Quinn & Co., Peggy Bendel of Development Counsellors
International, and Lou Hammond & Co., all of New York,
dominated the PR portion of the awards banquet last night
of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Assn. International
at the Marriott Marquis.
A black tie audience of more than 800 was on hand as more
than 100 awards were given out for advertising, PR and web
campaigns for hotel and travel industry clients.
Entertainment was provided by comedian Ross Shafer and "The
Three Waiters," singers who roamed through the audience
while performing operatic and popular songs.
Quinn & Co. staffers
celebrate their win at the HSMAI awards. L-R, president
Florence Quinn; A/E Michelle Abril; VP John Frazier, and
Carla Caccavale, partner. |
"PR Best in Show" went to Quinn & Co. of New
York for its "Algonquin Martini on the Rock" promotion
that was featured on "The David Letterman Show"
and "Good Morning America" and made page one of
the New York Daily News.
The concept (a novel way for a man to announce an engagement
to his intended bride) was created by partner Carla Caccavale.
John Frazier, a VP at Quinn, named and developed the idea
and Vanessa Amador, senior A/E, was responsible for the lion's
share of the placements. The firm won a total of ten HSMAI
awards including one platinum, three gold, two silver and
three bronze.
Besides the Algonquin, it was also honored for its work for
Flathotel, New York; Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Santa Fe; the
Westin New York at Times Square, and the Aruba Tourism Authority.
Bendel
Gets "Lifetime" Award
Peggy Bendel, senior VP of travel marketing of Development
Counsellors International, was given the Winthrop W. Grice
Award for outstanding lifetime achievement in PR.
DCI is the second biggest PR firm in travel PR with 2004
fees of $4.4 million.
Peggy Bendel, SVP of
travel marketing for Development Counsellors Int'l, took
home HSMAI's lifetime achievement award in PR. |
Bendel, with the firm since 1985 after serving in the "I
Love New York" program for the New York State Dept. of
Commerce, thanked her family and co-workers including Ted
Levine, who founded DCI in 1960, his son, Andy, who is now
president of the firm, and executive VP Rob DeRocker.
She also recognized her clients including Mickey Rowley of
the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism and the Hershey Entertainment
and Resorts team headed by Kim Schaller.
Her personal secret for success was "Be in the right
place at the right time, work you head off, and wear comfortable
shoes."
Hammond
Has 34 Winners
Spring, O'Brien &
Co. took home HSMAI's 2005 PR Platinum Award for their
media relations campaign for the Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
all-suite accommodations. |
Lou Hammond & Assocs., garnering the most PR awards of
HSMAI for the fifth year in a row, had 33 winners in the regular
awards contest and also picked up a platinum award, the highest
given out by HSMAI, for its work for the Turkish Culture and
Tourism Office.
LH&A won seven gold awards, 13 silver and 13 bronze awards
for clients including the Bermuda Dept. of Tourism; Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Group; Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau,
and the Waldorf-Astoria.
"We feel honored to have the work of our staff and our
wonderful clients recognized by such an outstanding organization,"
said Lou Hammond, president.
Nike Communications
Nina Kaminer (left) and Amanda Miller (center) accept
HSMAIs Public Relations Platinum Award for their
work with Rosewood Resorts Little Dix Bay in the
British Virgin Islands. |
Other PR platinum award winners, besides Quinn & Co.
and LH&A, were M Booth & Assocs. for MGM Mirage; M.
Silver & Assocs. for NYC & Co.; Spring, O'Brien &
Co. for Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, and Nike Communications
for Little Dix Bay, a Rosewood Resort.
Arnold/IQ Interactive won the web marketing platinum award
for Royal Caribbean International.
Weber
Shandwick Took 20 Awards
Second biggest winner in the HSMAI contest, which drew 1,200
entries from 35 countries, was Weber Shandwick Worldwide,
taking 20 awards.
'The Three Waiters' entertained
guests at the black-tie HSMAI event. |
Honored were campaigns for such WSW clients as Bahamas Ministry
of Tourism; Canadian Tourism Commission; Atlantic City Convention
and Visitors Authority; Royal Caribbean International, Miami;
Singapore Airlines, Los Angeles, and Kayak.com, Norwalk, Conn.
The Albert E. Koehl Award for excellence in advertising was
given to Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO, Starwood Capital
Group.
The advertising "Best in Show" went to the Las
Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (R&R Partners
is the agency).
Kahn Travel Communications, Rockville Center, N.Y., handled
PR for the event.
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