Press Release
Trailblazer in Triumph
The Virtus Awards, the premier accolade recognizing top talents in the Philippine hotel sales and marketing sector, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a grand awarding ceremony last October 10, 2024. This year’s ceremony, held in Makati City, featured winners chosen from a competitive pool of 56 finalists, nominated by their respective HSMA member properties earlier in August.
With the theme “A Decade of Distinction,” the event, hosted by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA)—the leading organization of hotel sales and marketing professionals in the country—paid tribute to the remarkable achievements of the Philippine hospitality industry. It highlighted the exemplary individuals and teams who have significantly contributed to the industry’s collective success.
HSMA President Loleth So announced the four prestigious awards for 2024, which included three individual categories—Associate, Manager, and Leader—along with a team award for the Outstanding Marketing Campaign. As the Virtus Awards commemorates a decade of excellence, it continues to inspire innovation and set benchmarks for success in the Philippine hospitality industry. In the individual category, Erwin Doña III, Director of Marketing and Communications at Novotel and ibis Styles, was honored with the Virtus Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader Award. His transformative approach to marketing communications—elevating it from a creative discipline to a strategic, revenue-driven pillar of hotel branding—cemented his well-deserved recognition. “At Novotel & ibis Styles Araneta City, we see marketing as more than just storytelling, visual producers, or market researchers. Marketing has become a critical driver in shaping strategies to meet the ever-evolving needs of our market. We actively listen, analyze data, and transform insights into actionable solutions. This marks a new era for marketing—where it plays a pivotal role as a key contributor to revenue growth, a contribution our organization proudly recognizes and values.”
In 2022, Michee Crudo, the Director of Sales, received this prestigious recognition. Additionally, the Marketing team garnered attention as a finalist for the 2023 Marketing Campaign of the Year, further cementing the hotel’s reputation as a powerhouse of talent in Sales and Marketing.
This is the second time Mr. Doña has received the prestigious award. In 2018, he was also honored with the Marketing Campaign of The Year Award for another property, which showcased a theme celebrating the vanguard of Filipino heritage.
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