Congratulations 2013 ISES MSP Winners

CONGRATULATIONS all entrants, nominees & winners!

Best On-Premise Catered Event - Building Bridges
A unique opportunity was presented to guests: utilize food and beverage as a way to break the ice with fellow international colleagues in order to ultimately gain a broader understanding and appreciation of the incredible diversity the company offers…all while enjoying savories, sweets and sips from around the globe
Christie Altendorf, Bon Appetit Management Company

Best Off-Premise Catered Event - Play Maker’s Ball
Last June, the Minnesota Children’s Museum (MCM) hosted the Play Maker’s Ball, a fundraiser benefiting the Access Program, which provides museum admissions/free memberships to low-income and foster care families. At this adults-only event, guests were encouraged to become “play makers” by enjoying hands-on activities and festive food and beverage.
Bonnie Toppin, Common Roots Catering

Best Specialty Item - Shots & Ladders
Space saving ladders holding a variety of delicious and trendy small plates along with specific beverage pairings? Brilliant!
Lisa Brenna, Mintahoe Catering & Eve

Best Menu Innovation - Camrose Hill Farm Wedding
The Wedding took place at the beautiful Camrose Hill Farm, located in Stillwater MN. Celebrity planners had clients from Santa Barbara that wanted to experience a farm wedding in MN. Food was important to the couple and wanted it rustic. The planner mentioned that the bride to be works with Food Network Star Kat Cora. We were up for the challenge!
Brian Rubenzer, Lettuce Cater

Best Wedding Photography - Vintage Farm Wedding
A down to earth wedding with a touch of vintage frill.
Katrina Hannemann, Studio Laguna Photography

Best Non-Wedding Photography - Tour de Cure
We volunteered to document a charity bike tour that helps raise money for diabetes research. We provided photography coverage for our client, allowing them the ability to show future fundraisers all possibilities of this huge event. This bike tour covers 141 miles through multiple cities in Minnesota, raising about $900,000 for diabetes research.
Amy Coppersmith, Coppersmith Photography

Best Use of Marketing/Graphic Design - Bobby & Stephen’s Wedding
Bobby and Stephen planned a chic, luxe wedding in Beverly Hills. They wanted paper goods to convey the modern, formal feel but also wanted to feature their personalities, sense of style and iconic California elements. A white and silver color palette, graphic laser cut sleeve and striking font combination fit the bill perfectly.
Sarah Glad, A Milestone Paper Co.

Best Technical Production - Virtual Member Meeting
Against the backdrop of Milwaukee’s Miller Park on a warm May night, 1,323 members experienced the heart and soul of its organization. In addition to the meeting, remote attendees viewed virtual-only content. An interview-style “pre-game show” and a “post-game” Q&A with execs amplified organizational affinity resulting in a 196% increase in sales.
Stephanie Pfeilsticker

Best Logistics - Great Girl Gathering
Two days. One historic event. The Great Girl Gathering celebrated the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts at the Mall of America with 140,000 participants. Fifteen concurrent events showcased Girl Scout programs, confetti cannons decorated a flash-mob of girls and China Anne McClain rocked the rotunda.
Colleen Healy, Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys

Best Rental Support (non-tenting) - Geared To Win
We did a week-long rally event for this client. The goal of this night in particular was to gather employees from all the varying departments and get them to do a team building activity. The client wanted us to create an experience that was both incredibly fun but also gave people and opportunity to interact with one another.
Ryan Kettenacker, Festivities

Best Tent Installation - VIP Venue Creation
Ultimate Events provided custom tenting services for a high-end VIP area providing pre-event hospitality to guests. This multi-faceted equipment installation project required custom installation of tenting, flooring, carpeting, ramping, graphics, lighting, interior décor, linens, table top items as well as food service equipment.
Tim Smith - Ultimate Events

Best Table Top Installation - East Meets West Wedding
This was a very unusual job in that my clients, who are very spiritual people, had gone to India and had a Hindu ceremony there on a mountaintop witnessed mostly by Hindu priests. Now their wish was to recreate the feeling and some of the visuals of that ceremony here in Minnesota to share with their family and friends culminating in a reception.
Russell Toscano, Wisteria Design Studio Ltd.

