Nominations are now open for the Hospitality High Five Awards by Traverse City Tourism. The inaugural awards are intended to honor those who excel in the Northwest Michigan hospitality industry.
The awards will recognize top performers in lodging and hospitality-related businesses. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, March 22 at High Five Awards and can be submitted by anyone. Winners will be chosen by an independent committee of Northern Michigan hospitality experts and announced at the Traverse City Tourism Annual Meeting in May.
“There are so many people that work on the front lines of hospitality and make this a premier travel destination,” said Traverse City Tourism President, Trevor Tkach. “We felt it was time to acknowledge those people in a new way since they play such a vital role in creating a vibrant local economy.”
Candidates will be recognized based on a range of factors including their dedication to the hospitality industry, their compelling story, and years of service. The majority of the awards are designed to honor non-executive team members.
The awards include recognition for:
- Customer service and guest relations (lodging & non-lodging)
- Back of house (lodging & non-lodging)
- Seasonal workers
- Rookie of the Year (high school student)
- Festival and events staff
- Sales/Marketing/Finance team members in lodging
- All-star non-executive employee in any hospitality-related business
- Visionary executive leader in any hospitality-related business
Nominees must work for hospitality businesses that are active in Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, and Antrim Counties. For businesses providing overnight lodging, eligibility is limited to members of Traverse City Tourism. The nomination form and full list of rules are available at https://www.traversecity.com/hospitality-awards/ .