BizBash has announced the event and meeting professionals who have been named as finalists in our Boston Readers’ Choice Awards. This group of nominees across nine categories—including Association/Nonprofit Event Planner of the Year, Caterer of the Year, Corporate Planner of the Year, Event Designer of the Year, and Venue Manager of the Year—was endorsed by industry peers in a call for nominations that recognize individual contributions to the Boston event and meeting industry.
Voting closes on Monday, November 7, at 11:59 p.m., and the winners will be announced during the award presentation at the BizBash Boston Expo & Awards at Fenway Park on Thursday, November 10.
And the finalists are:
Association/Nonprofit Event Planner of the Year
Erin DeMarco, ReadBoston
Renee Dunn, Boston Ballet
Janet Goff, New England Conservatory
Erin McEvoy, Boston Bruins Foundation
Jamie O’Neal O’Loughlin, Friends of Boston’s Homeless
Meredith Roser, Brandeis University
Caterer of the Year
Neal Balkowitsch and Dan Mathieu, Max Ultimate Foods
Linda De Franco, Tables of Content Catering
Frank McClelland, Au Soleil Catering
Hilary Neville, Jasper White’s Summer Shack Catering
Lyndsay Picciano, Fairmont Copley Plaza
Holly Safford, the Catered Affair
Mark Schwindenhammer, Mandarin Oriental Boston
Linda Shack, Pepper’s Fine Foods Catering
Michele Stump, East Meets West Catering
Corporate Event Planner of the Year
Kristine Aristide, John Hancock
Michael Burke, the Hanover Insurance Group
Kristen Smith, the Boston Beer Company
John Touchette, Raytheon Company
DJ of the Year
Mike Amado, Entertainment Specialists
Serge Aronov, DJ Supreme One
Buddy Costa, DJ Costa
Greg Hodges, 5 Star Events
Denise LaCarubba, DJ Deja
Joe Toto, Groove Entertainment John Zucco, Entertainment Specialists
Event Designer of the Year
Frances Andahazy, PBD Events
Ivy Finn, SD Events
Faxon Green, Elegant Floral and Event Design
Jen Hawkins, Jen Hawkins Events
John LaRoche, BlueGuava
Linda Matzkin, Hopple Popple
Arthur Wood, Art of the Event
Event Producer of the Year
Mary Coch, Corinthian Events
Erica Jordan, Art of the Event
Terry Mulryan-Toomey, Future Affairs Productions
Bryan Rafanelli, Rafanelli Events
Marjorie Randell-Silver, Copper Leaf Productions
A.J. Williams, Creative Events
Publicist/PR Executive of the Year
Sharon Barbano, Saucony
Kristan Fletcher, Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Tara Goodwin, Goodwin PR
Nicole Kanner, All Heart PR
Edwina Kluender, Mandarin Oriental Boston
Sam Mazzarelli, Marlo Marketing/Communications
Sue Tabb, Thomson Communications
Social Event Planner of the Year
Edna Dratch-Parker, EFD Creative—Event Planning and Design
Rachael Gross, LolagraceEvents
Janie Haas, Janie Haas Events
Michele Mottola, Michele Mottola Special Event Consulting
Jodi Raphael, Jodi Raphael Events
Venue Manager of the Year
Christie Leigh Bellany, Big Night Entertainment Group
Amy Fischer, Boston Nightlife Ventures
Jamison LaGuardia, Royale Boston
Michelle Sagi, Veronique
LizBeth Tate Brown, Fairmont Battery Wharf
Cindy Thorp, Showcase Live
Dina Trueheart, Marlo Venues
To cast your vote, go to bizbash.com/bostonvotes.
For more information about the BizBash Boston Expo & Awards, go to bizbashbostonexpo.com.
