Thursday, November 8, 2018 | Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel
In the run up to the 2018 Top HAT Awards Gala, we will be spotlighting the individuals, teams, campaigns, hotels and experiences that make this event such a special celebration of industry excellence.
Nominate for a Personnel Award
2017 Winner: Marco Chamorro (Isleta Resort & Casino)
Front-of-House Hospitality Employee of the Year
Employees and staff members who engage in high guest interaction in their respective role qualify for this award. Roles that qualify for this award may include: front desk, valet, administration, sales & marketing, bellman, customer service, management, etc.
2017 Winner: Gabe Martinez (La Fonda on the Plaza)
Front-of-House Food & Beverage Employee of the Year
Employees and staff members who engage in high guest interaction in their respective role qualify for this award. Roles that qualify for this award may include: server, host/hostess, bartender, etc.
2017 Winner: Carlos Dominguez (La Fonda on the Plaza)
Back-of-House Hospitality Employee of the Year
Employees and staff members who engage in low guest interaction in their respective role qualify for this award. Roles that qualify for this award may include: housekeeping, engineering, food safety, laundry, operations, landscaping, etc.
2017 Winner: Teresita Norwood (Hyatt Regency)
Back-of-House Hospitality Employee of the Year
Employees and staff members who engage in low guest interaction in their respective role qualify for this award. Roles that qualify for this award may include: chef, cook, banquet staff, etc.
Deadline for all Top HAT Award submissions:
Friday, Sept. 14 at 5:00 pm (MT)
Nomination Tips
In order to ensure your nomination for any of our awards is as strong and comprehensive as possible, follow these helpful tips when completing your nomination:

  • Tell a story. This is our industry’s opportunity to celebrate excellence, but that excellence would not exist without the people. A terrific way to highlight achievement and exceeding the call of duty is to share stories about the nominee that demonstrate that fact.
  • Include numbers. No matter what award you are submitting a nomination for, there are numbers you can include to validate the success of your employee, team, campaign, event, venue, etc.
  • Focus on the recent. These are annual awards, and submissions should focus on the achievement over the past year. Please refrain from including information in your submission prior to 2018 or your most recent complete fiscal year, unless the information provides germane context to the recent achievement (percent increase in visitation, sales, etc.) The judging body will emphasize these criteria when evaluating submissions this year.
Download our 2018 Top HAT Awards criteria form to review all of the information and content you will need to gather for any award you plan to submit a nomination. This will save you time and provide clarity.

We have revised some of the language outlining the parameters of some of the awards, along with some of the question fields, so please review the awards criteria form even if you have submitted an award in a previous year.
Register for the Top HAT Awards Gala
Of course, don't forget to register for the 2018 Top HAT Awards Gala, hosted at the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel on November 8, 2018! Registration is open, so be sure to reserve your seat or a table for your team while seats are still available! We do have early bird pricing, which ends Oct. 5.
Member Pricing
Individual ticket - $80
Table of 10 - $800
General Admission
Individual ticket - $110
Table of 10 - $1,100
*pricing increases after Oct. 5