Northern Ireland Hotels Federation launches ‘Key Awards’

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) has rebranded its annual industry awards calendar which champions talent within the hotel and hospitality sector.

Renamed the ‘Key Awards’, each awards event has been designed to celebrate excellence and innovation.

The first of this new suite of accolades, ‘Key Awards for Rising Stars’, was launched this month by Stephen Meldrum and Londonderry-based Lauren Burton.

Stephen Meldrum, president of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, said: “The Federation fully recognises the vital role that people play in making our hotel industry a success. Within the sector, there are businesses and individuals who are consistently striving to exceed expectations and they are progressing at a stellar pace. We’re keen to acknowledge these rising stars, highlight their career progression and raise the profile of opportunities that exist within a hotel setting.

“We felt it was important to relaunch and rebrand our award categories and introduce a new category to truly reflect the evolution of the sector. In the coming year, we will run a competition for reception and housekeeping staff and we will explore how we can highlight best practice and recognise great people in our businesses.

“Our first Key Awards for Rising Stars will take place at our annual Hospitality Exchange 2022 event in October. Successful entrants will be acknowledged at a special lunch hosted by compere Pamela Ballantine.

“We are encouraging members to nominate a star within their business who has shown exceptional talent in their chosen discipline and made a significant contribution to their business. There are lots of deserving candidates and we look forward to rewarding the positive contributions each individual makes to the sector.”