The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is delighted to reveal the 2012 Gold Adrian Award Winners, who will be honored at the upcoming Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala January 28. These coveted awards are given to those who have contributed outstanding advertising, digital marketing and public relations campaigns to the hospitality industry.

While there were many exceptional award candidates among the more than 1,100 entries, the winners displayed premium industry knowledge and delivered excellent consumer engagement results. This year, HSMAI awarded 57 advertising, 81 digital marketing and 128 public relations Gold Awards - the most Gold Awards HSMAI has presented to date – in addition to Silver and Bronze Awards. A complete list of Gold Winners can be viewed in the HSMAI Adrian Awards Winners' Gallery.

"We are pleased to see such innovative minds ensuring success for their individual clients, as well as strengthening the hospitality industry as a whole," said Fran Brasseux, executive vice president of HSMAI. "Our judges were impressed by the quality of the entries and awarded more Gold Winners this year than the organization has in years past. In particular, we noticed a focus of honing in on personal connections with consumers, a continued concentration of digitalized media and evolving storytelling tactics."

Due to such a dynamic industry environment, hospitality trends and practices are constantly changing. Some of the unique themes the judges noticed amongst this year's winners include:

For the Advertising division, the Gold-winning entries showed:

• Strong emotional connections
• Effective usage of storytelling
• Ads that made consumers want to take action

For the Digital Marketing division, Gold-winning entries featured:

• Big ideas - not just executing content
• Campaigns that exhibited a shared purpose and connection with consumers
• Creative use of social media

For the Public Relations division, Gold-winning entries displayed:

• A shift from luxury-focused campaigns to comfort, experience and individuality
• Strong presence of sustainability and ecotourism
• Continued digitalization of media

Gold Adrian Award Winners are automatically qualified to be finalists for Platinum Adrian Awards and the highly sought-after "Best of Show" Awards. Both Awards will be announced at the annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala, a formal event taking place Jan. 28, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

HSMAI's Adrian Awards Reception and Gala is an apex occasion that coalesces professionals who exhibit best practices in sales and marketing for the hospitality industry. Comprised of more than 1,000 attendees, it is a multipurpose event that celebrates lifetime achievement; award-winning strategies in advertising, digital marketing and public relations; and the teams behind each campaign that bring an idea to life. In addition, the multitude of attendees ensures key professionals within the hospitality industry have a chance to connect for an evening of celebration and camaraderie.

The HSMAI Adrian Awards competition congratulates exemplary work in advertising, digital marketing and public relations. Top winners in each category will also be selected for consideration of the TravelClick eMarketer of the Year, the American Express Loyalty Marketing Award and Oyster.com's new The World is Your Oyster Award. The third annual Leader in Sustainable Tourism award presented concurrently with National Geographic Traveler will also be announced at the Gala. Gold Winners will be recognized at the Adrian Awards Gala Dinner Reception, co-sponsored by HSMAI and Expedia Media Solutions. Additionally, the Gala opening will display winners' work on-screen as part of the opening. All winning entries will be hosted in the online winners' gallery.

More than 200 subject-matter experts in advertising, digital marketing, media and public relations disciplines, along with prominent members of the travel industry, were selected for the panel that decided on the awards given.

For more information on the HSMAI Adrian Awards competition and Gala, please contact [email protected] or visit www.adrianawards.com.

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.