2012 Platinum Choice Award Winners Chosen

Hotel Nikko San Francisco Earns Coveted Recognition

Sausalito, Calif. (October 9, 2012) —Smart Meetings magazine, the industry's premier resource for meeting professionals, today announced the winners of its ninth annual Platinum Choice award. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in service and amenities among meeting facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. An additional category recognizes outstanding services by destination and convention and visitor bureaus across North America.

Out of thousands of qualified properties and organizations, we honor a select few. Winners earn this recognition by setting exemplary standards in a range of categories, including ambience, amenities, breadth of resources, facility quality, guest services, meeting space, meeting packages, recreational activities, restaurant and dining facilities, staff attitude and technical support. They're chosen by our readers, who vote for their favorites over a two-month period, with additional input from editors and industry experts.

"This year's winners exceeded expectations and exemplified positive, professional standards that reflect a true commitment to the meetings industry," said Marin Bright, founder and publisher. "We want to reward industry leaders, innovators and top service providers that make a real difference for planners and attendees."

The elite group of honorees, including the Hotel Nikko San Francisco, will be celebrated in the December issue of Smart Meetings magazine and on the magazine's website, smartmeetings.com.

Smart Meetings is published monthly in print and online, by Bright Business Media, LLC, a multimedia company based in Sausalito, Calif. BBM also hosts smartmeetings.com, an award-winning interactive website, and produces Smart Events, live events connecting meeting planners with hoteliers and destination representatives.