Celebrating Canada’s events industry, and event professionals.

Today we’re taking a moment to offer a huge congratulations to each of this year’s Canadian Event Industry Awards (CEIA) recipients and nominees. We love to see our industry peers and friends under any circumstances, but it’s especially sweet when we’re together to celebrate our country’s most innovative teams and event professionals for their creativity and achievements. We know how much winning this award means to each of the recipients – Canadian Special Events is known to have one of the most rigorous and challenging event award competitions in North America – and we could not be more proud of each winner.We have to admit that we are especially proud of our own Dustin Westling, CSEP, for taking home this year’s Spirit of the Industry Award! Dustin’s knowledge and leadership are so inspiring to our team, and we’re excited to see him recognized at this level. We were also honoured to be awarded for our work on Midnight in the Park, in partnership with our friends at Westjet.

In case you missed it, following is a full list of all of the nominees and winners at this year’s Awards Gala Dinner & Celebration, held on March 30 at the Paramount Event Space in Toronto, and hosted by byPeterandPauls.com. Send a shout-out to your favourite winners and nominees in the comments!  

EVENT MARKETING AWARDS

1. Best Experiential Marketing Event

BiG Entertainment Inc., Toronto, ON, for Adidas Athletics Lounge

WestJet, Calgary, AB, for WestJet Christmas Miracle: Fort McMurray Strong *WINNER

SDImktg, Toronto, ON, for Rogers Fan Hub at World Cup of Hockey

BC Event Management, Burnaby, BC, for Tsawwassen Mills Launch

Black Chalk Marketing, Toronto, ON, for Spotify Festival Tour

Black Chalk Marketing, Toronto, ON, for Europe VIA Icelandair

2. Best Brand/Product Launch

The Substance Group, Toronto, ON, for Mitchell & Ness Black and Gold Launch Event

BC Event Management, Burnaby, BC, for Tsawwassen Mills Launch

Black Chalk Marketing, Toronto, ON, for Visit California DREAM BIG *WINNER

Black Chalk Marketing, Toronto, ON for Brussels Airlines Canadian Launch *WINNER

3. Best Trade Show/ Exposition

aNd Logistix Inc., Toronto, ON, for Discovery 2016 *WINNER

Ontario Hospital Association, Toronto, ON, for HealthAchieve

4. Best Show Booth/Brand Display or Pavilion

Black Chalk Marketing & Impact XM, Toronto, ON, for The WB Games Tradeshow Booth

BOLD Event Creative, Burnaby, BC, and Go2 Productions, Vancouver, BC, for Mirage Room *WINNER

Ontario Hospital Association, Toronto, ON, for HealthAchieve

DX Design, Quebec, QC, for VIP Booth for a Major Sponsor of a Summer Festival

Dragonfly Meeting Solutions Inc., Thornhill, ON, for The MCAP Tradefair

TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

1. Most Innovative Use of Event Technology

GTA Selfies, Brampton, ON, for Security Education Conference Toronto (SecTor)

MetaVRse, North York, ON, for Timeless 360 Photo Time Machine

Dynamic Mind Inc, Toronto, ON, for The JTI HORECA Event

S4 Entertainment and Audio Visual, Vaughan, ON,  for The BILD Annual Awards Gala *WINNER

SDImktg, Toronto, ON, for The Rogers Fan Hub at World Cup of Hockey

Olga Pankova, Markham, ON, for The DT Floral & Decor and Olga Pankova Open House

2. Best Audio Visual Design for an Event

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto ON, for The 2016 Cures Gala

TKNL, Boucherville, QC, for CS300 Swiss Air Plane Delivery *WINNER

Quest Audio Visual, Toronto, ON, for The Ontario Canadian National Training Conference

bb Blanc Inc., Woodbridge ON, for Cisco Connect Toronto 2016

Dragonfly Meeting Solutions Inc., and Solotech Inc. Thornhill, ON, for The Canadian Leadership Conference

Go2 Productions, Vancouver, BC, for Mirage

3. Best Event Photography

Phot-O-Holic Imagery, Markham, ON, for the SOCO Kitchen + Bar Patio Opening Party

Photos With Finesse, Calgary, AB, for Dragonfly In Action

Photos With Finesse, Calgary, AB, for The CPMA 2016: Learn, Network, Build, Celebrate

J&J Lawrence Photography, Calgary, AB, for Remembrance Day, The Military Museums, Calgary *WINNER

4. Best Technical Support for an Event

e=mc2 events, Toronto, ON,  for The SOCAN Awards

bb Blanc Inc., Woodbridge, ON, for Honda of Canada Manufacturing Holiday Party 2016 *WINNER