Best Use of Floral - Hilton 20th Anniversary
A local hotel was celebrating their milestone anniversary of 20 years and wanted to throw an event for their special clients. A color palette of blue and yellow made for a beautiful and upscale atmosphere for all attendees. Floral was one of the key decorating components of the evening as it was used throughout the room.
Teddi Sellick, Event Lab

Best Creative Solution - Tubman Annual Gala
In order to create a more intimate feel inside the mammoth Metrodome, a unique fabric grid was created for the dining tables. This required over 800 yards of silk fabric that had to be cut and sewn to length.
Pete Nelson, Event Lab

Best Event Design & Décor (budget under $25,000) - Hilton 20th Anniversary
A local hotel was celebrating their milestone anniversary of 20 years. We were called upon to transform their ballroom into an upscale yet whimsical atmosphere where their special guests could be treated to a one-of-a-kind celebration. This was to be an evening where past, present and future clients could enjoy cocktails and food stations.
Jack Noble, Event Lab

Best Event Design & Décor (budget $25,000 and over) - Bavarian-Chic Oktoberfest
German maidens and an accordion player led guests across the street to this Oktoberfest inspired event. Two branded bars met guests as they entered. Intricate chalk art with beer steins, sausages and everything German sprawled across the walls. Faux mounted animal heads, a rustic antler chandelier and two large imaged fireplaces highlighted the décor.
Elizabeth Plaetz and Lori Catherine, Alexander Designs
Jennifer Warner, Event Lab

Best Entertainment Production - Night of Possibilities
At National Charter School's welcome party anything was possible! 1500 guests explored and met fascinating musicians, dancers, fortune tellers & our special “Possibility” magicians. The performers soon "discovered" that the guests had amazing abilities. Guests even got to perform in the spectacular magical finale! Truly a Night of Possibilities.
Kevin Hall, Halls of Entertainment

Best Wedding
Love on the Lake
The theme for the wedding was "love on the lake" - a little nautical, a little Italy, a little “Twilight “ and a lot of love! Taking place at the couple’s property on Lake Minnetonka, we had just over 90 days to plan and execute a dream wedding that featured an ethereal ceremony, delicious Italian-inspired food, great music and fireworks.
Gretchen Culver
Rocket Science Weddings & Events

Best Social Event (non-wedding) - Summer Spectacular
This lakeside celebration for friends, family, clients and neighbors takes "Backyard BBQ" to new heights. Growing from 50 in 2008, this year over 1,000 guests of all ages ate, drank, danced and played leading up to a dazzling fireworks display shimmering off the lake in the sky above
Susan Diamond, CSEP, Jigsaw Unlimited
Tim Smith, Ultimate Events
Erv Haman, RES Specialty Pyrotechnics

Best Non-Profit Event - Dawn of a Dream
This spectacular fundraising event attracted 900 guests and included pre-dinner activities followed by dinner, program, live auction, fund a need campaign and a live band. It was an emotional and educational event that raised over $1.2 million. This annual gala was planned by 40 volunteers and staff who worked 9 months to create this amazing event.
Emily Siebold, Children’s Cancer Research Fund

Best Corporate Event - Virtual Member Meeting
Against the backdrop of Milwaukee’s Miller Park on a warm May night, 1,323 members experienced the heart and soul of its organization. In addition to the meeting, remote attendees viewed virtual-only content. An interview-style “pre-game show” and a “post-game” Q&A with execs amplified organizational affinity resulting in a 196% increase in sales
Stephanie Pfeilsticker, Thrivent Financial

Best Public Event - The SPAMtastic Grand Opening
Over 8,000 people attended the SPAMTASTIC™ Grand Opening Expansion Celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the SPAM® brand. For two days, activities included SPAM games and crafts, tours of the client’s corporate office expansion, SPAM burgers and food trucks, local entertainment and an amazing performance by Motown legends, the Temptations
Char Mason and Cookie Coleman, Coleman Mason Events
Andrea Bach, Apres Party & Tent Rental

Best ISES Team Effort - Love on the Lake
The theme for the wedding was "love on the lake" - a little nautical, a little Italy, a little “Twilight “ and a lot of love! Taking place at the couple’s property on Lake Minnetonka, our team had just over 90 days to plan and execute a dream wedding that featured an ethereal ceremony, delicious Italian-inspired food, great music and fireworks.
Gretchen Culver, Rocket Science Weddings & Events
Allison Munsell, Ultimate Events
Raed Kakish, Indulge & Bloom
Andrew Nygaard, AV for You
Robin Guerrero, D’Amico

Volunteer of the Year
Susan Diamond, CSEP, Jigsaw Unlimited

Partner of the Year
Heroic Productions