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Building a Bridge to Our Brightest Future
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: McLean, VA (Sept. 25, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation has announced the launch of its Century Campaign, a five-year fundraising effort ahead of the organization’s upcoming 100th anniversary in 2027. Donations to the Century Campaign will be used to further the mission of the Foundation and its efforts to attract new talent, develop emerging talent, and engage existing talent in the hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professions.
“The Century Campaign pays tribute to the organization’s legacy of innovation and community and offers the opportunity for HSMAI stakeholders to come together and make a difference, paving the way for the next 100 years by fostering top talent,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO, HSMAI. “HSMAI has impacted the lives of countless people in the industry professionally and personally. As the association nears its 100th anniversary milestone we’re asking them to help in ensure that the future generation find their place in our industry.”
Through contributions, funds will be deployed to:
- Attract new talent from top hospitality and business schools and provide and enhance cutting-edge instructional materials for faculty who teach sales, marketing, and revenue courses. This includes showcasing pathways for successful careers in hospitality and developing research such as the HSMAI Foundation State of Talent Report.
- Develop emerging talent in hospitality through the funding of global Rising Leader Councils that recognize top sales, marketing, and revenue performers in the under 30 age demographic, fostering their growth and development within the industry.
- Engage and recognize diverse talent to demonstrate and foster commercial career paths for underrepresented groups and support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives through strategic partnerships, actionable research, grants, and scholarships.
“The one thing all of us at HSMAI have in common is the invaluable support we received in our hospitality careers,” said Michelle Woodley, Chair and President of HSMAI Foundation. “The Century Campaign is a reflection of our shared experiences, culminating in positive sentiment towards the industry, personal fulfillment, and tangible results.”
With more than $600,000 raised already through personal outreach to past HSMAI Association and Foundation chairs, HSMAI looks forward to achieving their goals both fiscally and in garnering more awareness for the great work of the Foundation. Donors can support the Campaign at various tax-deductible gift levels. One-time, monthly, and yearly payment options are available over the five years of the campaign. For more information on how to donate to the HSMAI Foundation’s Century Campaign, visit HSMAI100.org.
100 years after inception, HSMAI Foundation Leadership, Foundation chair Lori Kiel, CEO Bob Gilbert, and chair elect Michelle Woodley, at the site of the original association meeting, the Belmont Hotel in Chicago.
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About the Foundation
The HSMAI Foundation is a 501 c3 organization established in 1983 to serve as the research and educational arm of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. The Foundation’s mission is to elevate the overall caliber and performance of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals in the global hospitality industry by driving initiatives that will attract new talent, develop emerging talent, and engage existing talent. The work of the Foundation is supported by private donations and Corporate Talent Partners. Visit www.hsmaifoundation.org for more information.