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 HSMAI’s Public Relations Platinum Award for their work with Rosewood Resort’s 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.