Nasco Staffing Solutions, Toronto, ON, for Beyonce: Formation World Tour

5. Best Lighting Design for an Event

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON, The David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala & Concert

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON, for The Cures Gala *WINNER

Orange Frog Productions Inc., and e=mc2 events, Calgary, AB, for Season Of Lights

FOS Decor Center, Toronto, ON, for The Fall Gala at Blue Mountain

MEETING/CONVENTION AWARDS

1. Best Conference

aNd Logistix Inc., Toronto, ON, for Mortgage Professionals Canada National Conference

Fifth Element Group, Toronto ON, for Discoverability Summit – Content in The Age of Abundance

aNd Logistix Inc. Toronto, ON, 24th Annual CCPPP National Conference

Details Convention & Event Management and Travel Alberta, Calgary, AB, for Tourism Works *WINNER

Ontario Hospital Association, Toronto, ON, for HealthAchieve

The Idea Hunter and Moniker Partners, Richmond Hill, ON, for YPO Culture Shock *WINNER

2. Best Multiple Day Incentive or Convention

Pacific Destination Services Inc., Vancouver, BC, for The Global New Partner Program

Rare Indigo, Burnaby, BC, for The 2016 Round Table Convention *WINNER

aNd Logistix Inc., Toronto, ON, for Mortgage Professionals Canada National Conference *WINNER

Cantrav, Vancouver, BC, for The Whistler Education Forum

EVENT PLANNING/ PRODUCTION AWARDS

1. Best Corporate Team Building Event

e=mc2 events, Calgary, AB, for WestJet IGNITE20

Senik Montreal, QC, or Hackathon *WINNER

Hypnotist The Incredible BORIS, Thornhill, ON, for The Canadian Tire PartSource Conference

2. Best Event Produced by an Association, Board or Committee

Managing Matters Inc., Toronto, ON, for ACG Toronto – Capital Connection

Canadian Credit Union Association, Toronto, ON, for The 2016 National Conference for Canada’s Credit Unions: “Framing Our Future”

Calgary Stampede, Calgary, AB, for The 2016 President’s Event

BC Cancer Foundation, Victoria, BC, for The 2016 Jingle Mingle

ILEA Vancouver and MPI BC Chapter, Vancouver, BC, for It’s a Wonderful Life: The ILEA Vancouver and MPI BC Chapter Holiday Event *WINNER

Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, Kamloops, BC, for The Royal Affair

3. Best Public Entertainment Event or Festival

The Food Dudes Inc., and City of Toronto, Toronto, ON, for Summer Series

Curated By M, Toronto, ON, for The Cabbagetown Festival

Town of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill, ON, for The Tastes of the Hill Multicultural Festival

The City of Richmond and Anigraph Productions, Richmond, BC, for The Richmond Maritime Festival

PM GIGS Inc, Calgary, AB, for JUNOfest Calgary ‘16 *WINNER

4. Best Event Produced for a Community Based Charitable Organization

Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, for Night at the Aquarium *WINNER

Engagement Unlimited Events, Vancouver, BC, for The PCMA Convening Leaders Hospitality Helping Hands

Cava Rose, Montreal, QC, for The Valentine’s Day Ball ‘Street Ball’ *WINNER

Croce Creative. Niagara Falls, ON, for The St. Catharines Mayor’s Au Marche

Jennifer James Events, Calgary, AB, for Jamboree

Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Kelowna, BC, for Heart of Gold Gala

Hala Inc. Toronto, ON, for Laugh Out Loud

5. Best Event Produced for a Corporation by 3rd Party Planner

Mandell Entertainment Group , Toronto, ON, for The Klick Town Hall & Holiday Party 2016

Site 6 Events Ltd, Edmonton, AB, for BioWinter Lodge

Cantrav Services Inc., Toronto, ON, for Nissan Club Excellence

BC Event Management, Burnaby, BC, and Centerplate Catering, Vancouver, BC, for The PCMA Opening Reception *WINNER

Curated By M, Toronto, ON, for Toronto Life Magazine’s 50th Anniversary

Loungeworks, Vancouver, BC, for Sin City | Holiday Party

Wexler Events and Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, ON, for Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Women’s College Hospital

6. Best Fundraising Event

Providence Healthcare Foundation, Toronto, ON, for 2016 Silver Ball

Boom Goes The Drum Inc., Calgary, AB, for LOOK2016

BC Cancer Foundation, Vancouver, BC, for 2016 Inspiration Gala

Alison Silcoff Events, Montreal, QC, for The Daffodil Ball

Solutions with Impact, Toronto, ON, for Boat Rally for Kids with Cancer *WINNER

Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Kelowna, BC, for Heart of Gold Gala

