HSMAI Celebrates 67th Annual Adrian Awards

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored travel marketing excellence at the Adrian Awards Celebration on Tuesday, February 13, at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY with more than 500 industry and agency executives in attendance. This year, the 67th annual competition focused on WanderLOVE, highlighting the most creative and successful campaigns that spark a love for travel and ignite a desire for exploration, and celebrated the people behind the work.

“We had over 800 entries for this year’s competition showcasing the most creative and impactful PR, marketing and advertising campaigns in travel and hospitality, and it was an honor to recognize the innovative minds behind the very best work,” says HSMAI President and CEO, Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA. “It’s a pleasure to see how this industry continues to inspire travel and create meaningful campaigns that ignite the desire to travel and drive results for hotels and destinations.”

HSMAI Adrian Award Platinum Winners 2023:

Digital

• Atlantis Paradise Island and their agencies LogicBomb Media and GlueIQ for New Atlantis Website 
• Marriott International and their agency Farrynheight, for W Hotels' Instagram

Integrated Campaign

• Visit Canada and TravPRO Mobile for Destination Canada Specialist Sales Companion
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for Fairmont Beyond Limits
• Travel South Dakota for So Much South Dakota, So Little Time 
• Courtyard Hotels, Marriott Bonvoy and 160over90 for "This is Where We Fan"

Public Relations

• South Dakota Department of Tourism and Lou Hammond Group for The South Dakota Corn-Bassador
• Tourism Australia and TURNER for Tourism Australia Come And Say G'Day Campaign Launch
• VisitLEX and QUINN PR for VisitLEX Presents: Horse Kicks
• Vrbo, an Expedia Group brand for Vrbo wows with its 2023 Vacation Homes of the Year
• Sonoma County Tourism and Fahlgren Mortine for Life Opens Up: Sonoma County Tourism Pause & Effect Public Relations Campaign
• Visit Ventura for A Small-Town Story of a Big-Time Event: the Journey of X Games 2023 Coming to Ventura

HSMAI Adrian Award Best of Show Winners 2023:

Digital

• Atlantis Paradise Island and their agencies LogicBomb Media and GlueIQ for New Atlantis Website 

Integrated Campaign

• Visit Canada and TravPRO Mobile for Destination Canada Specialist Sales Companion

Public Relations

• South Dakota Department of Tourism and Lou Hammond Group for The South Dakota Corn-Bassador
• Tourism Australia and TURNER for Tourism Australia Come And Say G'Day Campaign Launch

HSMAI Platinum President’s Award Winner 2023: 

• MMGY Global

At the awards ceremony, HSMAI honored the 2023 Top 25 Extraordinary Minds, which recognize exceptional Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization, and Distribution leaders in hospitality, travel, and tourism organizations for their achievements in the preceding 18 months. Additional information on awardees is available here. 

Two industry leaders were honored with HSMAI Career Achievement Awards for their achievements in hospitality marketing and public relations. Jeff Senior, a recently retired marketing executive, received the Albert E. Koehl Award for Career Achievement in Hospitality Marketing. Gina Stouffer, president of Lou Hammond Group, received the Winthrop W. Grice Award for Hospitality Public Relations. 

“It’s an honor standing in front of a room full of my industry peers - the best and the brightest - accepting a career achievement award for my contributions, despite my humble beginnings,” said Jeff Senior. 

“The truth is, I’ve always preferred being behind the scenes cheerleading clients and colleagues,” said Gina Stouffer. “So, I am truly humbled to receive the Winthrop W. Grice Award for Hospitality Public Relations.”

Additional information about the recipients and the HSMAI Career Achievement Awards is available here.

Thank you to this year’s Adrian Awards Celebration signature partners Ideas Collide and Questex, and supporters New York Marriott Marquis, MMGY Global, Tambourine, Screen Pilot and VERB.

For more information about the Adrian Awards and the 2023 honorees, visit adrianawards.hsmai.org.