CORT Party Rental Takes Home Three Honors
2025 Emerald City Applause Awards
CORT Party Rental is proud to announce a triple win at the 2025 Emerald City Applause Awards, presented by the Seattle Chapter of the International Live Events Association (ILEA). The company was recognized in three major categories: Best Creative Solution, Excellence in Sustainability, and Event Professional of the Year, celebrating innovation, leadership, and impact across the Pacific Northwest event community.
The Best Creative Solution award honored CORT Party Rentals work on a large-scale corporate event held at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Over 800 guests experienced two fully immersive, back-to-back celebrations inside 37,000 square feet of tented space constructed directly on the baseball field. Despite a tight four-day install window, winter temperatures, and complex logistics, CORT Party Rental delivered a transformative experience that included climate-controlled tents, skyline views, a faux parking lot graphic, arcade, and custom-fabricated décor. Around-the-clock crews, elevated heating solutions, and a strategic production schedule ensured flawless execution.
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CORT Party Rental also received the Excellence in Sustainability award for its Green Bag program—a practical initiative tackling plastic and hanger waste from event setups. By supplying clients with lime green bags for reusable materials and managing the return and recycling process, CORT Party Rental has recovered over 21,500 hangers and diverted more than 1,050 pounds of plastic from landfills since the program launched in early 2024.
Adding to the celebration, Jana Heinrichs, CERP, Business Development Manager at CORT Party Rental, was named Event Professional of the Year. This honor recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact on the local event community through volunteerism, professionalism, and innovation. Jana is known not only for her client-focused leadership and deep industry expertise, but also for her advocacy and mentorship throughout the region.
Jana embodies everything this award represents,” said Phil Heidt, Group Vice President. “Her passion for people, her professionalism, and her relentless energy for elevating our industry have made her a standout not just within CORT Party Rental, but across the entire events community. We’re thrilled to see her recognized.”
“These awards reflect the heart of our mission—pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in event execution while leading with sustainable practices,” added Heidt. “It’s an honor to be acknowledged across such diverse and meaningful categories.”
“Our success at T-Mobile Park was the result of tireless collaboration, smart logistics, and custom fabrication built to exacting standards,” said Shaun Thurmond, Senior Project Manager. “But more than that, it’s proof that innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand—even under immense pressure and tight deadlines.”
The Emerald City Applause Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the Pacific Northwest events industry.