The global division of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the world’s leading professional hospitality association, recently inducted a third region. The Asia Pacific region joined Europe and the Americas as part of the worldwide HSMAI network, after Global and chapter leadership signed a Regional Affiliation agreement on a recent trip throughout Asia.

As the deal was inked, the organization simultaneously signed three chapter charters in the region: Australia, Southeast Asia, and Greater China. In order to develop a region, HSMAI Global requires at least three chapters from a minimum of three countries join together.

“Our expansion into the Asia Pacific region offers our organization and its members the tremendous opportunity to gain additional global connections and insights from across the world,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “Our growth efforts in the region will continue to develop with the rising number of professionals looking for education and support within the hospitality and travel industry.” During the trip, leadership also met with an Organizing Committee to discuss chartering a new chapter in Thailand.

“After meeting face-to-face with leadership from across the Asia Pacific region, the global team gained a deeper understanding of the challenges each area faces, as well as their goals for the remainder of 2011 and the future,” said Bernadette Dennis, managing director of HSMAI Asia Pacific. “The organization’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region confirms HSMAI’s commitment to providing hospitality professionals around the world with the best resources to achieve sustainable revenue growth.”

The leadership for the newly-added region includes:

Australia Chapter President – Jackie Douglas, Manager, Online Customer Experience, Qantas Airways
Southeast Asia Chapter President – Andrew Chan, CEO, TMS Asia Pacific
Greater China Chapter President – Carmen Lam, Vice President of Marketing & Sales, Melco Crown Entertainment
Bernadette Dennis, Managing Director, HSMAI Asia Pacific
As the largest and most dynamic global hospitality sales and marketing membership organization, HSMAI aims to continuously build its hospitality and travel education support system and resources for professionals around the world.