MCLEAN, VA (Sept. 10, 2003) � In recognition of their decades of dedication and contributions to hospitality sales and marketing, a blue-ribbon panel of past Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) presidents and chairs have declared James C. Collins and Richard Degnan, CHME, the 2003 HSMAI Hall of Fame recipients.

�Each of these remarkable individuals has served the industry for more than 40 years, and in that time, they have been tremendous innovators and mentors,� states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.

�The support for these inductees was overwhelming, and it is with great pride and pleasure that we honor their achievements and great contributions.�

Collins and Degnan will be recognized as the 2003 recipients of the HSMAI Hall of Fame award at the upcoming HSMAI 75th Anniversary Gala, a black-tie event which will take place on Sept. 25 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. 

JAMES COLLINS

For more than four decades, from 1945 to the late 1980�s, James C. Collins worked for Hilton Hotels.  His first job was as a secretary in the sales department at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago, and he culminated his career as senior vice president of marketing for Hilton Hotels Corporation. 

As head of Hilton�s worldwide sales and marketing organization, he was a leader and innovator, credited with launching a number of programs that impacted the meetings industry and business travel.  Among his achievements are: creation of the HiltonPass, the first universal hotel voucher program for wholesalers; QuickCheck, a pre-registration program for the frequent business traveler; Lady Hilton, a program of special services and facilities for women travelers; Group Central, a booking service providing 24-hour confirmation of meeting arrangements anywhere in the U.S.; and the Hilton Video Conferencing Network.

Collins served on numerous foundations and boards, including chairman of the International Marketing Plan Development Committee, which served to develop the first long-term marketing plan for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration � an effort that was recognized by the Secretary of Commerce, Malcolm Baldridge and President Ronald Regan.

His involvement with the Convention Leadership Council (CLC), which is today the Convention Industry Council (CIC), dates back to the early 1960s when he collaborated on the first edition of the CLC manual addressing the relationship between hotels and convention bureaus, became chair of the organization from 1983-84, and was elected to the CLC Hall of Leaders in 1993.  Throughout his career, he has been a mentor to young professionals in the interest of career advancement.

Collins has been retired since 1998, following a six-year position as executive advisor to the president of ANA Hotels USA.

RICHARD DEGNAN, CHME

From a front desk clerk in 1947 at the General Worth Hotel in Hudson, NY, to director of marketing at the Macon Hilton Hotel in Macon, GA, 40 years later, HSMAI Hall of Fame inductee Richard Degnan, CHME, is a true believer in the hospitality and travel industry and his dedication to HSMAI has been strong and steady � even in the years following his retirement in 1987.

From his early start with HSMAI through the Junior Chapter at the Cornell Hotel School in 1949, to his first membership in the St. Louis Chapter in 1951 and his present involvement with the Greater Phoenix Chapter, he has been an active member in 14 HSMAI Chapters, serving on the board of seven, an officer of six and the president of five.  He was awarded the �Lifetime Spirit Award� from the Greater Phoenix Chapter in December 2000 for his devotion to the chapter and its CHME program.

His career in hospitality has taken him from coast to coast, working up the sales and marketing ladder at properties including the Diplomat Resort & Country Club in Hollywood, FL; Scottsdale Hilton Hotel & Spa and Arrowhead Hilton Lodge in Scottsdale; The Biltmore Hotel and Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles; Cleveland Statler-Hilton Hotel; Pick Hotels Corporation in Chicago; and Stouffers Hotel Division in Cleveland, among many others.

The HSMAI Hall of Fame was established in 1968 to honor industry executives who have been accorded this honor for their �pioneering� activities and active involvement in sales and marketing education, training and industry advancement.  With the induction of Collins and Degnan, the HSMAI Hall of Fame boasts 46 inductees, including Adrian Phillips, CHME (1968),  Frank W. Berkman, CHME (1971), Sig S. Front, CHME (1978), Michael A. Leven, CHME (1991), John J. Russell, CHME (1996), Peter C. Yesawich, PhD, (2000) and David R. Evans, CHME (2001) to name a few.

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, while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales and marketing management disciplines.  Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of nearly 7,000 members from 35 countries and 60 chapters worldwide.