Hemsworth Comms.Travel, hospitality and lifestyle agency Hemsworth Communications has been named the agency of record to handle trade initiatives for hotel giant Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

Hemsworth will manage strategic trade and development PR programs for the hotel chain, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Fort Lauderdale, FL-based Hemsworth will help Best Western implement a strategic PR plan to raise awareness for the brand, securing trade media placements that showcase Best Western’s recent growth and re-emergence as a powerhouse in the hospitality industry.

Hemsworth will also execute brand thought leadership initiatives for the company’s executive team, which includes support for new hotel launches and a presence at industry conferences. The agency will not handle Best Western’s consumer initiatives.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts is the newly christened master brand belonging to Best Western International, Inc. The Phoenix-headquartered company, which operates more than 4,100 properties worldwide — with nearly 2,200 locations in North America — has slated $2 billion in investment this year for renovations and quality improvements in its North American properties. The company also recently unveiled its new line of boutique brands, Vīb and GLō.