Hospitality and tourism management expert Howard Feiertag honored with lifetime achievement awards
Howard Feiertag, hospitality and tourism management instructor in the Pamplin College of Business, was honored with two lifetime achievement awards recently: the Winthrop W. Grice Award for public relations excellence from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and the Virginia Society of Association Executives Lifetime Career Services Award.
Feiertag has more than 50 years experience as a hospitality professional and an educator. His knowledge covers convention bureau management; food and beverage operations; hotel operations; meetings and convention management; sales and marketing; and tour and travel.
Feiertag is a member of HSMAI’s International Hall of Fame. His many accolades include HSMAI’s Excellence in Sales and Marketing Strategy Award, the Arthur Landstreet Award from the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Virginia Tech’s Award for Excellence in Outreach, and the Student Choice Award at Virginia Tech from the Student Alumni Associates. He was voted Educator of the Year by the Professional Convention Management Association and was inducted into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders.
Before joining Virginia Tech, Feiertag was a senior vice president of Servico, a Florida-based hotel company. He began his career as the first convention bureau manager in Charlotte, N.C.
Feiertag previously served as the group and meetings editor for Travel Trade Publications and was a regular contributing columnist for Corporate Meetings and Incentives as well as for Corporate and Incentive Travel. He is currently the sale clinic columnist for Hotel Management, where he has been writing that column for 33 years. He is the co-author of “Lessons from the Field – A Common Sense Approach to Effective Hotel Sales.”
Feiertag received a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University.
