FAQs

2023 Call for Entries early deadline is August 18, 2023.  Final closing September 8, 2023.

The competition is open to all travel-related industries. Work completed after January 1, 2022 through the date of entry, 2023 is eligible for entry. Entries submitted in prior years may be resubmitted if the results of the campaign have changed significantly, or if additional elements have been added to the piece or program after January 1, 2022.

All entries are submitted online. Each entry must include a completed communications statement. Supporting materials can be uploaded in a variety of electronic formats. To avoid entry problems, review file format and size requirements in advance.

Entries may be submitted by travel industry organizations, advertising, digital marketing agencies, public relations/communications firms, or any other type of communications professional on behalf of their clients. Both client and agency are acknowledged in the awarding process. Award winners may be asked to submit additional materials such as high-resolution media to be displayed at the Awards Celebration.

Approximately 200 industry experts are invited to serve as members of the Adrian Awards judging academy. Judges are advertising, public relations/communications, media, and digital professionals, along with leading members of the travel community. Entries are evaluated in five equally weighted categories: Marketing Objectives, Creativity, Quality, Content, and Results. Each entry is judged on its own merit and success in achieving its objectives as outlined in the entry’s communication statement. Multiple judges score each entry. Points are then added cumulatively, and an average score is determined. All tabulation is done by officials of HSMAI and kept confidential. Judging for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards is completed online.

There is no limit to the number of entries one can submit.

All entries in the 2023 Adrian Awards must be submitted online. To begin the entry process, click on Enter Now button from the Competition page or any of the entry links throughout the site.

Begin by entering or creating an Entrant Account with username and password. Once you have saved your entrant form you can begin entering your entry data.

• Step 1: From the Main Menu click on the words “Add Entry” and complete your Entrant Information Form and press “Save.”
• Step 2: To begin the entry process select “ADD ENTRY.” You will need to complete all required information in the form. Make sure to press “SAVE” frequently to avoid loss of data. When you are finished filling out the entry form, press “SAVE ENTRY” once more.
• Step 3: Next upload your supporting media files. Please review the file requirements before you begin this process. When you are finished uploading all the media files for a specific entry, make sure to go back and click each uploaded document to confirm that it is functioning properly. If you have uploaded text documents that must be read, make sure you can read them from the screen.
• Step 4: Review your submitted entries by clicking on the “VIEW/EDIT ENTRIES” link. You should see a status link for each entry. Click on incomplete (red hyperlink) and complete the actions listed to change the entry status to complete. Then press “Submit.”
• Step 5: Make sure all entries are labeled complete and process your payment. While you are welcome to pay by check, credit card payments are preferred. Your entries will not be moved to judging until your payment is received. All payments must be received by September 30, 2022.

The Adrian Awards judging academy will examine the Statement of Communication and supporting materials provided with each entry. In the Statement of Communication, you will be asked to provide information in different areas based on the category you select. See the requirements here.

Enter your answers in the online submittal form. When preparing your documentation keep in mind that you are limited to 2,000 characters per category text box, and yes, spaces count as characters. A minimum quantity of supporting media must be uploaded.

Yes, each category has a minimum and maximum quantity of uploads and media files are subject to size limitations.

Below are upload specifications for a variety of media. Only the types in the information below may be uploaded. Please test your media by previewing after upload

Links and URL’s (links should remain active through March 2024, max 250 MB per file).

Graphic: PDF, GIF, JPEG/JPG

Film/Video/Multimedia:
Accepted file formats: .mpeg, .mpg, wmv, .mp4
Recommended pixel size: 1920 x 1080
Files should not exceed 25MB

Audio: AVI, WAV, MP3, AIFF

One Gold Award will be given in each entry category for small, medium and large budget campaigns, as well as multiple Silver and Bronze awards. Each Gold Award recipient will be considered for Platinum awards, and Platinums will be considered for Best of Show in the Advertising, PR/Communications, Integration Campaigns, and Digital divisions. Top Trending division entries will receive a President’s Award.

Budget Ranges: Advertising, Digital, PR/Communications Divisions

Small: $0 – $25,000
Medium: $26,000 – $500,000
Large: $501,000 – Above

Budget Ranges: Integrated Campaign Division

Small: $0 – $100,000
Medium: $101,000 – $750,000
Large: $751,000 – Above

Early rate July 17 – August 18, 2023 – $245

Regular rate until August 19 – September 8, 2023 – $285

Entrants can opt to pay online by credit card or check. Completed entries will not be moved to the judging phase until payment is received.

Checks should be made payable to:

HSMAI

1660 International Drive, Suite 600
McLean, VA 22102

For more information, please contact HSMAI:
PH: 703-908-1021