Our annual industry event in Atlanta, the Allie Awards, returned on March 13, 2022—and the POP team was on hand to celebrate. Scroll below to see our 11 award nominations and six Allie Award wins. Big congrats to all the nominees and winners!
BEST ON PREMISE CATERING NOMINEE | Dinner with a View – Savanna Vista at Zoo Atlanta*
MOST CREATIVE VENUE NOMINEE | Grassland Grazing – Savanna Vista at Zoo Atlanta
Exploring one of the most unique venues within Zoo Atlanta, the Savanna Vista is immersed in African wildlife with the elephant habitat on one side and giraffes, zebras and ostriches surrounding the other. Guests enjoyed a four-course meal of Citrus Seared Halibut, Roasted Corn Bisque, Lobster Beef Wellington, and Baked Alaska all prepared in front of them in POP’s mobile kitchen. This truly was a dinner with a view, with some animals within three yards of guests and a fully functioning gourmet kitchen in the Vista.
BEST ON PREMISE CATERING WINNER | Saving Lives, Changing Lives – COVID Hospitals – Georgia, Arizona, New Mexico
Unexpected was the only expectation in 2020, so when a call was received on a Friday to ask if we could assist with a temporary hospital, we sprang into action, turned around a proposal in record speed and by Monday afternoon were providing service on-site. The temporary facility was located in the Georgia World Congress Center and provided overflow beds for COVID-19 patients. As a catering provider, we were tasked with feeding up to 200 patients along with health and medical, sanitary, security and maintenance staff four meals per day. Back in April 2020, science had no vaccine, and we had limited understanding of the virus and how it spreads. We operated out of our corporate kitchen a few miles away and established a warming kitchen and staging area in one of the exhibit halls next to the serving area for dining guests (hospital staff). Our staff had no direct contact with patients, and every person in the building wore masks and gloves and undertook a wellness check every day. Plexiglass panels, wrapped snacks and individual serving boxes were just some of the precautions we took to limit contact between people; nevertheless, it was important to us to present our food pleasingly to thank hospital staff for their efforts and give them a brief respite in their day. Our logistical flexibility, ability to react quickly on opportunities, and vigilance to safety paved the way for POP-Up Emergency Management Services to provide F&B to five more hospitals.
BEST DESSERT PRESENTATION WINNER | Rock-N-Roll Ride – Alabama University
The theme was rock and roll for this 225-guest seated event for the Alabama President Dinner. POP created individual smoking ice cream sundaes all topped with old fashioned candy. These icy desserts were then served on a record with the menu attached on the side.
BEST 2020/2021 PIVOT NOMINEE | From Our Home to Yours – Corporate Client + Chef Vagn*
BEST EVENT “EXTRA” ENHANCEMENT WINNER | From Our Home to Yours – Corporate Client + Chef Vagn
In the height of the pandemic in 2020, creative minds came together to save a corporate client’s Christmas party that they’ve hosted with Proof for many years. With the seemingly impossible obstacles of quarantine, no gatherings and limited resources, the “From Our Home to Yours” concept arose. POP-Stars created gourmet meal boxes for employees to take home, then they watched an immersive video featuring the company CEO and Chef Vagn giving them step-by-step instructions on how to prepare and elegantly plate their four-course meal. The final four-course menu comprised a cold appetizer, salad, hot main course and cold dessert:
- House smoked salmon tartare on black rice sushi style, served with a green pea aioli
- Salad of crisp mixed lettuces with a ragout of pickled cherry tomato, cipollini onions, pomegranate seed and capers drizzled with a blood orange vinaigrette
- Buffalo filet mignon with woodsy mushrooms and Bourgogne sauce, served with potato au gratin and grilled carrot strips
- Cranberry pear custard tart with framboise cream, garnished with candied rosemary and chocolate pistachio bar
With the packaged meals listed above, a video starring executives from the company and Chef Vagn showing how to elegantly plate the dishes created a unique and memorable event. The client aimed to show appreciation to employees following a very difficult year. In a time fraught with uncertainty and worry, the holiday party was an important company tradition that would be upheld, albeit in a different format, to reassure and unite employees. A meal delivery alone—even an upscale one—would have been a delicious treat but not have fulfilled the goal in the same way. The purpose of the video was not to create professionally produced footage. On the contrary—the home video nature of it lent spontaneity and authenticity to the project. The objective was to share a glimpse into the home life of the company president and vice president through video as a medium.
BEST CULINARY MENU WINNER | A Meal to Inspire – Inspire Brands
Catering to a group of executives who are also in the food industry provided us the opportunity to produce an upscale small plate menu revolved around the customer experience from kitchen to table, paired with a chef presentation highly customized to the audience. Guests enjoyed hand-passed bites and a four-course meal providing unique flavors and a vast variety of dishes. For this menu, we wished to incorporate the idea of the restaurant brands but wanted to do so in a thoughtful manner. Each of the brands brings something different to the table, and the company is now marketing them under a united corporate culture. In the same way, we decided to create a menu of individual small plates, each looking a little different and contributing in their own way to the overall meal. The culinary focus was on small servings of hearty dishes with vertical and whimsical presentations to visually spice up the meal.
BEST CULINARY MENU NOMINEE | Dine Around the Course – Mitsubishi Golf Tournament*
BEST CULINARY PRESENTATION WINNER | Fuel for the Course – Mitsubishi Golf Tournament*
BEST OFF PREMISE EVENT CATERING WINNER | Golfing Fuel – Mitsubishi Golf Tournament*
18 holes, 18 unique concepts. Guests for the Pro-Am enjoyed two days of innovative and creative F&B concepts at each tee box location throughout their round of golf. See one of the days’ stations below!
BEST CULINARY PRESENTATION – Taco Jockey – The Eastern Atlanta
Everyone’s favorite taco and nacho bar got a funky, neon twist with this Your Event Solution décor masterpiece. The buffet was a decked-out DJ booth equipped with a rotating record topped with tacos! *MIC DROP*
Let us start planning your award-winning event; contact us today!