Portage, Montreal, QC, for 13th Soiree des Grands Philanthropes – Tribute to Monique Leroux

7. Best Entertainment Production

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON, for The 2016 Cures Gala

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON, for The David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala & Concert *WINNER

Cantrav, Vancouver, BC, for The Cargill President’s Club Gala

8. Best Event Produced for a Corporation by an In-House Team or Planner

Providence Healthcare Foundation, Toronto, ON, for The 2016 Cuisine & Cuvee

WestJet Airlines, Calgary, AB, for Midnight in the Park

Canadian Tire Corporation, Toronto, ON, for Pin Party 2016

Centennial College, Toronto, ON, for Paint the Town Green *WINNER

McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, for Light Up the Night

Economical Insurance, Waterloo, ON, for The 2016 Leadership Summit

9. Best Event for a High Profile Charity

Mandell Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON, for The 2016 Cures Gala

e=mc2 events and Fluid Events, Toronto, ON, for The Teddy Bear Affair *WINNER

Alison Silcoff Events, Montreal, QC, for The Daffodil Ball

e=mc2 events, Vancouver, BC, for The Night of a Thousand Stars Gala

Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR), and Seneca College, Toronto, ON, for Ontario Bloor Street Entertains (BSE)

Solutions with Impact, Toronto, ON, for The Boat Rally for Kids with Cancer

Sensix Communications and Events Inc. and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Montreal, QC, for Light the Night Montreal

10. Outstanding Logistical Achievement

TKNL, Boucherville, QC, for Northern Arena Montreal

WestJet Airlines and FMAV, Calgary, AB, for Midnight in the Park

PDW Inc, North Vancouver, BC, for TEDWomen 2016 Welcome Party

Boom Goes The Drum Inc., Calgary, AB, for Beakerhead Trico Presents: The World of Social Entrepreneurship

Production Canada, Vaughan, ON, for Galaxy – A Night Under the Stars *WINNER

Pacific Destination Services Inc., Vancouver, BC, Dragonfly Meetings, Toronto, ON, and The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, AB, for National Partner’s Meeting Tunnel 9 Welcome Event *WINNER

McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, for MacQuest

PM GIGS Inc, Calgary, AB, for JUNOfest Calgary ’16

DESIGN & DECOR AWARDS

1. Best Event Decor $0 – $30,000

Reflections Weddings and Events, Calgary, AB, for Turner Valley Transformation

RSVP Event Design, Saskatoon, SK, for The Secret Garden

Fifth Element Group, Toronto, ON, for Fairmont’s Hottest Place To Be

BC Cancer Foundation, Vancouver, BC, for The 2016 Hope Couture Fashion Show & Luncheon

aNd Logistix Inc., Toronto, ON, for Decades – The Start of Something Amazing Celebration

R5 Event Design & Management and Fab Fete Event Planning, Toronto, ON, for The Whimsical World of Avatar – Madelyn’s Bat Mitzvah *WINNER

2. Best Event Decor $30,000 – $80,000

OneWest Events Inc., Calgary, AB, for The Legacy Gala *WINNER

Rare Indigo and Christopher J Designs, Burnaby, BC, for Party in the Park

Decor & More Inc., Oakville, ON, e=mc2 events, Calgary, AB, and Orange Frog Productions, Calgary, AB, for Season of Lights

BOLD Event Creative, Burnaby, BC, for Northern Lights

OneWest Events Inc., Calgary, AB, for Midnight in the Park

POP Kollaborative Inc., Calgary, AB, Decor & More Inc., Oakville, ON, and Designing On The Edge, Calgary, AB, for Every ONE Has A Story

Best Event Decor $80,000 +

Decor & More Inc., Oakville, ON, for Let It Snow *WINNER

R5 Event Design & Management, Toronto, ON, for Crystal Dreamscape Wedding

Kim Miyama Events & Artam Design, Toronto, ON, for Ladies Night

DX Design, Quebec, QC, for VIP Lounge for the Major Sponsor of Summer Festival

Best TableScaping

R5 Event Design & Management, and Fab Fete Event Planning, Toronto, ON, for Surreal Romance Photoshoot

POP Kollaborative Inc., Calgary, AB, Decor & More Inc., Oakville, ON, and Designing On The Edge, Calgary, AB, for Every ONE Has A Story *WINNER

