SPIRIT OF HOSPITALITY AWARDS   

Nominations are OPEN for the 2023 Iron Range Spirit of Hospitality Awards. Anyone can nominate, so get busy!  Deadline to nominate is August 31!

Winners of the 2022 SOHAs will be announced at our awards ceremony on Sunday, October 23.

Nominate your favorite hospitality worker for a 2023 Spirit of Hospitality Award!

The Spirit of Hospitality Awards were created by the Iron Range Tourism Bureau (IRTB) in 2012 to honor employees in the tourism/hospitality industry who enhance visitors’ experiences in the 12 communities that make up the IRTB service area. Individuals may be nominated in one or more of the categories listed below. Only COMPLETE nomination forms will be considered. It is only necessary to nominate an individual once.

All nominees must represent a lodging property, campground, restaurant, bar, attraction or retailer in the IRTB service area, which includes the communities of Hibbing, Chisholm, Buhl, Mountain Iron, Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, the Town of White and Embarrass.

Nominations for 2023 will be accepted through August 31, 2023. Nominations will be reviewed in confidence. To be eligible for an award, nominees must be interviewed by area business professionals, and photographed. An awards gala event will be in the fall of 2023. 

Award Categories: (our award categories may vary depending on the type and number of jobs represented by nominees)

• Bartender
• Behind the Scenes – includes candidates from lodging properties and campgrounds, restaurants/bars and retailers, including maintenance, dishwashers, hotel housekeepers, room attendants, hotel laundry, bussers, stockroom, etc.
• Food Production — includes executive chefs, line cooks, pastry cooks, salad prep
• Guest Relations — non-hotel workers at attractions’ front desks, info centers, recreation facilities, greeters, restaurant hosts/hostesses, cashiers,  etc.
• Hotel Guest Services — includes front desk and reservations
• Retail Sales – in retailers only where face-to-face service occurs
• Server – restaurant, banquet/catering or bar
• Leader  — To be awarded annually to any person in the tourism-related industry who exhibits leadership impacting their team, business and community.

If you have questions about the nomination process, please contact (218) 749-8161.