(McLean, VA, February 19, 2020) The HSMAI Arizona Chapter was named the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Americas 2019 Chapter of the Year as part of HSMAI’s Frank W. Berkman Chapter Award Program — presented at the annual Mike Leven Leadership Conference at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin in Austin, Texas. The program also recognized “Chapter Best of the Best” award recipients.
“Year after year our chapters continue to find new and dynamic ways to connect with their members and the hospitality community,” said Jenny Teeson, HSMAI’s director of chapter management. “It is an honor to recognize our chapters’ outstanding efforts and celebrate their achievements.”
Over the course of two days, HSMAI chapter leaders gathered at the Mike Leven Leadership Conference to celebrate excellence in education, communications, membership, partnership, special events, and leadership. During the program, the chapters also had the opportunity to discuss best practices and focus on programs to help drive revenue and profits for hotel sales, marketing, and revenue optimization.
2020 Leadership Award Winners
- Phill Burgess, president, HSMAI Nashville, and president of Burgess Crest Management
- Brandi Lasanen, immediate past president, HSMAI British Columbia, and director of revenue management, Hyatt Regency Vancouver
- Lindsay Wenger, president, HSMAI Boston, and vice president of sales, North America, Zaplox
- Michaela Winter, president, HSMAI Central Florida, and corporate director, sales and marketing, Greenwood Hospitality
The HSMAI Chapter Award Program is named after Frank W. Berkman, who was appointed HSMAI’s executive director in the 1960s and served until his retirement in 1981. Each year HSMAI recognizes the best of the best in honor of Frank W. Berkman.
The 2019 Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best winners are:
Large Chapter Winners
- Arizona: Communications, Membership, Partnership, Special Events
- New York: Education, Partnership
Medium Chapter Winners
- Central Florida: Partnership, Special Events
- Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex: Communications, Partnership
- Las Vegas: Education
- South Florida: Membership
Small Chapter Winners
- Austin: Education, Special Events
- British Columbia: Partnership
- Mid-South: Communications
- Minnesota: Membership
- Ohio: Membership
Collegiate Chapter of the Year
- University of Memphis
The theme of this year’s HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference was “Vision 2020”. Throughout the conference, chapters were asked to evaluate and ideate new ideas surrounding content, experience, and promotion. To start, award-winning author and leadership expert Andy Masters gave a keynote presentation on association leadership and discussed how to empower leaders and boards in an era of doing more with less. Chapters also had the opportunity to connect and discuss their challenges and opportunities. To close, motivational speaker Courtney Clark encouraged chapters to still win, even when things don’t go according to plan.
The conference was renamed the HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference following a generous donation from the Mike and Andrea Leven Foundation in 2013. This year’s conference was made possible by the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin, PSAV, Visit Austin and HSMAI Austin Chapter.
