The annual search for the hospitality industry’s bests and greats in the Philippines was finally revealed in the recently concluded Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) Virtus awards 2020.

Sofitel Manila’s “Bid to Forever” campaign has successfully bagged the Marketing campaign of the year award beating 4 other finalists across the country.

The award-winning campaign was started in November 2019 with the aim of establishing the hotel as one of the top wedding destinations in the country. For three weeks, the first-ever executed wedding auction has offered two wedding packages worth over a million.

With bids started at P50,000, Sofitel Manila has awarded the wedding dream packages to the lucky winners with the highest amount of bid submitted at the end of the whole campaign.

Sofitel partnered with Carbondigital Inc., an independent digital advertising agency known for its social media marketing, website development, and online placement services, to develop a ground-breaking campaign website and bidding system that was made to entice would-be brides and grooms to book with the said 5-star luxury hotel.

“A clear objective and creative solution make this marketing campaign standout. The communication is well-defined and concise,” said Ms. Rose Libongco, Virtus Awards Chair.

For the Sofitel Manila team behind the campaign, it was the highlight of 2020.

“We are deeply overjoyed and honor to accept this award, to Sofitel Manila executive committee team, we would like to thank you for the continued support however crazy our team ideas are,” said Dave Pimentel, Director of Marketing and Communications.

Among the finalists in the same category were JPark Island Resort and Waterpark Mactan Cebu, Las Casa Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan, Quest Plus Conference Center Clark in Pampanga, and The Muse Hotel in Boracay.

This year’s ceremony and its entirety have gone virtual for the first time ever with 61 entries from member properties in different categories to recognize hotels and marketing professionals' achievements in the field.

Considered the ‘Oscars Awards’ in the local hospitality industry, the Virtus Awards has played a key role in stimulating, celebrating, and enabling excellence for the tourism industry to come together in a platform it deserved and inspire the next generation of hoteliers.

Kudos Sofitel Manila and for all the winners this year!