robert gilbert
HSMAI Perspective: Generative AI in Hospitality
Robert Gilbert, CHME, CHA President & CEO HSMAI | March 30, 2023
By Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, President and CEO, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Discussion of artificial intelligence (AI) seems ubiquitous these days. Many of our Advisory Boards and Rising Leader Councils have held spirited discussions on the topic in the last few months. We’re all familiar with existing AI tools such as virtual assistants, chatbots and automated booking processes. But, over the last 6 months, generative AI has rapidly evolved and entered our collective consciousness. I heard a quote recently that right now generative AI results are about 10% IN-accurate, but that perce...
HSMAI Perspective: Problems With the Pipeline
Robert A. Gilbert | February 23, 2021
By Robert Gilbert I’ve written before about the severe underrepresentation of Black professionals across the executive level in the hospitality industry — including in senior sales, marketing, and revenue optimization positions. There are many different reasons for this, but new research by the HSMAI Foundation highlights a big one: We’re not investing sufficiently in the talent pipeline. In a review of undergraduate hospitality programs at the 19 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) offering them, we found that enrollment and graduation rates have been trending downward for at least the last five years: ...
Nominations Open for HSMAI 2020 Top 25 and Lifetime Achievement Honors
HSMAI | October 21, 2020
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) Americas is now accepting nominations for its Lifetime Achievement and Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization honors. HSMAI will recognize honorees during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner in conjunction with the HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference and other HSMAI Marketing Week events in 2021. Nominations are open until December 1, 2020. HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards HSMAI’s Albert E. Koehl Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Marketing and Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations recognize hos...
HSMAI Introduces New Rising Sales Leader Council
HSMAI | October 8, 2019
(McLean, VA, October 08, 2019) HSMAI has launched an all-new Rising Sales Leader Council. The Council is a professional development and advocacy group comprised of up-and-coming professionals working in a mix of hospitality sales roles across a variety of organizations including hotel on-property, regional, corporate, DMO, DMC, Management Company, brand, partner, and more. Eight hospitality and tourism professionals comprise the inaugural Rising Sales Leader Council, each with years of experience in the industry. “This Council is part of the HSMAI Sales Advisory Board’s work to cultivate the next generation of industry leaders by provi...
HSMAI Announces Americas Board of Directors and Executive Committee for 2018
HSMAI | January 30, 2018
(McLean, VA, January 30, 2018) The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is pleased to announce its 2018 Americas Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The board comprises a diverse range of executives from a representative mix of HSMAI members. "We're thrilled to be welcoming such an innovative and diverse group of individuals to the 2018 Americas Board of Directors," said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president & CEO of HSMAI. "Having such a future-focused board will ensure that HSMAI continues to be a key resource to its members—and the rest of the hospitality industry—in helping them...
