HSMAI - CONTACT CENTER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

What HSMAI - CONTACT CENTER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP does

HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1927 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with a six-person central staff and an operations footprint spanning 40 chapters across the Americas and more than 5,000 members worldwide. The Contact Center Special Interest Group (SIG) is one of HSMAI's thematic communities, focused on hospitality contact center leaders and the voice channel: reservations sales, upselling, customer experience, and the operating model implications of AI integration in hotel reservations and service operations. Brian Hicks serves as President and CEO.

HSMAI's core 'products' are community, content, and credentials rather than software. The portfolio includes flagship events such as the Commercial Strategy Conference (reported at 850+ attendees in 2024 and scaling to 1,000+ in 2026) and the long-running Adrian Awards (68th edition in 2024, 69th in 2026), a multi-tier corporate partnership program (Platinum, Gold, Preferred) with named technology and revenue-management partners, and a professional certification stack covering revenue management, marketing, and distribution disciplines. No proprietary technology platform, API, or integration is disclosed; the operating model is association-native.

The business model is membership-based, complemented by event registration, certification fees and renewals, publication and advertising revenue, and corporate sponsorship across the partnership tiers. The customer base is heterogeneous and includes individual hospitality commercial professionals, hotel brand and ownership groups (e.g., Marriott, Omni Hotels, Hershey Entertainment, Outrigger, Accor, MSC Cruises, Hotel del Coronado, CoralTree Hospitality), and destination marketing organizations (Puerto Rico Tourism, Connecticut Tourism, Port Aransas Tourism). HSMAI does not disclose audited financials, headcount growth, or capital structure; the Contact Center SIG's commercial significance is best read through the broader HSMAI brand and partnership ecosystem.

Name

HSMAI - CONTACT CENTER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Legal name

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

Website

https://americas.hsmai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HSMAI's Contact Center SIG is a community within the 98-year-old Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, serving hotel contact center leaders across 40 Americas chapters and 5,000+ members worldwide through events, certifications (CRME, CRMA, CHBA, CHDM, CHSL), and a multi-tier corporate partner ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

McLean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HSMAI generates revenue through membership fees for individual and organizational members. Membership provides access to certifications, insights, events, and networking opportunities.
2. Event Registration: Revenue from conference registrations for Commercial Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, Executive Roundtables, Curate forums, and other events.
3. Certification Programs: Revenue from professional certifications including CRME, CRMA, CHBA, CHDM, and CHSL certifications and study guides.
4. Publications and Study Guides: Revenue from selling certification publications and study guides.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The HSMAI Contact Center Special Interest Group (SIG) is a peer discussion community within the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) that brings together hotel contact center leaders to address shared challenges, emerging trends, and practical strategies for driving revenue through voice channels. The SIG operates through interactive roundtables at signature events and addresses topics such as call handling efficiency, upselling/cross-selling, conversion rates, staffing, and AI integration in hospitality contact centers.

Product overview

HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) is a professional membership association founded in 1927, serving the hospitality industry with over 5,000 members worldwide and 40 chapters in the Americas. The organization offers a unified portfolio of professional development products and services, including five professional certifications (CRME, CRMA, CHBA, CHDM, CHSL), an online education platform (HSMAI Academy), signature events (Commercial Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, Executive Roundtables, Curate forum), content platforms (HSMAI Studio Podcast, Insights publications), and special interest groups including the Contact Center SIG. These offerings are designed to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue for hospitality professionals and their organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HSMAI Americas: Regional division of HSMAI serving the Americas with chapters and regional programming
• HSMAI Foundation
• Commercial Strategy Conference
• Adrian Awards
• HSMAI Curate
• HSMAI Academy

Products and services

• HSMAI Contact Center Special Interest Group (SIG)

Quantifiable outcome

• Voice bookings represent ~18% of hotel reservations despite online booking rise
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered best of show co-host, signature partner, top 25 vip reception co-host, supporters, preferred partner, platinum partner, gold partner and roundtable sponsor.

