Las Vegas Wedding Awards Official Contest Rules

Nomination and Selection Process for the 2nd Annual Las Vegas Wedding Awards:

Eligibility for Inclusion:

Awards Voted on by the Membership

Members will automatically appear on the Ballot for voting in 16 different categories.  Each member may only appear twice on the Ballot (in the Categories they are listed under in the Chamber's Member Directory).  Some Members have been researched to verify qualification in 2nd categories.  The Wedding Award Committee has made every good faith effort to include as many members that qualify in 2 categories.  A 17th Category is open to all eligible Members in all Categories - Innovative Wedding Vendor of the Year. Members can nominate another member for this award at the time of voting.  All nominated Members eligible to win will be voted on by the Voting Committee at the final vote.

To be eligible to be included on the Ballot voted on by the Chamber Membership, a candidate or entity must "Qualify."  There are three requirements for Qualification:

I) To be included on the Ballot for an award Voted-on by the full Membership, the Member must be a "Certified Vegas Wedding Chamber Member" as of December 16th, 2024.  Membership Levels eligible for participation are Charter Members, Certified Chamber Member, Certified Chamber Plus, and President's Level Members.  Anyone who joins the Chamber within 30 days of the cutoff date (12/16) has until January 15th, 2025 to secure any missing items for Certification, such as business licensing, bringing past-due invoices for dues current, etc.  Otherwise, they will be disqualified.

II) A Member must have a $0 balance for dues at their current level (unpaid upgrade dues are excluded).

III) A Member must be an active participant in the Chamber in one (1) of the following ways:

1. Members must have attended 2 sanctioned Wedding Chamber Events in 2024, beginning with the Inaugural Las Vegas Wedding Awards (1/30/2024) and ending with the Connect and Collaborate: Virtual Edition (12/5/2024).  Members must ATTEND the event for it to count toward qualification.  Registering online, but not attending, does not qualify.
   
   
2. Members may substitute attending an event if they donated goods or services as part of an Event as a Sponsor.  If a Member's Logo appeared on the official event flyer, they are a named Sponsor.  Raffle prize donations are not an Event Sponsorship.
   
   
3. Sponsors of the 2024 Vegas Marries the Military at Emerald Level or higher automatically qualify as long as they satisfy the Membership and $0 balance requirement.
   
   
4. Members of the 2025 Voting Board of Directors as well as Confirmed Sponsors of a 2025 Series or Major Event automatically qualify as long as they satisfy the Membership and $0 balance requirement.

Additional Special Awards

In addition to the Awards voted on by the Membership and Final Voting Committee, 4 additional Awards will be given out by the Board of Directors.  They are:

• Community Impact Award - Selected by a Majority Vote of the Executive Board of Directors
• President's Award - Selected by The President, does not have to be a Member of the Chamber.  Criteria is to have contributed in a major way to the success of The Chamber in that year.
• Board Member of the Year - Selected by The President
• Lifetime Achievement Award - Nominees submitted by Membership, and Final Vote is majority vote of the Voting Board of Directors.  Nominees must have 20 years experience in the Southern Nevada Wedding Industry and have a significant contribution to the direction of the industry.

Voting Procedures:

Qualification ends at 12:01 AM December 17th, 2024.  Each Member in Good Standing may vote one time, beginning at 12:01am December 18th, 2024. 

Eligible to appear on the ballot in a Category they are listed in:

• President's Level Members,
• Certified Chamber Members
• Certified Chamber Plus Members
• Charter Members

Eligible to Vote:

• All Listed Active Members of the Vegas Wedding Chamber as of 12/17/2024

Anyone, regardless of Membership, may win a special award chosen by the Board of Directors.

Ballots will be sent out via The Chamber's Communication Email Marketing System on December 18th, December 20th, December 26th, December 28th, and December 30th, 2023. (Five Times)  Anyone who has chosen to unsubscribe from The Wedding Chamber's Constant Contact List will not be sent a Ballot, but the Chamber Communications Team with make every effort to get that Member the link to vote.  Each Ballot will contain the qualified Members in a specific category.  Voting closes at 11:59pm December 30th, 2024.  Candidates will also be given an opportunity to request to be on the Final Voting Committee to determine the Winner of the Award from the Finalist Nominees.

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Each Voting Category will contain the Listed member name and the Organization name to be voted on.  Each ballot will allow the voter to vote only once, using their Chamber email and password as a login.  If a ballot is not completed and "Submitted", it will not be recorded.  The voter will have to start over again. The number of Candidates for a particular award will determine the number of Candidates a voter can vote for.  They are:
1-4 Candidates = Voter can vote for 1 Candidate

5-9 Candidates = Voter can vote for 2 Candidates

10 or Candidates = Voter can vote for 3 Candidates

Each selection will constitute one vote

Once voting closes, all submitted Ballots will be counted by the Voting Committee, and up to 5 "Nominees" will be named depending on the score..  Also, the number of votes each finalist receives from the Voting Membership will count toward 1/3 of the final vote, with a 9-Member Voting Committee's votes making up the other 2/3rds of the results. 

