The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) International in the Philippines has launched a new awards program for top-performing hotel sales and marketing professionals and the best hotel marketing campaign of 2014.
Virtus Awards will essentially “honor and motivate the sales and marketing staff, the most important asset of your properties – the human resource,” says Rose Libongco, honorary chairman of HSMA, during the association’s general membership meeting in March at Crimson Filinvest City Hotel.
It will recognize an outstanding hotel sales and marketing associate (entry-level), manager, and leader from any division of the sales and marketing department: room sales, events management, catering, reservations, public relations and communication, and revenue management.
HSMA members who have demonstrated outstanding performance in sales and marketing between January and December 2014 are eligible to be nominated.
The association will also look for a distinguished marketing campaign that excelled in the criteria of marketing objectives, creativity and innovation, content, results, and return on investment.
Aside from Virtus Awards, there are at least two more awards programs given to tourism and hotel professionals – Mabuhay Awards and Tourism Star Philippines, which was introduced last year. A more specific recognition for sales and marketing has been needed to encourage professionals to join the ranks, mainly to supply the demand of a growing hotel industry. Virtus “is timely now because hotels are actually getting a lot of competition from other industries in getting talents. We really have to put ourselves upfront and say, Hey, the hotel industry is really an exciting industry,” says Libongco.
Online nomination will be open between July 15 and September 15. Entries will be judged by a panel composed of leaders in the fields of advertising, public relations, digital marketing, and the academia will judge entries in October. Winners will be announced in November.
