Sammy's Awarded "Best Onsite Caterer" at CCA 2011
CLEVELAND – Event Expo and the COSE Small Business Conference garnered honors as the top events
of 2010 Wednesday night at the fourth-annual Connectors Choice Awards (CCA) celebration at the House
of Blues Cleveland.
Event Expo, produced last April 29 by Event Source and Team Promotions, won the best networking event
category for the third consecutive year. In addition, Event Source was named the top event rental
company for the third straight year.
The Small Business Conference, hosted Oct. 20-21 by the Council of Smaller Enterprises, was named the
best corporate event for the first time.
Two other 2010 events grabbed CCA honors Wednesday night: the 15th annual Links for Life golf outing
hosted by the Suicide Prevention Education Alliance and the first-ever Rainbow Jumper Challenge
fundraiser, sponsored by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital Circle of Friends.
GhostLight Productions CEO Deborah Smythe Hermann was named the best event planner while, in the
new category of rising star, Alicia Hansen of the Arthritis Foundation's Northeastern Ohio Chapter took
home top honors. Earning best speaker honors was Katherine Miracle of Miracle Resources.
Nineteen categories — all specific to the local event-planning industry and networking community — were
recognized by the CCA, the annual awards program hosted by Cleveland Business Connects (CBC)
magazine. The general public determined the winners by casting a record 3,762 online ballots between
mid-December and mid-January. Prior to that a judging panel comprised of three prominent industry
representatives had pared an original list of reader-recommended nominees to three per category.
Approximately 400 business professionals attended the CCA ceremony, which was sponsored by CBC, the
Cleveland Indians, Champagne Entertainment, Don Bensman Photography, Jones Printing, Signs PDQ, and
the House of Blues Cleveland.
The complete list of 2011 CCA winners:
- BEST PROMOTIONAL/CORPORATE GIFT COMPANY
Gino's Awards
- BEST NONPROFIT FUNDRAISER
First Annual Rainbow Jumper Challenge (University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital Circle
of Friends)
- BEST CORPORATE GOLF OUTING
15th Annual Links for Life Tournament (Suicide Prevention Education Alliance)
- BEST TRADESHOW COMPANY
Ohio Displays Inc. (ODI)
- BEST TECHNICAL SUPPORT COMPANY
Rock The House (RTH) Entertainment Group
- BEST EVENT RENTAL COMPANY
Event Source
- BEST ONSITE CATERER
Sammy's
- BEST OFFSITE CATERER
Executive Caterers
- BEST FLORAL DESIGN COMPANY
Blooms by Plantscaping
- BEST DESTINATION
Sawmill Creek Resort
- BEST TRADITIONAL VENUE
Wyndham Cleveland at PlayhouseSquare
- BEST NONTRADITIONAL VENUE
House of Blues Cleveland
- BEST SPEAKER/MEETING FACILITATOR
Katherine Miracle (Miracle Resources)
- BEST NETWORKING ORGANIZATION
Sales and Marketing Executives (SME) of Cleveland
- BEST WOMEN'S NETWORKING ORGANIZATION
Ladies Who Launch Cleveland/Akron
- BEST NETWORKING EVENT
Event Expo 2010 (Event Source, Team Promotions)
- RISING STAR
Alicia Hansen (Arthritis Foundation's Northeastern Ohio Chapter)
- BEST CORPORATE EVENT PLANNER
Deborah Smythe Hermann (GhostLight Productions)
- CORPORATE EVENT OF THE YEAR
COSE Small Business Conference (Council of Smaller Enterprises)
See other Sammy's awards and recognition.
