Each fall, the International Special Events Society’s (ISES) Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter solicits entries for its Minnesota Star Awards in 18 categories. The organization recognizes excellence in event design and decor, catering, photography and videography, event planning and logistics, and much more. With the exception of the ISES Team Effort category, ISES membership is not a requirement for entry; submissions are accepted from anyone who plans, produces, or supplies to the Minnesota special events industry.
For 2007, all entries conforming to the ISES rules were submitted to the law firm of McClay-Alton in St. Paul, which ensured that basic entry requirements were met.
McClay-Alton sent qualifying entries to the ISES New England Chapter for judging. The three entries that received the highest total point score in a category are the nominees, and the nominee that received the top score was declared the winner. Entries must meet a minimum score requirement and fulfill all of the entry criteria to be nominated.
McClay-Alton received the judged entries and notified the ISES planning committee of the nominees. The names of the winners remain sealed, known only to the law firm and supplied only to the company embossing the award trophies, before the ISES awards gala. These steps ensure the fairness and accuracy of the judging process for the ISES Minnesota Star Awards.
This year, Twin Cities Business is highlighting ISES’s winning events for the first time. Read on to see which local companies and events were judged the best!
A Wicked Affair
Best Event Design and Decor: Budget $10,001–$25,000 and Best Social Event Planning: Budget $40,001+
Launch 2006
Best Use of Marketing/Graphic Design and Best Corporate or Nonprofit Event Planning: Budget $100,001+
