NEW YORK, NY (May 7, 2009) - The Greater New York Chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has named the 2009 honorees for the Annual Hospitality Awards of Excellence.  The awards will be presented June 11, 2009 along with the 16th Annual Frank W. Berkman Tourism Achievement Award, this year going to The United States Tennis Association's U.S. Open, one of the tennis world's four Grand Slam Tournaments.

For 2009, the HSMAI Greater New York Chapter has named eight individuals to be honored for their outstanding work and dedication to the sales and marketing profession.  The awards will be presented at the annual black-tie gala dinner on June 11, 2009 at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York.   The Tourism Achievement Award is presented each year to recognize individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the tourism industry in New York City.

The following honorees have been named for 2009:

• Hotel General Manager of the Year: Takis Anoussis, General Manager, Helmsley Park Lane

• Sales & Marketing Executive of the Year - Hotel: Kevin Croke, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Roosevelt Hotel

• Sales & Marketing Executive of the Year - Travel Industry: Makiko Matsuda Healy, Associate Vice President, Tourism Development, NYC & Company

• Operations Excellence Award: Dan Flannery, Managing Director & Brand Vice President, Edition Hotels

• Revenue Management Professional of the Year: Fred Heintz, CRME, Director of Market Strategy, Metro New York Marriott Hotels

• Hospitality Professional of the Year: Florence Quinn, CHA, President, Quinn & Company

• Hospitality Student of the Year: Enada Jang, New York University-Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management

• President's Award for Outstanding Service to the Community: Joan Wolff, Senior Manager - Visitor Services, Macy*s Visitors Center

The USTA and its premier event, the U.S. Open, were chosen for the Frank W. Berkman Tourism Achievement Award because of the huge visibility their event provides for New York City, the number of tourists the tennis tournament brings into New York City each year and the a multitude of contributions to New York City in the form of inner-city sports promotions as well as a variety of employment opportunities for the local economy. 

USTA President Lucy S. Garvin, along with Executive Director and COO Gordon A. Smith, will accept the award at the annual Frank W. Berkman black-tie awards dinner and dance at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center on June 11.  There may also be a tennis star or two on hand, depending on who is in town at the time of the event in June.  A cocktail reception will begin at 6 pm followed by the awards presentation and dinner dance. 

Frank W. Berkman, CHME, was a former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of HSMAI for 16 years. This award was created in 1994 by the Past President's Council of the HSMAI Greater New York Chapter and was named after Berkman because of his dedication to building HSMAI into the highly-influential international hospitality industry organization it is today. 

Previous recipients recognized for their outstanding contributions to the tourism industry in New York City include:

2008    The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
2007    Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes
2006    Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels
2005    ING New York City Marathon
2004    The Mayors Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
2003    Macy*s
2002    The NYPD, FDNY & Port Authority Police
2001    Starwood Hotels
2000    The League of American Theatre & Producers
1999    The Today Show
1998    Donald Trump 
1997    The Honorable Rudolph Giulliani
1996    Arthur Surin, Senior Vice President of Hilton Hotels Corporation
1995    Robert Preston Tisch, Chairman of the Board for Loews Hotels
1994    Charles Gillette, Chair of the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau

About HSMAI
HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry.  With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events.  Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 39 chapters in the Americas Region with the Greater New York Chapter being the largest.