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Month: January 2025

All About 2025 Award Submissions

Who’s ready to celebrate all of their wins from 2024?!  I cannot wait to see everyone in March at the Annual Awards Gala to celebrate YOU! But before we completely leave 2024 behind, we want to celebrate the hard work and events that we did so mark your calendars for TUESDAY, March 4th, Venue To Be Announced.

Below is information about our self-nominated awards. We would love for you to submit your incredible events in the categories listed below! 

Here are the categories you’ll see for the self-nominated awards this year:

We’ve streamlined the nomination criteria to simplify the process! Here are the categories and submission form(s) for the 2024 self-nominated awards:

  1. Separate categories for Wedding of the Year based on budget (below $50,000 and over $50,000) so that micro weddings aren’t competing with larger weddings – Wedding of the Year Submission Guidelines
  2. Separate categories for Event Production of the Year based on budget (below $25,000 and over $25,000) for smaller and larger events – Event of the Year Submission Guidelines
  3. Catered Event of the Year! The Catered Event of the Year award recognizes outstanding planning and execution for on-premise and off-premise events that include food and beverage  – Catered Event of the Year Submission Guidelines
  4. Event Photography of the Year! The Event Photography of the Year award recognizes outstanding photography and the photographer’s artistic talents. – Event Photography of the Year.
  5. Event Videography of the Year! The Event Videography of the Year award recognizes outstanding videography and the videographer’s artistic talents. – Event Videography of the Year.
  6. Our new 2024 category is AV production of the Year! This will recognize outstanding execution of audiovisual elements for catered events. – Event Audio/Visual Production of the Year.

**DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: WEDNESDAY, February 12th, 2025 – 5 PM!  Don’t miss your chance to be recognized for your 2024 efforts! 

DFW NACE Members can submit awards for free. Non-member submissions are $50 per award nomination.  There will be ONE award given to the person who actually submits for the award.  Additional trophies can be requested for a fee. 

Questions?  Email: pastpresident@dfwnace.com

Chris Harmon, DFW NACE Past President

January Meeting Recap: Brunch, Networking, and The Transition Blueprint

Friday, January 10, 2025

By Judy Philips, Director of Communications

On January 8, 2025, the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events (DFW NACE) hosted its first SOLD OUT brunch of the year at the Lorenzo Hotel in Dallas. The event kicked off with networking at 11:00 AM, followed by a delicious brunch and an educational session led by Tara Melvin, Founder of Signature Concepts LLC.

Tara’s presentation, “The Transition Blueprint: From Weddings to Corporate Events,” was both insightful and engaging. She fostered an open and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging questions during and after her talk. Tara outlined ten actionable steps to help professionals pivot their businesses toward corporate events. Key takeaways included understanding corporate clients’ needs, refining communication with industry-specific terminology, and building systems tailored to corporate engagements. Attendees left motivated and equipped to expand their services, with our President Lauren Eck, sharing, “Her insights were not only practical but also inspiring, and the feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re grateful to Tara for sharing her expertise and look forward to seeing the impact of her advice within our community.”

A heartfelt thank-you to the incredible sponsors who made the 2025 DFW NACE January brunch a success! The MacMeekens beautifully captured the event through photography, while the Lorenzo Hotel Tapestry Collection by Hilton, provided a stunning venue and exceptional catering. Gardenia Event Decor added elegance with centerpieces of white blooms and vibrant blue accents, and Magnify Coffee Catering delighted guests with a variety of coffee options—my personal favorite being their iced Americano. The audio-visual support did not miss a beat and was provided by Target Productions.

The day also featured a warm welcome from 2025 President Lauren Eck, updates on the upcoming service project with Feed My Starving Children shared by Community Service Chair Vanessa Alston, and the announcement of the 6-pack meeting deal with a happy hour add-on from Co-Directors of Membership, Ashley Scott and Sir J Starks.

Additionally, Chris Harmon, CPCE (The Honorable) Past President, announced the save-the-date for the highly anticipated March 4th (Fat Tuesday) Award Gala. He also reminded members that self-nominated awards will open on Monday, January 13—look out for more details in the upcoming email!

The event concluded with a raffle, where our very own NACE member, Cindy Ray, won two prizes! Congratulations, Cindy—what a great way to start the new year!

Special thanks to Al DeBerry, Managing Director at the Lorenzo Hotel, for generously gifting two copies of his latest book, “The Life of a Hotelier: The GM Years – Stories Behind the Scenes and Life Lessons Along the Way.”

DFW NACE continues to offer valuable networking and educational opportunities. We can’t wait to see you in February!

View More Photos Here: January Meeting on Facebook