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, 2024
• 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

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, 2024
• 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

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.

Outstanding sales personalities 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

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

Outstanding Revenue personalities 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 the hotel or chain that has established a powerful, engaging, and consistent presence across social media platforms. It honors brands that have successfully created meaningful interactions with their audience, fostered community engagement, and strengthened brand loyalty through creative and strategic use of social media. The winning entry will demonstrate a well-executed social media strategy that not only amplifies brand visibility but also builds authentic connections and drives long-term engagement.

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

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 Loyalty Program Marketing

This award recognizes a hotel or hotel chain that has effectively marketed its loyalty program. It honors brands that have successfully implemented innovative strategies to drive member sign-ups, enhance guest retention, and foster long-term loyalty through creative incentives and personalized benefits. The winning entry will demonstrate a well-executed and compelling loyalty program marketing strategy that has effectively communicated the program’s value, engaged guests, and strengthened brand loyalty.

Submissions should highlight how the loyalty program has been promoted across multiple channels, showcasing efforts that have created meaningful connections with guests. Key elements of a successful entry may include targeted marketing campaigns, personalized communications, and engaging promotions that resonate with guests and encourage participation.

The organization must demonstrate measurable outcomes, such as increased enrollment rates, higher guest retention, and improved satisfaction scores, reflecting the program’s positive impact on both the brand and its members. This award celebrates brands that have not only crafted attractive loyalty programs but have also effectively communicated their value to drive engagement and loyalty among their guests.

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

Best use of Brand

This award recognizes the most effective and strategic use of a brand as a core driver of business and market influence. It celebrates organizations that have either developed a new brand or successfully repositioned an existing one, using their brand identity to define and lead within their industry. Submissions from vendors or service providers will not be considered.

Unlike campaign-focused awards, this category focuses on the holistic and long-term approach to brand-building and positioning. Eligible entries may encompass company-wide rebranding efforts, new brand launches, or significant pivots that reposition a brand to meet changing market conditions or business objectives. This includes branding for products, services, corporate initiatives, talent attraction, or community engagement.

Successful submissions will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: A clear rationale for the creation or repositioning of the brand, supported by market insights and analysis.
• Brand positioning and identity: How the brand’s identity and messaging are differentiated to resonate with key audiences and reflect the organization’s values.
• Comprehensive execution: Implementation of the brand across multiple touchpoints, including internal engagement, customer interactions, and broader market communications.
• Market leadership and innovation: How the brand has either established a unique market position or reshaped perceptions in its category.
• Tangible results: Measurable outcomes such as increased market share, improved customer perception, enhanced employee engagement, or other key business metrics.

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. Highlighting the brand’s influence on internal and external stakeholders, as well as its broader market impact, is crucial.

This award seeks to honor brands that have demonstrated bold leadership and visionary thinking in using branding as a long-term strategic asset—not just as a marketing tool, but as a cornerstone of business identity and competitive advantage.