Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Germany took home most of the prizes during the HSMAI EuropeaN Awards at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London on Tuesday 4 February, celebrating the winners, in which also the Top 20 Extraordinary Minds within sales, marketing and technology in Europe’s travel and hospitality industry were named.

Apart from naming this year’s winners, the awards night contained lots of entertainment, delicious meals and splendid company – all led by Stephen Twining, of famous tea makers Twinings of London, serving as the evening’s master of ceremony.

“The hotel and travel industry is entering a very exciting point in its history. People are travelling more than ever, as the world becomes a smaller place. With more and more people crossing international borders, having a residence in Paris and going to work in London is fast becoming a reality for a number of people. As a globally recognised organisation, it is a fantastic time for HSMAI Europe to be entering new European markets and to be holding our first ever Top 20 Awards here in London,” said chairman of HSMAI Europe Ingunn Hofseth, in her opening speech, continuing:

“However, the industry also faces challenges from the world becoming more easy to access through the rise of social media, which is forcing companies to compete on a number of platforms against a growing number of competitors. This is where we believe HSMAI Europe plays a valuable role within this industry, in confronting such challenges. Through sharing knowledge and experience of the hospitality and travel sector, and the ground-breaking ways in which marketing has evolved, we encourage companies to learn from one another and share their skills to help the travel sector reach its true potential and overcome the new challenges it faces.”

Deeply impressed

She later went on to express her respect for the wining companies:

“I am deeply impressed by the candidates’ work, and, of course, that of the evening’s splendid winners, as we honour some of the great men and women who have achieved unbelieveable results, and will stand out as role models in the hotel and travel industry for years to come,” she says.

“I would also like to express my gratitude towards our experienced judges and the chairman of the jugdes, Professor Dr. Bård Tronvoll”.

Top 20 extraordinary minds in European travel and hospitality named

The Top 20 extraordinary minds within sales, marketing and technology in Europe’s travel and hospitality industry were named at the HSMAI Europe Awards at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London on Tuesday 4 February.

The 2014 Top 20 recipients are judged by a panel of senior executives for their recent work, based on the following criteria: creativity and innovation; cutting edge sales, marketing, revenue and technology campaigns; achievement in challenging situations; and sales efforts that resulted in significant gains.

“The Top 20 will become our annual hot list, that celebrates the sales, marketing and technology leaders and innovators in our industry,” says Ingunn Hofseth, president of HSMAI Europe, continuing:

“The creative strategies, passionate dedication and sharp intelligence of these professionals have not only grown the business within their organisations but have also truly raised the bar for the hospitality industry as a whole.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org