Global restaurateur HMSHost, part of Avolta, earned the prestigious award for Best Employee Recognition Program at the Excellence in Airport Concessions Awards hosted last evening by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) during its 2024 Business of Airports Conference in Miami, Florida.

ACI-NA, the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, recognized the culture of appreciation, caring, and inclusion at HMSHost and Hudson among its more than 30,000 team members across North America.

With a belief that its team members are ambassadors to their city with countless opportunities to have positive traveler touchpoints each day, HMSHost and Hudson aim to recognize and reinforce its appreciation for their passion for teamwork, guest service, and hospitality.

“Our team members are what distinguish us, which is why we feel it is of the utmost importance to have a multi-faceted employee recognition program. Appreciation and recognition have a compounding effect, resulting in a better experience for our team members and everyone they interact with,” said Steve Johnson, President and CEO, North America, Avolta. “We are honored to receive this award from Airports Council International – North America for a philosophy that is so deeply ingrained in our culture.”

The program is a robust platform of rewards and recognition to appreciate, honor, and celebrate its people:

• Appreciate: This program appreciates and recognizes team members for individual efforts that go above and beyond their everyday job expectations. The Shout Out program provides manager-to-team member and peer-to-peer recognition, allowing team members to appreciate and thank each other for the great work they do every day. The Above and Beyond Award for Outstanding Service is awarded to those who go above and beyond the basic customer service standards in providing exceptional customer experiences. The Above and Beyond Hero Award rewards team members who perform heroic or lifesaving acts in serving within the airport community, and the Above and Beyond Coach Award recognizes people managers who use everyday actions to inspire, motivate, and unlock engagement in their teams.

• Honor: The company believes that every year a team member commits their time, energy, and passion to the company is worth honoring, so it recognizes every service anniversary annually at the local level, and celebrates key milestones with company recognition at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 60 years.

• Celebrate: At least once a year, the company celebrates achievements companywide. Its Hall of Fame is a prestigious award recognizing team members from the Above and Beyond award recipients who stand out in providing exceptional service. The President’s Award recognizes a branch leader for their exceptional leadership through significant change efforts, circumstance, or an event that was a challenge far beyond the everyday. The Sustainability Award recognizes the branch that is a role model in its sustainability efforts, improving the environment in long-term and meaningful ways. The Coach of the Year award recognizes managers from the Above and Beyond award recipients who stand out in consistently serving as a role model for coaching behaviors. And the Community Involvement Award recognizes a branch that demonstrates exceptional partnership, creating positive change and building stronger, more resilient communities.