About us

The Mid-South Chapter of HSMAI has a long and successful history since our beginning in the mid 1980’s. We have won multiple Frank Berman HSMAI awards over the years, including Leadership Development, Educational programming, Community Involvement, Customer Interaction, Communications and Marketing, Sponsorships and Partnerships and "Chapter of the Year" in 2007!  

We award hospitality scholarships to area hospitality students and welcome students and faculty members to join us as they prepare to rock their own hospitality careers.  We think HSMAI helps them get off to a great start!  In 2019, the Collegiate Chapter from the University of Memphis was awarded the Collegiate Chapter of the Year at the annual Leadership Forum! Way to Go!!

For over 25 years, we have collected teddy bears to donate to Child Advocacy Center during our Annual Holiday Luncheon program and we are grateful to have been able to make cash donations to this worthy organization as well.  Our members give back to the community every year through events and fundraisers and we are so proud of their generosity.  

Beginning in 2025, we created the annual "Amy Gray Light of Hospitality" award.  Named after longtime industry leader and former HSMAI Mid-South Chapter president Amy Gray, the award celebrates those who uplift others and make a meaningful impact.

The first recipient is Marcus Cox, executive director of Welcome to Memphis, recognized for his servant leadership, empathy, and dedication to supporting our hospitality community. The award will be presented annually to individuals who embody service, mentorship, and community at the highest level.

We continue to work to make this chapter an outstanding resource for hospitality professionals in the Mid-South and each year our goal is to do our best to help our members fuel sales, inspire marketing and optimize revenue.