Waldner’s & Steelcase Present Cupcake Wars: A Halloween Showdown for a Cause

Spooky season got a little sweeter at this year’s third annual Waldner’s x Steelcase Cupcake Wars! Hosted at the Steelcase Showroom, this year’s Halloween-themed event brought together architecture and design (A&D) professionals for an evening of creativity, connection, and friendly competition. With festive decorations, imaginative designs, and plenty of Halloween spirit, teams came ready to show off their cupcake decorating skills and bring their sweetest spooky creations to life.

Guests kicked off the evening with delicious bites, drinks, and opportunities to connect with fellow industry professionals. Once the competition began, the excitement took over! Teams had just one hour to transform ordinary cupcakes into Halloween-inspired masterpieces, putting their creativity and decorating skills to the test. From spooky scenes to festive frights, each team brought its own unique vision to the table. After an evening of frosting and friendly rivalry, guests gathered to see which team would take home the coveted Cupcake Wars trophy.

But the evening was about more than just sweet treats and spooky creations. At Waldner’s, we believe in the power of bringing people together and making a positive impact in our communities. This year’s Halloween Cupcake Wars continued that tradition, combining industry networking and friendly competition with an opportunity to give back to meaningful causes. Each participating team selected a charity close to their hearts, and Waldner’s and Steelcase donated to all seven charities.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year’s Halloween Cupcake Wars such a memorable evening! We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with our A&D community, celebrate creativity, and support the causes that matter to our participants. We look forward to another year of sweet competition and meaningful connections!

A Big Thank You to All Our Teams and Judges!

We were blown away by the creativity and effort from all participating teams:

AND special thanks to our judges:

The Awards!

Competition featured seven exciting categories:

Cupcake Wars Champion:

GENSLER

Gensler created 3D characters and deconstructed the cupcakes to create other elements. So detailed!”

- comments from the judges

Runner Up / Second Place:

SPECTORGROUP

The characters and how they told the story were impeccable!”

- comments from the judges

Best Use of Frosting / Fondant:

TED MOUDIS ASSOCIATES

We loved how this team used all the cupcakes to create a landscape.”
- comments from the judges

Best Use of BYO (Bring Your Own Item):
HLW

They had the greatest storytelling and character development, which we love.”

- comments from the judges

Most Technically Challenging:
MANCINI DUFFY

Every cupcake tells a different story in multiple rooms shrouded in mystery.”

- comments from the judges

Goriest:

DESIGN REPUBLIC

It’s A&Disgusting!”

- comments from the judges

Spookiest:
H2M

The ghosts were handmade and amazing!”

- comments from the judges

Event Photos!​

Thank you to everyone who participated, judged, and supported this year’s Cupcake Wars. We can’t wait to see what sweet surprises next year brings!