Kerzner, Deuschl To Receive HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards
Recipients to Accept Honors at HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala Feb. 1, 2010
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced the recipients of the annual Albert E. Koehl Award for advertising and marketing and the Winthrop W. Grice Award for public relations excellence. The recipients will be honored at HSMAI’s annual Adrian Awards Gala on Feb. 1, 2010, at the New York Marriott Marquis.
Sol Kerzner, founder, chairman and CEO of Kerzner International Holdings Limited, will be recognized with the Albert E. Koehl Award, established in 1975 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to advertising and marketing in the hospitality industry.
Vivian A. Deuschl, corporate vice president of public relations for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, will be honored with the Winthrop W. Grice Award, established in 1989 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to public relations in the hospitality industry.
The nomination process is designed to ensure that anyone who has made a sustained and lasting commitment to excelling in the travel and hospitality industry can be eligible for consideration. Using the input of its members, HSMAI assembles a list of the nominees and the credentials that have been submitted and these are presented to the HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards Selection Committee which is comprised of 11 former recipients of the Koehl and Grice Awards.
“Sol Kerzner and Vivian Deuschl embody the talent, skill, and know-how that can be found in the hospitality industry,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “HSMAI is both ecstatic and honored to be able to continuously recognize professionals like Sol and Vivian, who are advancing and encouraging innovation within their professions.”
The HSMAI Adrian Awards honor creative brilliance and best practices in hospitality, travel, and tourism-related marketing. In its 53rd year, the competition has evolved into the world's most renowned and prestigious advertising, public relations, and web marketing competition specifically tailored for the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries.
Albert E. Koehl Award
Kerzner International is a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, casinos and luxury hotels. Kerzner's flagship brand is Atlantis, which includes Atlantis, Paradise Island, an ocean-themed destination resort in The Bahamas. Kerzner extended its Atlantis brand globally with the development of Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, a 1,500-room, water-themed resort opened in late-September 2008 on The Palm, Jumeirah. Kerzner also manages five of the top-rated luxury resort properties in the world under the One&Only brand located in the Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, the Maldives and Dubai. The new One&Only Cape Town, South Africa opened on April 3, 2009.
Kerzner previously received the Lifetime Achievement Award from South Africa's largest tourism agency, FEDHASA (The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa). He was also the first non-American to be inducted into the US Gaming Hall of Fame.
Named in honor of Albert E. Koehl, a pioneer in hotel advertising, past recipients include: Ian Schrager, Barbara Talbott, Barry S. Sternlicht, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Horst H. Schulze, John J. Russell, CHME, Michael A. Leven, CHME, Richard Branson, Michael D. Eisner, Gordon “Butch” Stewart and Jonathan M. Tisch.
Winthrop W. Grice Award
Deuschl has an extensive background in the travel and tourism sector, holding positions as public relations director for the American Society of Travel Agents, special assistant to the under secretary of commerce for travel and tourism, and communications manager for the Washington, D.C., Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Previous honors include Forbes Magazine’s “25 Most Influential Women in Travel” award in 2008, three-time recipient of Travel Agent Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in Travel Award,” and two-time winner of The President’s Plate, SATW’s highest award for a PR professional. A former journalist, Deuschl served two terms as chairman of the Associates Council for the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). A former member of the Communications Committee for USTA, Deuschl currently serves as a member of the U.S. Travel Association’s communications committee. In 2001, Deuschl served as chair of the media relations task force formed in the wake of 9/11.
The Winthrop W. Grice Award was named in honor of Winthrop W. “Bud” Grice, CHME, a long-time senior marketing executive with Marriott, who was the award’s first designate. Other winners include: Laura Davidson, Yvonne Middleton, Peggy R. Bendel, René A. Mack, Lou Hammond, Bunny Grossinger, Herbert D. Kelleher, Steve Wynn, Alan Fredericks, Donald J. Trump and Florence Quinn.
For more information on the HSMAI Adrian Awards, please contact Desiree LaFont at (703) 506-3297, email [email protected], visit
About HSMAI
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as the Commercial Strategy Conference, Sales Leader Forum, and Adrian Awards. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org.
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