Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has named the Minnesota Chapter as its 2013 Chapter of the Year. HSMAI announced the Chapter of the Year winner and its Chapter Best of the Best Awards at its annual HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference in Las Vegas.

"Throughout the past year, our chapters have shown their dedication to finding new ways to help hotels

and their partners improve sales and create innovative marketing," said Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president. "Each chapter is filled with gifted people who strive to support the hotel industry."

Each year at the annual Leadership Conference, HSMAI recognizes chapters in the Americas Region for

leadership, development, educational programming and community involvement through the Frank W. Berman Chapter Awards Program. HSMAI presented 30 awards at the conference, which was renamed the HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference following a generous donation from the Mike and Andrea Leven Foundation in 2013.

This year's winners and categories include:

Large Chapter Winners

• Arizona: Awards & Recognition, Community Involvement/Fundraising, Partnership Development
• Greater New York: Collegiate Chapters, Communications Marketing, Customer Interaction Programs, Membership Development
• South Florida: Leadership Development, Education Programming

Medium Chapter Winners

• Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex: Awards & Recognition
• Minnesota: Collegiate Chapters, Education Programming, Leadership Development, Membership Development, Partnership Development
• Boston: Communication Marketing
• Central Florida: Community Involvement/Fundraising

Small Chapter Winners

• Mid South: Awards & Recognition, Collegiate Chapters, Leadership Development
• British Columbia: Communications Marketing, Membership Development , Partnership Development
• Austin: Community Involvement/Fundraising
• Vail: Customer Interaction Programs
• Virginia: Education Programming

The Innovation Award winners were: British Columbia, Communication Marketing; Virginia, Education;

Orange County, Leadership; and Minnesota, Membership. The Innovation Awards were created to recognize chapters that "think different" and achieved great results.

This year's Leadership Conference brought together HSMAI leaders at The Venetian/Palazzo Las Vegas

on March 13-14. The conference was made possible by the Andrea and Mike Leven Foundation, the Venetian/Palazzo Las Vegas, Rainmaker, and Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority and Freeman.

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.

Lindsay Stout
Edelman
214-443-7586
HSMAI