Three sales and marketing professionals from Diamond Hotel Philippines, Midas Hotel and Casino and Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila bagged the prestigious 1st Virtus Awards while the best sales and marketing team of Edsa Shangri-La  Manila went home with the Outstanding Marketing Campaign award in a glittering ceremony at the New World Hotel Manila Bay last night.

Before a packed venue attended by 300 sales and marketing professionals, the winners include Reynoso Intertas Jr. , public relations assistant for Digital Media and Graphics of Diamond Hotel Philippines, got the coveted Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate award; Melissa Villamayor, senior sales manager of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, bagged the Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager honor. Midas Hotel and Casino’s Director of Sales and Marketing Cielo Ortega-Reboredo was picked as the Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader. Edsa Shangri-La Manila’s campaign for Chi, The Spa emerged as the best and outstanding campaign for creating a single, unified campaign that’s “excellent in execution” and precise in meeting the award’s objectives.

The 1st Virtus Awards, launched in May 2015, is a multi-category initiative by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) International in the Philippines aimed at giving recognition to all sales and marketing professionals in the hotels and resorts with a vision to transform the mindset of sales and marketing professionals in the industry thereby  setting the tone of excellence.

Margie Munsayac, president of HSMA and VP Sales & Marketing of Bluewater Resorts, said 32 nominees vied for the three individual awards and one team category. Judges for the four categories included distinguished names in the tourism and hospitality industry. The organization currently has 90 hotels and resort properties in its roster as members.

Rose Libongco, chair of Virtus Awards 2015 and a noted sales and marketing guru, said the Virtus Awards is just the push needed to keep the sales department going through the keenest challenges.

“It is the recognition that is deserved and desired,” she said in a speech as she congratulated the 32 finalists prior to the announcement of winners.