Event professionals from across Canada tuned in to watch the Canadian Event Awards July 7, while many others attended smaller viewing parties in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Hosted by Jian and Page Magen in Toronto, and Dustin Westling and Lynn Fletcher in Calgary, this year’s gala was more than a celebration — it was a night filled with powerful stories and an opportunity to reconnect as an industry and get inspired for Canada’s reopening of live events.
The event was live-streamed from bb Blanc studios in Toronto, and the Experience Factory in Calgary, as well as virtually from Casa Loma in Toronto.
The 2021 winners are:
- Best Virtual Event Cooking/Cocktail Demo: MCC Destination Management for the Virtual Brew Master Tour and Tasting
- Outstanding Logistical Achievement: ESP (Event Strategy Partners) Inc. for Can You Do Lunch?
- Best Experience/Gift Box: OneWest Events for TransAlta Agents of Innovation
- Best Event for a Private Individual/Group or Cause: R5 Event Design and Fab Fête Event Planning Boutique for A Tuscan Dinner Party
- Best Virtual Backdrop/Staging Design: bb Blanc for bb Blanc Studio A
- Best Event Video/Filmmaking: Event Imaging for the Virtual Santa Claus Experience
- Best Hybrid Wedding: Lynn Fletcher Weddings for Hybrid Hallelujah
- Best Audio Visual Design for an Event: Quest Audio Visual for Big Data and AI Toronto Virtual Conference 2020
- Best Corporate Event: Cantrav for Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Global and Fifth Element Group for the TRBOT 2020 Annual Dinner
- Best Creative Solution: Bond Brand Loyalty for the Ford Motor Company x MLSE Playoff Parties
- Best Drive-Thru Event Experience: e=mc² Events and the Drive-Thru Grad Joint Venture Collaborative for Drive-Thru Grad 2020
- Best Experiential Marketing Event: Citizen XM for Shoppers Drug Mart: New and So You Pop Up
- Best Virtual Event for a Non-Profit: Hala Inc. for the Ryerson University Faculty of Law Virtual Opening Celebration
- Best Virtual Conference/Convention: TK Events Inc. for Digital 2020: The ISF World Congress
- Best Technical Support for an Event: bb Blanc for Restaurants Canada 2020 RC Show
- Best Virtual Awards Event: Production Canada for the 2020 Director’s Guild of Canada Awards
- Best Virtual Corporate Event: aNd Logistix Inc. and JL Events Group for the Great Canadian Show
- Best Virtual Marketing Event: Tycoon Events for the University of Alberta Open House 2020
- Best Event for a High-Profile Charity: ESP Inc. for Laugh Out Loud Benefitting Trillium Health Partners Foundation
- Best Virtual Event Platform: JUNōO for JUNōO: Immersive Digital Experiences
- Best Event Produced for a Community Based Non-Profit: Edmonton Public Library for the Stanley A. Milner Library Grand Opening
- Best Event Design and Decor: Cantrav and Loungeworks for What’s Your Vancouver? and SITE Global and OneWest Events for GoWest: Breaking Open Conference Breakout Rooms
- Most Creative Floral Design: Bespoke Blossoms for the Painted Rainbow
- Best Wedding: Lynn Fletcher Weddings for A Dance of Love
- The Big Idea of 2020: Event Imaging for the Virtual Santa Claus Experience
- Best Industry Support Initiative: B.C. Meetings and Events Industry Working Group
- Most Outstanding Virtual Event of the Year: Communiqué Event Management for the Mary Kay Seminar at Home 2020
- Most Outstanding of the Year: Cantrav for SITE Global
- Entertainer of the Year: Mega Magic Magician Mike D’Urzo
- Event Industry Volunteer of the Year: Lisa Marks of Brand Alive Inc.
- Event Professional of the Year: Mahoganey Jones of Event Specialists
- Wedding Professional of the Year: Michelle Garber of Fab Fête Event Planning Boutique
This year’s judges represented a diverse cross-section of industry experts. They included Stacy Wyatt, Canadian Special Events; Jordan Benson, EPiQVision; Richard Dasrath, Center Stage AV; Diana Carozza, World Vision Canada; Lynn Fletcher, Lynn Fletcher Weddings; Meghan Hird, JWI Global; Julia O’Grady, ITM Events; Reid Hubick, e=mc² Events; Trish Knox, TK Events; John Macbride, JUNōO; Chad Brincheski, ESP; Keri Miller, e=mc² Events; Candice Tulsieram, 360 Events and the Sustainable Events Forum; Michael Hooper, Bespoke Audio Visual; Evan Babins, C2 International; Sarah Downing, e=mc² Events; Scott McCallister, Seneca College and Anonymous Events; Stefanie Dunn, Decor and More Inc.; Maggie Barton Baird, MB and Co.; Jason Koop, Canadian Special Events; Mia Halabi, Fancy Cookbook and Fancy Food Styling; and Janice Cardinale, Cardinale Creative.
The judging process included four steps: pre-screening to eliminate non-qualified entries; a first-round analysis to determine shortlists; an in-depth evaluation where each entry was critically examined in detail for its calibre and merit; and selection of the winners.