Award-Voting Committee Composition:

The Final Nominees and Winners of the Voted-On Awards will be determined by a specially appointed "Voting Committee". This Voting Committee” will consist of four Board Members of the Vegas Wedding Chamber and five to six Members in good standing, all of whom requested to be included and are chosen by the Board of Directors. The Board Members selected to serve on the committee will typically include the Chamber President or a designated appointee, 1 additional Executive Board Member (Vice Presidents, Secretary, or Treasurer), and 2 Committee Directors. The five additional members will be chosen from the Chamber Membership based on the following criteria:

1)    they must have been active members for at least two years prior to the opening date of Membership voting,

2)    must not have any outstanding balances, disputes, or grievances with the Chamber or its members

3)    must have attended at least 2 Wedding Chamber Events in the Calendar Year

The 5 Members in Good Standing  will be selected, 1 from each of the 5 Wedding Disciplines:

1 - Catering and Food Services.  Chosen from qualified Members in the following categories:

• Caterers (for the main meal)
• Cake Designers and Bakers
• Specialty Food Providers (e.g., food trucks, dessert bars)
• Beverage and Bar Services (including bartenders)
• Dietary Specific Caterers (e.g., vegan, gluten-free)

1 - Venue and Transportation Member.  Chosen from qualified Members in the following categories:

• Wedding Venues (hotels, resorts, unique locations)
• Reception Halls
• Outdoor Venue Providers (gardens, desert)
• Accommodation Services (hotels, guest houses for guests)
• Event Rental Services (furniture, tents)
• Transportation (limos, party buses, specialty transportation)

1 - Décor and Design.  Chosen from qualified Members in the following categories:

• Bridal Wear and Groom's Attire
• Wedding Planners
• Florists
• Lighting and Sound Specialists
• Rental Companies (linens, tableware)
• Event Designers (overall theme and design)
• Stationery Providers (invitations, menus)

1 - Officiants, Photography, and Entertainment.  Chosen from qualified Members in the following categories:

• Wedding Photographers
• Videographers
• Bands and DJs
• Performers and Entertainers (dancers, magicians)
• Photo Booth Rentals

1 - Specialty Wedding Provider.  Chosen from qualified Members in the following categories:

• Reception Specialty Providers (Painters, Psychics, etc.)
• Bachelor / Bachelorette Party Providers
• Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists
• Wedding Jewelry
• Shows / Attractions

Each of these categories plays a crucial role in weddings, and representatives from each would provide a comprehensive view of the industry for the awards.  If no one that is in the above Categories that qualifies to be a Voting Board Member is interested, then the Board of Directors may consider another Member and/or waive the time requirement.  Also, if there are no Members available or interested in the above categories, the Board may choose a different member to serve in their place, provided they meet the same criteria to participate in the Committee.

Decision-Making Process:

Winners of the Voted-On Awards will be determined by

1) 34% - The Votes recorded online by the General Membership Secret Ballot.

2) 66%  - The Voting of the Final Voting Committee - The committee will meet within the first 10 days of January at a time convenient to all. 

The Committee will evaluate all nominations based on the award criteria through a thorough and confidential process. This process may involve assessing supporting documentation, testimonials, and other pertinent evidence of the nominees' qualifications.  If more than five members are tied in the final group following the General Voting Ballots for an award, the Committee will reduce the list to a consensus of five nominees who satisfy the criteria for that award. These will be the Official Award Final Nominees.

The Committee is responsible for selecting a Winner from the Final Nominee list by voting. Every voter chooses their winner. Voting will occur by secret ballot and will be tabulated after all awards have been decided. Two members of the Executive Board will privately tally the votes to record the results and maintain the confidentiality of the winner until the Awards Show. In the case of a tie during this vote, the first tie-breaker will be the winner of the popular membership vote, while the secondary tie-breaker will be the Senior Executive Board Member on the Committee casting the tie-breaking vote.

Voting Committee members are required to maintain impartiality and confidentiality. They must recuse themselves from discussions or deliberations regarding any award for which they are nominated and abstain from discussing or voting on any nominee with whom they have a personal or financial relationship. The awards process's credibility depends on the impartial and equitable evaluation by the committee members, who are entrusted with this prestigious duty by the Chamber Board and its membership. The committee's decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.

Award Presentation:

Final Nominees will be Notified following the Meeting of the Voting Board by January 15th, 2025..  Winners will be announced and presented with their awards at the annual Vegas Wedding Chamber Awards Dinner, on the evening of January 29th, 2025. Recipients must be present or have a designated representative attend the Gala to accept the award, or have a Medical Excuse to miss the Awards Show. Failure to attend without prior notice and approval may result in forfeiture of the award. 

All nominees are expected to uphold the standards and integrity of the Vegas Wedding Chamber and to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the honor of the nomination. The Chamber reserves the right to withdraw an award at any point should information come to light that would have made the nominee ineligible or would have otherwise affected the decision of the Committee or the voting membership.

Any issues, questions, or further explanation requests may be submitted HERE