
This category honors excellence in non-profit eventsThis category may include fundraising events such as galas, auctions, luncheons/breakfasts or runs/walks. Other events planned for non-profits such as donor cultivation/stewardship events, visibility or milestone events (such as campaign events, kick-offs, or anniversaries) are also eligible.
-Budget under $50,000
-Budget over $50,000
Best Social Event (Non-Wedding)
This category honors excellence in social event planning. Eligible entrants include social event planningprofessionals and other entities that provide these types of social event planning services. Events in this category include, but are not limited to, bar/bat mitzvahs, personal celebrations, holiday parties, Milestonebirthdays i.e. Sweet 16, 40, 50 etc. Please note: Weddings are not eligible in this category; see Best WeddingCategory.
-Budget under $50,000
-Budget over $50,000
Best Corporate Event
This category honors excellence in corporate event planning. Eligible entrants include corporate event planningprofessionals, facility or venue managers, producers and managers of events for corporations. Events in thiscategory may include, but are not limited to, company celebrations, employee or client appreciation events, grand openings, product launches, training sessions, sales events.
-Budget under $50,000
-Budget over $50,000
Best Wedding Event
This category honors excellence in weddings and wedding related events. Eligible entrants include wedding planners, catering sales manages, venue managers. Submissions in this category should have a major role in the final outcome of the event. Events in this category are limited to weddings related events only.
-Budget under $50,000
-Budget over $50,000
2019 ECAA Winners:
Foodz Catering - Best Catered Event
Microsoft - Best Corporate Event Budget Over $50,000
Alexander Party Rentals - Best Creative Solution
Tolo Events LLC. - Best Designed Event
Sunny Umbrella Design Co. - Best Event Marketing
CORT Party Rental - Best Event Support Services
Tentwood Events - Best Industry Innovation
Animate Objects - Best Live Event Entertainment
Microsoft - Best Meeting/Conference
XPL - Best Non-Profit Event Budget Over $50,000
GFS Events - Best Non-Profit Event Budget Under $50,000
Be Good Event Photography - Best Photography
GFS Events - Best Public Event
XPL - Best Team Effort
June Films - Best Videography
Perfectly Posh Events - Best Wedding Event Budget Under $50,000
Melissa Jurcan, CSEP - Hall of Fame