Championing Excellence in Hotel Sales and Marketing

Recognized to be one of the most coveted awards in the hospitality industry, the Virtus Awards is a multi-category competition that serves as a unique platform for hotel sales and marketing professionals to share their stories of setting game-changing standards in service, and creating innovative programs that positively impact on the hospitality industry.

In 2014, the late HSMA President Christine Ann Ibaretta, inspired by the Adrian Awards given out annually by HSMAI (USA), raised the idea of HSMA creating its own industry award program to then HSMA President, now Chair, Margie Munsayac. Straightaway, the Virtus Awards Committee, chaired by Rose Libongco, was created to develop, to organize and to roll out the 1st Virtus Awards in 2015.

Fast forward to 2020 and the hotel industry found itself on the brink of collapse due to the global health crisis. Amid these headwinds, the Virtus Awards persisted in recognizing excellence among sales and marketing practitioners in the hotels and resorts industry. Three years after and coming out of the pandemic, hotels are making significant strides toward recovery. This 2024, the Virtus Awards is celebrating a milestone with its 10th cycle. The theme “A Decade of Distinction”, turns the spotlight on how the Virtus Awards created a culture of excellence, and paying forward, among hotel sales and marketing professionals that impact businesses to thrive in the long-term.

Three individual awards (Associate, Manager and Leader) give recognition to the relentless pursuit of business opportunities for their properties to remain relevant and above water. On the other hand, the team award (Marketing Campaign) turns the spotlight on how dynamic changes in travel, recreation and celebration trends have been identified and successfully translated into features/programs/messages and/or medium that responds to current preferences and needs of old, new and future guests.

The past nine years has seen a lot of doors open to Virtus awardees and finalists – helping them expand their network and move up in their hospitality careers.

The HSMA will continue to push forward to make the Virtus Awards leave its mark in the tourism industry – stimulating, enabling, inspiring, and forging pathways to excellence and success among hotel sales and marketing professionals.