Christopher J Design, Vancouver, BC, for Birch & Snow

WEDDING AWARDS

1. Best Wedding Creative

Reflections Weddings and Events, Calgary, AB,  for Trees in Cascade

Art of the Party, Burnaby, BC, for Kulvinder & Aman Wedding

MB Events, Montreal, QC, for The Tulip Wedding

R5 Event Design & Management, and Truly Yours Planning, Toronto, ON, for Crystal Dreamscape Wedding

Kim Miyama Events, and Artam Design, Toronto, ON, for Stephanie & Jerry’s Wedding *WINNER

Christopher J Design, Vancouver, BC, for Love is a Riddle *WINNER

2. Best Wedding Under $75,000

Reflections Weddings and Events, Calgary, AB, for Music in the Mountains *WINNER

RSVP Event Design, Saskatoon, SK, for Ukrainian Chic

Evelyn Clark Weddings, Calgary, AB, for Love in Bloom

Julianne Young Weddings Inc, Calgary, AB, for Gatsby Meets GQ

3. Best Wedding Over $75,000

Lynn Fletcher Weddings, Calgary, AB, for Fearless Love

Jennifer Bergman Weddings, Edmonton, AB, for Winter Wedding Weekend In The Canadian Rockies

Boom Goes The Drum Inc., Calgary, AB, for The Wyne & Godfrey Wedding

Andreanne & Co, Montreal, QC, for Sara & David’s Wedding *WINNER

Can-Indian Food and Hospitality Inc., Etobicoke, ON, Can-Indian-Deepak Wedding

Kim Miyama Events, and Artam Design, Toronto, ON, for Stephanie & Jerry’s Wedding

4. Most Creative Catering Presentation

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, QC, for The 2016 MAC Ball *WINNER

Toque Catering, Victoria, BC, for Farmed & Foraged

Toque Catering, Victoria, BC, for Mung Wedding

5. Best Overall Catered Event

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, QC, The Daffodil Ball

Toque Catering, Victoria, BC for Farmed & Foraged *WINNER

Toque Catering, Victoria, BC, for Mung Wedding

Toque Catering, Victoria, BC, for Lafreniere Wedding

Brightest Star Awards

1. Most Outstanding Event Up to $200,000

Fifth Element Group, Toronto, ON,  for The Addams Family Mansion *WINNER

Cantrav Services Inc., Toronto, ON, for The Nissan Club Excellence *WINNER

Solutions with Impact, Toronto, ON, for The Angels Catwalk for SickKids

Hala Inc., Toronto, ON, for Laugh Out Loud

2. Most Outstanding Event Over $200,000

Senik, Montreal, QC, for Connect Dev™16

Boom Goes The Drum Inc., Calgary, AB, LOOK2016 *WINNER

BC Event Management, Vancouver, BC, and Centerplate Catering, Vancouver, BC, for PCMA’s Opening Reception

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, AB, for SAIT’s 100th Birthday Party

Solutions with Impact, Toronto, ON, for The Rally for Kids with Cancer

Solutions with Impact, Toronto, ON, for The Boat Rally for Kids with Cancer

Total Events, Lachine, QC, for In the V.I.P

3. Wedding Professional of the Year

Arthur Kerekes, Fusion Events *WINNER

4. Caterer of the Year

Brent McClenahan, Lindsay Klein, Adrian Niman, The Food Dudes, Inc., Toronto, ON *WINNER

Armando Arruda, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, QC

5. Entertainer of the Year

Danny Kramer Dance Band, Winnipeg, MB

Olga Pankova, Markham, ON *WINNER

Mega Magic – Magician Mike D’Urzo, Toronto, ON

Hypnotist The Incredible BORIS, Thornhill, ON

6. Event Professional of the Year

Corey Mandell, Mandell Entertainment, Toronto, ON *WINNER

Derek Mcdonald, Boom Goes the Drum, Calgary, AB

Michelle Planche, Paradigm Events, Toronto, ON

Hala Bissada, CFRE, Hala Inc. Toronto, ON

Alex Bickers, SW Audio Visual, Vancouver, BC

7. Emerging Leader Award

Kim Miyama, Kim Miyama Events, Toronto, ON

Amy Martin, OneWest Events Inc. Calgary, AB

Eryne Sarabin, Tycoon Events, Edmonton, AB

Jessica Tkachuk, Boom Goes the Drum, Calgary, AB

Meghan Hird, POP Kollaborative, Calgary, AB *WINNER

Courtney Westwood, Vancouver Rowing Club, Vancouver, BC

Alex Cheng, Boutique Websites Toronto, ON

8. The Stacy Wyatt Spirit of the Industry Award

Alex Bickers, Showtime Audio Visual, Vancouver, BC *WINNER

Dustin Westling, OneWest Events, Calgary, AB *WINNER