Leaders of the world’s largest hotel groups and executive from hotel companies of all sizes were present in Paris to celebrate the innovations and the examplary initiatives taken by hotel companies on an international level.
MKG Group, organizer of the 13th annual Worldwide Hospitality Awards, announces the winners of the 2012 Worldwide Hospitality Awards which took place during a ceremony at InterContinental Paris-Le grand Hotel in the French capital last night. The evening took place under the auspices of Simon Vincent, President Europe, Middle-East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, chairman of the ceremony, together with Angela Brav, Chief Executive Europe, IHG, chairwoman of the Advisory Board.Two different jurys, one made of twenty top executives of hotel groups, and the other one made of thirty qualified personalities from the Business, Communication and Tourism worlds, have selected the finalists in the various categories, forming the Hospitality Management Schools Awards, and the Worldwide Hospitality Awards. The ceremony itself was innovative thanks to an electronic hand-held device that allowed the audience to vote for THE winner in each category.In the Worldwide Hospitality Awards evening’s winners include:
- Ibis Megabrand for Best Communication Campaign;
- Clarion Hotel Stockholm for Best Marketing Campaign,
- Tsara Komba Lodge in Madagascar for the Best Sustainable Development Programme;
- Sofitel Worldwide for Best "People & Talent" Management Programme;
- Lucien Barrière Hotel Group for Best Guest-Experience;
- Woodlyn Park New Zealand for Most Innovative Hotel Concept;Furthermore, three trophies were presented to General Managers in different hotel segments: - Philippe Montaubin, General Manager Ibis-Novotel Dubai
- Christian Kramer, General Manager Mövenpick Hotel Lausanne
- and Alvaro Rey, General Manager, InterContinental Park Lane London. The Hospitality-on Grand Prize, named after MKG Group’s online information hub for the hospitality industry, was awarded to the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. It was presented to Trudy Rautio, President & CEO The Carlson Group, and to Kurt Ritter, President & CEO, The Rezidor Hotel Group, by Georges Panayotis, publisher of Hospitality-On, and Simon Vincent, Chairman of the Ceremony. The ceremony ended on an emotional note when Angela Brav, chairwoman of the Advisory Board, revealed the name of the Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Gabriel Escarrer Julia, Founder & Chairman of Melia Hotels International, who managed to address his fellow hoteliers, while obliged to stay in Mallorca, through a broadcasted video message. The award was given to his representant, Daniel Lozano, Senior VP Operations EMEA Melia Hotels International. Georges Panayotis, President of MKG Group, stated, “While the hotel industry is about to face new challenges in terms of distribution and development, I am extremely proud through these awards to praise the most innovative initiatives and the most examplary achievements. Looking back at thirteen years of history, the Hospitality Awards are revealing the trends which are developing year after year. Careful observers of all the candidates may forecast the future of our industry through their presentations. With an ever increasing international participation, Paris has become a true platform to benchmark the best practices.”Prior to the 13th Worldwide Hospitality Awards, the ceremony also praised innovation in Hospitality training through the third Hospitality Management Schools Awards. The winners were presented in three categories: - Best innovation in hospitality training in a professional high school: Lycée Hôtelier Jean de Romas, Nerac France
- Best innovation in hospitality training in a hotel management school: CMH International Hospitality Management, Paris, France
- Most Successful Alumnus: Christoph Heyn, graduated from IUBH, Bad Honef, Germany, Senior Manager Global eCommerce and Mobile Strategy for Ritz Carlton.EXTENSIVE REPORT IN THE NEXT EDITION OF HOSPITALITY-ON {{MAGAZINE}}
