MGM Resorts receives two awards

(PRESS RELEASE) -- MGM Resorts International received a Gold award for Corporate Social Responsibility and a Bronze award in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category in the 64th annual Adrian Awards; the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.

For 2020, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) redesigned the Adrian Awards to reflect the current travel landscape, with focus categories of Corporate Social Responsibility, Crisis Communications/Management, Recovery Strategies, and Talent & Leadership Development, in addition to traditional Adrian Award categories.

"We are honored to receive this recognition for our COVID-19 relief efforts and donations from the past year. The communities in which we operate have always been a top priority for us; when the pandemic caused us to temporarily close our resorts nationally, our teams instinctually mobilized within days to help those in need," said Jyoti Chopra, Chief People, Inclusion and Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International. "Not only did we provide food and resources in a timely manner, but it also allowed us to ensure the safety and the wellbeing of our neighbors and colleagues."

As The Strip in Las Vegas and regional resorts began to shut down, the company quickly gathered unused food from its resorts and donated more than 662,000 pounds of food—or 552,000 meals– to the communities where it operates. Through its colleagues in Macau, it procured and delivered 261,000 gowns, 200,000 gloves, and 500,000 KN-95 masks to the state of Nevada. The MGM Resorts Foundation also expanded the Employee Emergency Grant Fund to assist eligible employees and their families by providing financial assistance. The fund disbursed over $15.5 million, which covered 21,000 bill payments on behalf of current and former employees in need of assistance.

Meanwhile, the MGM Resorts Marketing team had to figure out how to entertain guests from afar. "We needed to find a way to engage and uplift our audiences — and we know they needed us to deliver in difficult times. Mirroring our amenities and entertainment online just made sense," said Sarah Moore, Vice President of Brand Marketing for MGM Resorts International. "We launched a multi-channel campaign called 'Together at Home' featuring at-home recipes and videos from our chefs, messages from our entertainers, virtual DJ sessions and coverage of record-breaking perishable goods donations." With over 200 videos produced and 4.3 million views on social media, the team reported a 200 percent increase in engagement rate when compared to pre COVID-19 content.

MGM Resorts was honored during the HSMAI Adrian Awards virtual celebration on March 23, 2021, recognizing best practices, innovation, and community. Annually attended by nearly 1,000 hospitality, travel, and tourism marketing executives, this celebration is a must-attend industry event. The Adrian Awards virtual celebration honors award-winning work and the people behind it with Lifetime Achievement Awards, HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Awards, and more.

Winning entries will be viewable in the winners' gallery on the Adrian Awards website following the March 23 celebration. Visit www.AdrianAwards.com for more information on the event and competition and to view the Adrian Awards winners' gallery.

"The Adrian Awards take on a new and vital meaning in 2021," said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "Hospitality and tourism professionals continue to face evolving challenges due to the ongoing pandemic that requires a new level of innovation and ingenuity to survive. HSMAI is proud to recognize the extraordinary efforts of hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization leaders during these unprecedented times with Adrian Awards. By recognizing incredible work, we will reinvigorate the spirit and strength of our industry to push forward and drive recovery."