• Ideas Collidebest of show co-hostGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Ideas Collide served as best of show co-host for the 69th annual Adrian Awards Celebration.
• Milestonesignature partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Milestone is a signature partner for the Adrian Awards Celebration.
• Three & Sixsignature partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Three & Six is a signature partner for the Adrian Awards Celebration.
• Kinective Mediatop 25 vip reception co-hostGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Kinective Media is the Top 25 VIP Reception Co-Host for the Adrian Awards.
• GooglesupportersGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Google is a supporter of the Adrian Awards Celebration.
• VERBsupportersGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026VERB is a supporter of the Adrian Awards Celebration.
• IDeaS Revenue Solutionspreferred partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025IDeaS Revenue Solutions is a Preferred partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference, supporting the annual event that brings together hospitality commercial professionals for education and networking.
• Cendynplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Cendyn is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference, one of the hospitality industry's premier events for commercial strategy professionals.
• Flexpayplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Flexpay is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• FLYR Hospitalityplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025FLYR Hospitality is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Andrew Rubinacci, CCO of FLYR, serves as HSMAI Americas 2025 Chair.
• Lighthouseplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Lighthouse is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• SiteMinderplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025SiteMinder is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• Tambourineplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Tambourine is a Platinum partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Christina Davis, SVP of Product & Operations at Tambourine, was named a 2025 Top 25 Extraordinary Mind.
• Amadeusgold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Amadeus is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Joe Spirito, VP of Demand Generation Advisors at Amadeus, serves on the HSMAI Americas Board.
• GCommercegold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025GCommerce is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• MetaDeskgold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025MetaDesk is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• Kalibri Labsgold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Kalibri Labs is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Jennifer Hill, SVP Commercial Strategy at Kalibri, is a Revenue Optimization Advisory Board Member.
• Revenue Analyticsgold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Revenue Analytics is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• Sojerngold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Sojern is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Dawn Briggs, Senior Director of Global Strategic Accounts at Sojern, serves on the HSMAI Americas Board.
• Venuelocitygold partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Venuelocity is a Gold partner for the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
• Ideas Collidesignature partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Ideas Collide is a signature partner for the Adrian Awards and best of show co-host for the 69th annual Adrian Awards Celebration.
• Dragonfly Strategistsroundtable sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2025Dragonfly Strategists is a sponsor of the Hotel Commercial Strategy Executive Roundtable at the Commercial Strategy Conference.
• Lotus Marketingroundtable sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2025Lotus Marketing is a sponsor of the Hotel Commercial Strategy Executive Roundtable. Kimberly Erwin, Principal at Lotus Marketing, is a HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board Member.
• Milestoneroundtable sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2025Milestone is a sponsor of the Hotel Commercial Strategy Executive Roundtable.
• MMGY GlobalsupportersGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2025MMGY Global is a supporter of the Adrian Awards and serves as media contact for HSMAI press releases.
• New York Marriott MarquissupportersOthers · 18 February 2025New York Marriott Marquis is the venue partner for the Adrian Awards Celebration, hosting the 68th annual event.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Marketing Association (AMA): AMA is a large general-purpose marketing association with a membership, certification, and event model. While not vertical-specific, it competes for the same marketing and digital marketing professional audience as HSMAI's CHDM-certified members.
• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association): PCMA is a global association for the business events industry with a membership, certification, and conference model very similar to HSMAI's, even though the served vertical (events vs. hospitality commercial) differs.
• U.S. Travel Association: U.S. Travel Association is the national trade organization for the broader U.S. travel industry, with overlapping members (tourism boards, hotels, cruise lines) and similar advocacy, events, and research functions as HSMAI.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA is the global trade association for airlines, with a comparable membership, certification, and training-business model. It is comparable structurally though it serves the airline vertical rather than lodging.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): MPI is a global association for the meetings and events industry with a membership model, professional certifications, and large annual conferences. It is comparable in operating model and revenue mix (dues, events, certifications) to HSMAI.

Direct peers

• Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG): HTNG is a hospitality-specific technology association producing standards, forums, and events for hotel technology leaders. It overlaps with HSMAI's digital marketer / commercial strategy members and competes for hospitality tech vendor sponsorship dollars.
• Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP): HFTP is an international hospitality association serving finance and technology professionals, offering certifications, events, and networking. It competes for the same hospitality professional audience and overlapping certification/event revenue as HSMAI.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): AHLA is the leading U.S. hotel industry trade association, representing thousands of hotel properties. It is the most direct analogue to HSMAI's role in the hospitality ecosystem, though its focus is broader (operations, policy, labor) versus HSMAI's commercial-strategy focus.
• Destinations International: Destinations International is a trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), with overlapping members (tourism boards, hotels) and analogous events, awards, and education programs relative to HSMAI.

Regional players

• Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE): SITE is an international association for the incentive travel industry, with membership, events, and certifications similar to HSMAI but focused on the incentive-travel niche and heavily global.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HSMAI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hsmai-contact-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HSMAI - CONTACT CENTER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP