CHICAGO — The Gala Awards, presented by Los Angeles’ Special Events magazine, were recently handed out in Chicago and several Canadians were among those honoured at the ceremony that celebrates the best in special events.
Among the winners, was the outside catering service of Montreal’s Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth — Re Le Traiteur, which won Best Catered Event (Produced by a Hotel Banquet Department) for its work at the 2012 Daffodil Ball. The fundraising gala for the Canadian Cancer Society featured a creative menu with an Alice in Wonderland theme. “Catering for the Daffodil Ball is always an unbelievable opportunity to work with the best and most creative minds in catering to make the event truly memorable,” said Armando Arruda, director, Outside Catering, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. “The team at Re Le Traiteur is thrilled to win this prestigious award.” Chefs Alain Pignard and Marc Lintanf created an Alice-in-Wonderland themed menu that included Bee-yoo-tiful Soup comprised of rabbit consommé served from silver teapots accompanied by puff pastry; Pocket Watches, which were shellfish in a “pool of tears”; Humpty Dumpty Eggs, which featured 2,100 eggshells with different fillings; and a dessert replicating a breakfast special with sunny-side-up eggs and bacon.
Other Canadian winners included Calgary’s Pop Kollaborative (Best Achievement in Technical Support); Markham, Ont.’s 5th Element Events (Best Decor, budget under $50,000), and Leslee Bell, founder and partner at Oakville, Ont.-based Decor & More Inc. (Lifetime Achievement Award).
Founded in 1986, The Gala Awards recognize the finest work in the special-events segment. This year 300 entries were made in 34 categories from more than 12 countries.
