The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) announces its ninth annual list of the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing" as part of its annual Adrian Awards.

The annual list recognizes the "best of the best" in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. Recipients will be honored during a private ceremony, co-sponsored by Expedia Media Solutions, on Feb. 27, 2012, at the New York Marriott Marquis, and will be recognized at the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala immediately following.

"The 'Top 25' is our who's who list of sales and marketing professionals that we celebrate each year as they are innovators and have produced strong results in their respective industries," said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "These professionals have succeeded in growing business for their own organizations and have continued to inspire and raise the bar for the rest of the hospitality industry."

The 2011 "Top 25" recipients were judged by a panel of senior industry executives for their recent work based on the following criteria: creativity and innovation; cutting edge sales or marketing campaigns; triumph in challenging situations; and sales efforts that resulted in dramatic gains.

The 2011 HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing are:

  • Rolando Aedo: Executive VP & Chief Marketing Officer, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Alisa Bailey: President & CEO, Virginia Tourism Corporation
  • Michael Bennett: VP, eCommerce & Communications, White Lodging
  • Douglas Carr: Executive Director Distribution, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International
  • Judy Christa-Cathey: VP, Global Brand Marketing, Hampton & Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Worldwide
  • Matthew Clyde: President & CEO, Ideas Collide Marketing Communications
  • Janelle Cornett: Corporate Director of Revenue Management, Coastal Hotel Group
  • Sal Dickinson: Founder & Chief Executive, FloridaVacationAuction.com
  • Neal Fegan: Executive Director of Revenue Management, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International
  • Agnelo Fernandes: VP of Sales & Marketing, Terranea Resort / Destination Hotels and Resorts
  • Wendy Ferrill: Managing Director, Worldwide Sales, Best Western International
  • Chantal Figueroa: Deputy Commissioner, USVI Department of Tourism
  • John Frazier: Executive VP & Deputy Director Travel Group, Quinn & Co Public Relations
  • David Horton: Global Head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts
  • Dan Kowalewski: VP Revenue Management Services, Wyndham Hotel Group
  • Tammy Lucas: Managing Director, Marketing Programs, Best Western International
  • Hunter McIntosh: Chief Operating Officer, The Boat Company LTD
  • Michael Menis: VP Web & Interactive Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group
  • Jorge Pesquera: President & CEO, Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Jason Price: Executive VP, HeBS Digital
  • Dan Rowe: President & CEO, Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Will Seccombe: Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Florida
  • Kathy Snyder Egan: President, Beaver Hollow
  • Sarah Travis: Head of Travel, Online Sales, Google
  • David West: VP of Marketing & Sales, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau

Tables and tickets for the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala are on sale now. More information on the HSMAI Adrian Awards and Top 25 can be found at www.adrianawards.com.

HSMAI also will be holding its Digital Marketing Strategy Conference on Feb. 28, the day after the Adrian Awards Gala, at the New York Marriott Marquis. This conference is a unique, one-day interactive program featuring industry thought leaders and experts discussing today's hottest digital marketing topics, including attribution, social and mobile.

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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