HSMAI Announces the Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert Award for Career Achievement in Commercial Strategy
Nominations Open Through December 15, 2025
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is pleased to announce the Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert Award for Career Achievement in Commercial Strategy, a new pinnacle honor celebrating leaders whose careers have shaped the future of hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue strategy. Named in tribute to Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert, who served as HSMAI’s President and CEO from 1995 to 2024, the Gilbert Award recognizes enduring...
President and CEO of HSMAI, Bob Gilbert Announces Retirement
Photo by HSMAI (USA)
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is pleased to announce the Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert Award for Career Achievement in Commercial Strategy, a new pinnacle honor celebrating leaders whose careers have shaped the future of hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue strategy. Named in tribute to Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert, who served as HSMAI’s President and CEO from 1995 to 2024, the Gilbert Award recognizes enduring leadership, innovation, and advocacy across the commercial disciplines of hospitality. Nominations for the 2026 recognition are open now through December 15, 2025.
The Gilbert Award honors the visionary leaders who, like Bob himself, have transformed how our industry approaches commercial strategy. This award celebrates individuals whose influence extends beyond business success, recognizing those who have elevated people, ideas, and practices that shape the future of hospitality. Brian Hicks, President & CEO of HSMAI
The award underscores HSMAI’s commitment to recognizing excellence across disciplines, open to hoteliers, industry partners, and educators. Nominees may represent a single commercial discipline or demonstrate cross-functional impact through their leadership and achievements.
Recipients will be honored during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Celebration and at HSMAI’s Commercial Strategy Conference, signature annual events celebrating excellence in hospitality, where peers and leaders from around the world gather to spotlight innovation and achievement.
The Gilbert Award represents the next evolution of HSMAI’s legacy of recognition. As part of this transition, HSMAI Americas has retired its four legacy career achievement awards—the Albert E. Koehl Award, Winthrop W. Grice Award, Vanguard Award, and the HSMAI Award for Career Achievement in Sales—while inducting all past honorees into the HSMAI Hall of Fame, established in 1968. This change unites decades of excellence under one global recognition that reflects the interconnected nature of today’s commercial strategy disciplines.
To submit a nomination for the Robert A. “Bob” Gilbert Award for Career Achievement in Commercial Strategy, visit here.
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 annual programs such as the Commercial Strategy Conference and Adrian Awards. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with over 30 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org.