Marketing Talent of the Year

The HSMAI Europe Marketing Talent of the Year Award recognizes and promotes excellence in the field of sales in the hospitality industry. Honorees exemplify strong sales performance producing measurable results.

The aim of the awards is to promote result oriented and innovative leadership among young executives, and to focus on the importance of being a business leader in the industry.

Competition Rules

The nominee must:

• work in a European country
• be 30 years old or younger on 31 December, 2025
• work as an executive at a hotel or travel industry company.
• Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.

To qualify for the award, a nominee must:

Currently work for a hotel or hotel group on-property or in a regional office / head office, or work for an airline, travel agency or any travel or tourism related company (including technology). They have excelled in their jobs in the last year, because they have delivered exceptionally good results, or because they have been specially inventive in their business and executive position.

Demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas:

• Creativity & Initiative
• Sales Acumen
• Innovative Leadership
• Advancement of the Marketing Discipline

Candidates have to be nominated by a supervisor and / or General Manager or Managing Director or the head office.

Revenue Management Talent of the year

This award will be handed out on a yearly basis to young people in the hotel industry. Candidates will be appraised on the basis of their careers, as well as their accomplishments during the last year.

The aim of the awards is to promote result oriented and innovative leadership among young executives, and to focus on the importance of being a business leader in the industry.

Competition rules

The nominee must:

• work in a European country
• be 30 years old or younger on 31 December, 2025
• work as an executive at a hotel or travel industry company
• submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.

To qualify for the award, a nominee must:

Currently work for a hotel or hotel group on-property or in a regional office / head office, or work for an airline, travel agency or any travel or tourism related company (including technology). They have excelled in their jobs in the last year, because they have delivered exceptionally good results, or because they have been specially inventive in their business and executive position.

Demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas:

• Creativity & Initiative
• Sales Acumen
• Innovative Leadership
• Advancement of the Revenue Discipline

Candidates have to be nominated by a supervisor and / or General Manager or Managing Director or the head office.

Sales Professional of the Year

The HSMAI Europe Sales Professionals of the Year Award recognizes and promotes excellence in the field of sales in the hospitality industry. Honorees exemplify strong sales performance producing measurable results.

Competition rules

To qualify for the award, a nominee must:

• Work in a European Country
• Currently work for a hotel or hotel group on-property or in a regional office, or work for an airline, travel agency or any travel or tourism related company in a sales role. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.
• Have more than 75% of their responsibilities focused specifically on the day-to-day Sales management for the property(s).
• Play a significant and key role in the optimization of the Sales potential of the organization, in its competitive environment.

Demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas:

• Creativity & Initiative
• Sales Acumen
• Innovative Leadership
• Lifelong Learning
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration
• Talent Development
• Advancement of the Discipline.

Candidates have to be nominated by a supervisor and / or General Manager or Managing Director or the head office.

Marketing Professional of the Year

The HSMAI Europe Marketing Professional of the Year Award recognizes and promotes excellence in the field of marketing in the hospitality industry. Nominees will be selected based on outstanding achievements in terms of marketing as well as the overall development of this field within our sector.

Competition rules

To qualify for the award, a nominee must:

• Work in a European Country.
• Currently work in a marketing role in the hospitably industry or significantly contribute from a marketing standpoint to the hospitality industry (working for a hotel or hotel group on-property or in a regional office, or for a Food and Beverage company, work for an airline, travel agency or any travel or tourism related company. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.
• Drive the marketing strategy to raise brand awareness and differentiate the organization from competitors, helping to support its success and growth.
• Have a forward-thinking approach and the ability to think outside the box in terms of marketing in order to adapt to change within our industry.
• Be able to display tangible results for a successful cross-channel marketing operation.

Demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas:

• Creativity in branding and communications
• Innovation in marketing and campaigns
• Results driven focus
• Inspirational leadership
• Advancement of the discipline within our industry

Candidates have to be nominated by a supervisor and / or General Manager or Managing Director or the head office.

Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year

The award will be given to one hospitality professional every year in recognition of their individual contributions to revenue optimisation in the industry.

Nominations for the Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year Award come from HSMAI and the industry at large. Nominees represent the very best in the hospitality industry in revenue optimization. Nominations are judged by a panel of revenue management leaders on a variety of criteria.

Competition rules

To qualify for the award, a nominee must:

• Work in a European country
• Currently serve in an on-property, multi-property, cluster or regional revenue optimization role for a brand, management company, ownership group, or independent property. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.
• Have more than 75% of their responsibilities focused specifically on the day-to-day management of revenue optimization for the property(s).
• Play a significant and key role in the optimization of the revenue potential of the organization, in its competitive environment.
• Demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas: Lifelong Learning; Innovative Leadership; Cross-Discipline Collaboration; Talent Development; and Advancement of the Discipline.

They demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas:

• Creativity & Initiative
• Revenue Optimization
• Innovative Leadership
• Lifelong Learning
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration
• Talent Development 
• Advancement of the Discipline

Candidates have to be nominated by a supervisor and / or General Manager or Managing Director or the head office.

HSMAI Europe Sustainability Award

The HSMAI Europe Sustainability Award will recognize social and environmental sustainability initiatives in hospitality businesses and share best practices with the industry. Candidates must provide documentation on implemented initiatives, their positive impact, and how they will continue their work for a more sustainable operation.

The sustainability initiatives must have real impact on one or more of the following:

•   Poverty reduction
•   Health & well-being
•   Diversity & inclusion
•   Energy efficiency
•   Biodiversity
•   Natural resource efficiency
•   Waste & pollution
•   Water efficiency
•   Climate change

Evaluation criteria:

1. What is the impact of the initiatives?
2. When did the business implement changes?
3. Is the business sharing their learning and best practices?
4. What are the plans for new and continued initiatives?

Best Social Media Presence

This award recognizes a hotel or hotel chain that has built an outstanding and engaging presence across social media platforms. It honors organizations that use social media not just as a marketing channel, but as a strategic tool to foster community, strengthen loyalty, and create meaningful interactions with their audience.

Eligible entries may include creative campaigns, always-on strategies, influencer collaborations, content innovation, or platform-specific approaches (e.g. TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.). The focus is on consistent, authentic, and impactful use of social media to build visibility, engagement, and brand value.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Clear objectives and rationale behind the social media presence.
• Creativity & innovation: Originality in content, storytelling, and engagement tactics.
• Comprehensive execution: Consistent and effective delivery across multiple platforms, tailored to each audience.
• Results & impact: Evidence of measurable outcomes such as awareness, engagement, sentiment, or loyalty.
• Long-term value: Contribution to sustained community growth, customer relationships, and brand positioning.

Entries should provide case studies or detailed explanations of the social media strategy and execution, including the insights, decisions, and tactics that drove results. Emphasis should be placed on how social media strengthened authentic connections with audiences and delivered value over time.

With your nomination, please include the following information:

• Challenge – What challenge did the campaign or strategy aim to address?
• Solution – What was the rationale behind the submitted entry?
• Goal – What were the objectives of the activity?
• Effect – What impact did the activity deliver?

Best use of Brand

This award recognizes the most effective and strategic use of a brand as a holistic and long-term driver of business performance and market influence. It honors organizations that have successfully created a new brand or repositioned an existing one, using brand identity to define, differentiate, and lead within their market.

Unlike campaign-focused categories, this award celebrates branding as a comprehensive, organization-wide initiative — a cornerstone of business identity and competitive advantage, not just a marketing tool. Eligible entries may include company-wide rebranding efforts, new brand launches, or significant repositioning initiatives designed to respond to changing market conditions, customer needs, or business objectives. Branding efforts may encompass products, services, corporate initiatives, talent attraction, or community engagement. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Clear rationale for the brand creation or repositioning, supported by insights and analysis.
• Brand positioning & identity: How the brand’s identity, values, and messaging resonate with target audiences and differentiate from competitors.
• Comprehensive execution: Implementation of the brand across multiple touchpoints, including internal engagement, customer experience, and external communications.
• Market leadership & innovation: How the brand has established a unique market position or reshaped perceptions in its category.
• Results & long-term impact: Evidence of measurable outcomes such as reputation, engagement, market share, employee alignment, and sustained business value.

Entries should provide case studies or detailed explanations of the brand’s creation or repositioning, including the insights, processes, and key decisions that drove the initiative. Emphasis should be placed on the holistic and enduring role of the brand in shaping both internal culture and external perception.

Best use of Employer Brand

HSMAI Europe aims to be the go-to industry resource for professional development. A major challenge is to attract and retain talent. Therefore, a key to success for HSMAI Europe’s members is to be perceived as a competitive employer, able to create experiences to retain and attract professionals from within and outside the sector.

This award includes implementation of employer brand strategy, internal and external brand communication, creativity of solutions, quality of campaigns, innovation and achieved results.

The Company must excel in one or more of the following areas:

• Recruitment campaign. Activities and campaigns which are focused on a specific recruitment segment (revenue, sales and/or marketing) which has been delivered with an innovative twist, successfully positioned you in the talent segment, and achieved strong results.
• Digital communication – best use of digital tools for brand communication through career pages, social networks, intranets, Newsletters etc and achieved results as result of such activities.
• Employee Experience – includes activities such as onboarding programs, branded workspaces, improvements in candidates or employee’s journeys, lifelong learning initiatives, and other ideas designed to create a more holistic employee experience.

Explanations and/or case studies of, for example, employer brand platform (EVP) , communication concepts, names or visual identities, engagement of internal and external stakeholders. The organisation must demonstrate fresh thinking about employer branding and bold choices and/or moves that makes the company as an attractive employer for employees and in the segmented marketplace.

