Shadows in Silk: Inside ILEA Austin’s 2026 Gala & ASE Awards

Jul 10
4 min read

This year’s ILEA Austin Gala & ASE Awards held a little extra magic for our team; our own Amy Bay was initiated as ILEA Austin’s incoming president for the coming year, making this event as personal as it was professional. Eclipse Event Co. co-owners Lauren Chumbley and Kristi DePew led the planning for the night, bringing to life a vision straight from Cochella: a Nine Inch Nails set quickly became the vibe of the entire event. The band’s raw, immersive stage design, all harsh light, shadow, and atmosphere, became the mood board for the entire evening, evolving into a theme we called Shadows in Silk: soft touches, hard edges, and an electric night where elegance collided with edge. This gala is also an annual tradition for the chapter, the ILEA Austin Awards Show Gala, where the local events community gathers each year to celebrate the ASE Award winners and welcome the incoming board.

Held June 18th at Assembly Hall in East Austin, Shadows in Silk transformed the venue into a moody, gothic-glam wonderland for 220 guests on what happened to be the hottest day of the year, with a heat warning in effect. We were more than grateful to have shade and fans built into the courtyard setup, keeping guests comfortable during cocktail hour before the sun went down and the neon took over. Inside, light installations snaked across the ceiling in jagged, sculptural lines, casting pink and electric-blue washes over a sea of black-sequin linens and a mirrored stage facade. It felt equal parts runway and ritual vibes all at the same time, which WE LOVE.

Florals by JoAn Floral leaned into the theme with deep reds, burgundy blooms, and trailing amaranthus paired with faux fruit and metallic accents, while sculptural arrangements on the stage gave the whole room an earthy, almost otherworldly texture. Whim Rentals brought in the courtyard tent that made shade (and sanity) possible on such a scorcher of a day, while Austin Event Lighting laced the ceiling in those jagged neon lines that gave the whole night its edge. Unique Design and Events draped the perimeter of the main room and carried it out to the tent poles in the courtyard, and Premiere Events supplied the tabletop foundation from the round guest tables to every last charger, glass, and black resin chair.

Guests moved through a courtyard cocktail hour complete with a violinist perched on a platform from Party at the Moontower, a caviar cart from Austin Cart Co., a roaming photo booth courtesy of Austin City Photo Booth, hair/makeup touch-ups from All Dolled Up, and body art from Pigment Tattoo and Laser Removal for guests who wanted a keepsake with a little more bite. Roaming sketch artists from Vogue Vignette and a belly dancer from EPIC Entertainment kept the energy moving before everyone headed inside for dinner, awards, and dancing.

Inside, Shag Carpet Prop Rentals transformed the Waller Room into a lounge area, creating a cozy, texture-rich sight for your beautiful eyes. Austin Moments handled signage throughout, and The Inviting Pear delivered every table number, menu, and place card in the collection. Drink Slingers kept the bar flowing all night, and once the sun went down, Creature Coffee’s cart kept guests fueled through the dance floor.

Every vendor partner brought their A-game: SoHo Catering handled dinner service. Bat City Beats handled all the amazing music while Groove Labs kept the AV and stage tight. Michelle’s Patisserie provided a dessert spread styled to match the palette, all while Photohouse Films handled photography and Made + Known Events handled content creation. Both capturing it all, including winner interviews for the ASE Awards presentation.

Coordinating a gala for the very organization that shaped so much of our team’s professional community made this one especially meaningful. Watching Amy step into her new role as president while our team executed the vision we’d been dreaming up since that Coachella livestream felt like the kind of full-circle moment that doesn’t come around often. It was a true team effort and a night we won’t forget.