Restaurant Awards Themed Event Design
The ‘Aipono Restaurant Awards celebrate culinary excellence on Maui. Readers of Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi magazine vote for their favorite restaurants in over 40 categories. Winners are announced and awarded at an auspicious gala in a large ballroom at one of the island‘s luxury resort. Cocktail hour appetizers and dinner is served with assistance from students and instructors of the UH-Maui College Culinary Arts Program. Proceeds from the ticket sales benefit the school. From 2012 to 2019, and in 2022, I designed and produced the collateral—invitation, winner announcement, program, award plaques, slideshow presentation, table signage, event signage, step-and-repeat backdrop, and menu cards. I also designed full page magazine ads, web ads, newsletter banners, and social media images to promote the event. Event theme graphics were printed onto aprons worn by the students. With co-coordinators, I attended site visits to assess the space and graphic needs, also brainstormed on sound, lighting and decor. I provided art direction on videos that aired during the awards ceremony. Samples of collateral below represent the 2017 “Out of This World”, 2018 “Alice in ‘Aiponoland”, and 2019 “Disco ‘Aipono” awards.