The company demonstrates excellence in all of the following areas:

• Employer brand strategy and Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
• Campaigns, activities, digital platforms
• Development and implementation
• Internal and external engagement
• Significant results (such as increased job offer acceptance rates, decreased time to hire, increase in employee referrals, higher retention rates, etc.)

With the nomination we will need the following information:

• Challenge – Describe the challenge that your company attempted to meet
• Solution – Give a brief description of the rationale behind the submitted entry
• Goal – What was the goal of the activity?
• Effect – Describe the effect of the activity

An employer brand is the sum total of every touch point a company has with candidates and employees, designed to create a lasting emotional connection with those stakeholders. The discipline of employer branding encompasses everything a company does to earn and maintain a reputation as an employer of choice. It includes a company’s messaging — from the language it uses in its job posts to its mission statement — and it extends across the full candidate and employee experience.

Employer Branding is about showcasing your unique cultural differentiators and then working to amplify them so you can position yourself as a great place to work. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.

Best Hotel Opening / Relaunch

This award recognizes outstanding marketing and commercial strategies supporting the launch of a new hotel or the relaunch of an existing property. It celebrates organizations that have successfully introduced or reintroduced a property to the market with creativity, innovation, and measurable impact.

Unlike campaign-specific awards, this category focuses on the holistic execution of an opening or relaunch initiative — from generating awareness and anticipation to driving engagement, reputation, and bookings. Eligible entries may encompass integrated marketing efforts, PR campaigns, social and influencer activations, partnerships, events, or paid initiatives.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Clear objectives and rationale for the launch or relaunch, supported by market insights.
• Creativity & differentiation: How the concept and execution stood out in a competitive market.
• Comprehensive execution: Seamless delivery across multiple touchpoints, from communications to on-property activations.
• Results & impact: Measurable outcomes such as awareness, engagement, reputation, or bookings.
• Long-term value: Evidence that the initiative created a strong foundation for sustained success.

Entries should provide case studies or detailed explanations of the launch/relaunch process, including insights, challenges, and decisions that drove the initiative. Highlighting the property’s positioning, market response, and long-term influence will be crucial.

This award honors hotels that have demonstrated bold vision and flawless execution, setting new standards for how to introduce or reintroduce a property in today’s hospitality landscape.

Best Special Event Campaign

This award recognizes exceptional marketing and commercial initiatives designed to support a special event — excluding hotel openings or launches. It celebrates organizations that have successfully leveraged unique occasions to strengthen brand positioning, drive engagement, and create lasting impact.

Eligible events may include anniversaries, milestones, cultural celebrations, brand activations, or one-off experiences that generated buzz and delivered measurable business value. All tactics are eligible, from PR and social campaigns to paid activations, influencer collaborations, or fully integrated strategies.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Clear goals and alignment of the event with broader business and brand objectives.
• Creativity & innovation: Originality and distinctiveness in concept and execution.
• Comprehensive execution: Effective delivery across relevant channels and touchpoints.
• Results & impact: Evidence of measurable outcomes such as awareness, engagement, attendance, or reputation.
• Long-term value: Contribution to lasting brand equity, positioning, or stakeholder relationships.

Entries should provide case studies or detailed explanations of the event, highlighting the strategy, execution, and results achieved. Emphasis should be placed on how the campaign went beyond the event itself to deliver meaningful, lasting value for the brand and its audiences.

This award honors organizations that have demonstrated excellence in creating, marketing, and executing special events that not only captured attention in the moment but also strengthened long-term brand impact.

Best Loyalty Program Marketing

This award recognizes a hotel or hotel chain that has excelled in marketing its loyalty program as a driver of engagement, retention, and long-term brand loyalty. It honors organizations that have implemented innovative and impactful strategies to attract new members, enhance guest relationships, and communicate the value of their program effectively.

Eligible entries may include targeted campaigns, personalized communications, creative incentives, or multi-channel promotions designed to resonate with guests and encourage active participation. The focus is not only on the design of the loyalty program itself, but on how it has been positioned, promoted, and activated to create meaningful connections with members.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Clear objectives and rationale for the loyalty marketing approach.
• Creativity & innovation: Distinctive incentives, messaging, and campaigns that differentiate the program.
• Comprehensive execution: Effective promotion across multiple channels, tailored to target audiences.
• Results & impact: Evidence of measurable outcomes such as enrollment growth, higher retention, satisfaction, or increased spend.
• Long-term value: How the program marketing has strengthened brand loyalty, relationships, and competitive positioning.

Entries should provide case studies or detailed explanations of the marketing strategy, execution, and results. Emphasis should be placed on how the program’s value was communicated to guests and how this has translated into measurable business and loyalty outcomes.

With your nomination, please include the following information:

• Challenge – What challenge did the campaign or strategy aim to address?
• Solution – What was the rationale behind the submitted entry?
• Goal – What were the objectives of the activity?
• Effect – What impact did the activity deliver?