Cater+Event Gala Awards
Showcase your extraordinary talent and gain recognition for the creativity and excellence redefining the industry.
Two celebrated awards programs. One new stage for industry excellence.
The Cater+Event Gala Awards bring together the legacy of the Achievement in Catering Excellence (ACE) Awards and the Special Events Gala Awards to recognize the extraordinary talent, creativity, and innovation shaping the catering and events industry.
Whether you created an unforgettable catered experience, transformed a space through exceptional design, produced a spectacular corporate event, delivered an extraordinary wedding or brought an ambitious creative vision to life, this is your opportunity to have your work recognized by the industry.
Your best work deserves its moment.
Who Can Enter?
The Cater+Event Gala Awards celebrate outstanding work across catering, events, design, décor, entertainment and more.
Eligible entries must feature work or events that took place between: September 1, 2025 – October 31, 2026
Choose the category that best represents the work you’re most proud of and tell us why it deserves to be recognized.
2027 Award Categories
Corporate & Association Events
- Best Event for a Corporation or Association Over $150K
- Best Event for a Corporation or Association Under $149K
- Best Multiple-Day Event for a Corporation or Association
Fundraising & Nonprofit Events
- Best Fundraising or Nonprofit Event Over $150K
- Best Fundraising or Nonprofit Event Under $149K
- Best Catered Fundraising or Nonprofit Event
Catering
- Best Off-Premise Catering
- Best On-Premise Catering
- Outstanding Caterer of the Year
Weddings
- Best Wedding Over $150K
- Best Wedding Under $149K
- Best Catered Wedding
Social Events
- Best Social Event Over $150K
- Best Social Event Under $149K
- Best Catered Social Event
Design, Décor & Entertainment
- Designer of the Year
- Total Décor
- Best Entertainment
Specialty Awards
- Most Outstanding Spectacle, Fair, or Festival
- The Green Award
Entry Deadlines & Pricing
Don’t wait to put your best work forward. Enter by the regular deadline to receive the best submission rate.
Regular Submission $125 per entry
Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026
Entries must be received by 6 p.m. Central Time / 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
Late-Bird Submission $175 per entry
Deadline: Friday, November 27, 2026
Entries must be received by 6 p.m. Central Time / 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
Joint Entries $225
Joint entries recognize work submitted collaboratively by participating companies.
Recognition Takes the Stage in New Orleans
Recipients of the Cater+Event Gala Awards will be celebrated during Cater+Event 2027, March 22–25, 2027, in New Orleans.
This isn’t simply about taking home an award. It’s an opportunity to have your work—and the people behind it—recognized alongside outstanding professionals from across the catering and events industry.
Put your best work in front of the industry and become part of the first class of honorees in this new era of the Cater+Event Gala Awards.
Regular Entry Deadline: October 31, 2026
Recipient Attendance Requirement
All award recipients are required to be present at the Cater+Event Gala Awards ceremony during Cater+Event 2027 in New Orleans. Recipients will be notified 6–8 weeks prior to the ceremony, providing time to make travel arrangements. If a selected company is unable to attend the awards ceremony, an alternate recipient will be chosen.
Is This Your Year?
Think about the work your team has created over the past year. The event that exceeded every expectation. The menu guests are still talking about. The design that completely transformed a space. The wedding that became something extraordinary. The creative idea no one had seen before.
Which one deserves to be recognized?
Put your best work in front of the industry and become part of the first class of honorees in this new era of the Cater+Event Gala Awards.
Regular Entry Deadline: October 31, 2026