The HSMAI Europe Young Talent of the Year

This award will be handed out on a yearly basis to young people in the hotel and/or travel 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 December 31.2021
• work as an executive at a hotel or travel industry company

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 Discipline

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

The HSMAI Europe 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 (including technology) in a sales role.
• 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.

The HSMAI Europe 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 (including technology).
• 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

Fabian Specht Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year

The award is named after the late area vice president of IDeaS Revenue Solutions, who passed away unexpectedly in December 2019 and was a dedicated supporter and friend of HSMAI Europe. It will be given to one hospitality professional every year in recognition of their individual contributions to revenue optimisation in the industry.

Nominations for the Fabian Specht 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.
• 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.

The HSMAI Europe Best Technology Innovator of the Year

This award goes to the technology provider who has delivered an innovative solution to a long established challenge, provided an alternative (more efficient) solution to a current practice or introduced a solution to satisfy a recent consumer trend. The winner must have successfully deployed their solutions to a large customer base who achieved a demonstrable benefit as a result.

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

The HSMAI Europe Best use of Brand

This award includes the development of new brands as well as pivoting or repositioning of existing brands.

It can be branding efforts for a product or service, a customer loyalty program, talent initiative, community engagement or any other initiatives for companies or destinations. In short, using a brand to influence customer, industry, employee or other stakeholder behavior, choices or values.

Including strategic thinking and brand positioning, identity, branding activities, communication and implementation in organization. What was the reason for establishing or repositioning/pivoting the brand? How was the development process done, what insights does it build on, how has it created or changed its category or taken a role in the market. What are the results?

Explanations and/or case studies of, for example, brand platforms, communication concepts, names or visual identities, engagement of internal and external stakeholders. The organisation must demonstrate fresh thinking about branding and bold choices and/or moves that gives the brand significant influence in its market.

The company demonstrates excellence in all of the following areas:

• Brand strategy
• Brand launch/relaunch/pivot activities
• Development and implementation
• Internal and external engagement
• Significant results

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

The HSMAI Europe Best Marketing Inspirer of the Year

Marketing prize

We wish to honor a hotel or travel company that has excelled in its marketing work this year, and shown the ability to mobilize, inspire and succeed in a challenging time and shows a high degree of adaptability.

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

The HSMAI Europe Best Event Inspirer of the Year

Event Prize

An event where the agency and customer together have had the courage to go new ways and be able to turn today’s challenging situation into an opportunity by using new tools, thinking differently, and creating an event to inspire others. It can be in the form of a successful hybrid or digital conference, technical innovation, special facilitation, or any other event that has been embraced by the market.

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