2026 Award Categories

Environmental Sustainability
Recognizes initiatives demonstrating meaningful progress in reducing environmental impact and advancing
responsible tourism.

Sales & Marketing
Recognizes effective sales and marketing initiatives that strengthen market positioning, generate demand,
reach new audiences or deliver demonstrated business results.

People Development & Support
Recognizes initiatives that strengthen the employee experience through development, engagement, well-being, retention, advancement or other approaches that invest in people.

Social Responsibility
Recognizes initiatives that create meaningful positive impact for communities or address social needs through
responsible tourism, partnerships, inclusion, local economic participation or community engagement.

Tech Transformation
Recognizes the effective use of technology to transform or significantly improve hospitality operations,
productivity, decision-making, guest engagement, revenue generation or service delivery.

Guest Experience Excellence – NEW
Recognizes initiatives that meaningfully enhance the guest journey, create memorable or distinctive
experiences, strengthen guest satisfaction or engagement, or respond effectively to evolving guest
expectations.

Who Can Enter?

• Nominees must be CHTA members in good standing.
• Self-nominations are permitted.
• Organizations may submit nominations in multiple award categories; however, the same initiative may only be entered in one category.
• Eligible initiatives must have been implemented, active or demonstrated meaningful results from November 2025 to the date of submission.
• Initiatives that began before November 2025 may qualify if significant implementation, development or results occurred during the eligibility period.

Your initiative doesn’t have to be new or first-of-its-kind. Effective adaptation, improvement or exceptional implementation of an existing practice may also qualify for recognition.

What You’ll Need to Submit

The nomination process is designed to be straightforward. In addition to basic organization and contact
information, nominees will be asked to briefly address:
1. Challenge or Opportunity – What were you addressing and why was it important?
2. Approach Undertaken – What did you do and why?
3. Results & Impact – What difference did the initiative make?
4. Best-Practice Value – What could another Caribbean hospitality organization learn from or adapt from
your experience?

How Nominations Are Judged

Eligible nominations will be assessed on:

• Approach Undertaken – 30%
• Results & Impact – 40%
• Application as a Best Practice – 30%

Judges will consider the initiative and its results in the context of the organization’s circumstances and available resources.

Ready to Share Your Best Practice?
Submit your nomination for the 2026 CHIEF Awards

Want more information?
Download the full 2026 CHIEF Awards Criteria & Guidelines