MCLEAN, VA |The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is taking its acclaimed Adrian Awards competition to new heights by bringing both the entry system and judging online utilizing the expertise and systems developed by OMNI Solutions Group under an agreement to incorporate the firm’s omniContests online solution.

OMNI SG’s web-based solution lets entrants complete their entry form, pay their entry fees, and upload their creative work digitally online. Association staff can then view, manage, and support the status of each entry in real-time.

Once entries are submitted, designated contest judges can review and score the entries online effectively streamlining the selection of the winners. This online application is currently being used by the ADDY’s, OMA Awards, Athena Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, and many other advertising and industry-specific award programs.

“The Adrian Awards are the preeminent advertising, public relations and Web marketing awards program for the hospitality industry,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “Taking this competition online provides us with an outstanding opportunity to promote this contest more widely, while improving the operation of the contest from the point of entry, through processing and judging.”

These are times when the hospitality and travel marketing community rely on creativity and innovation to lure customers more than ever before, and to honor and highlight those who truly cut through the clutter and rose above the rest, HSMAI will present its annual International Travel Awards Competition – the Adrian Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing Awards winners in January 2005.

This evening of tribute and honor evolved from the first Adrian Advertising competition 47 years ago. Today, it stands as the largest and most prestigious travel and hospitality awards initiative in the world.

These prestigious awards, which recognize the very best of hospitality and travel advertising, marketing materials, public relations, and website design and development, make up the largest travel-related competition of its kind in the world, embracing every area of the industry, including hotels, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, destinations, credit card companies and more. Last year’s competition attracted over 1,500 entries from 45 countries.

Competition and entry information may be found at or .

Entry fees for HSMAI members are: Single Entry: $95; Advertising Series: $115; Complete Campaign: $120; Web Marketing: $95. For non-members, the fees are an additional $10 per entry. The deadline for all entries is September 10, 2004.

Entries for all of the Adrian Awards must be submitted online.

The winners of all three competitions will be announced at the 15th Annual HSMAI Travel Industry Awards Night in New York City on January 24, 2005 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.

“We are excited about bringing this outstanding awards program online,” said Pat Seery, executive vice president of OMNI Solutions Group. “With over five years experience in web-based competitions, OMNI SG has the knowledge and know-how to maximize the impact and effectiveness of this contest, and we are delighted to be working with HSMAI on this program.”

Over the past five years, OMNI Solutions Group has established a reputation as the leading technology provider for the implementation of online competitions. omniContests provides the functionality and flexibility needed to accommodate the varied needs of organizations running contests as small as a couple hundred entries, to competitions with tens of thousands of applications submitted each year.

Implementation of omniContests will enable HSMAI to streamline the operation of the contest, attract a higher number of entrants/entries, provide management with improved data/reporting, and raise the overall visibility and image of the competition.

About OMNI SG

OMNI Solutions Group provides customized, data-driven Web solutions to customers in associations and varied industries. General trade associations, homebuilders, general contractors, and corporations worldwide are now using OMNISG-developed applications, including omniSAM, omniContests, and HB$ales. The company also provides Web hosting, network support, and database integration services.

HSMAI is an international 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 comprising nearly 7,000 members worldwide, with 41 chapters in the Americas region.

For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, phone (703) 610-9024; fax (703) 610-9005, or visit the web site at www.hsmai.org

Richard S. Kahn
(516) 594-4100
HSMAI