Howdy Awards: Honoring Hospitality in Western Mass

Howdy Award Nominations

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Have you met a potential star who's provided outstanding hospitality? If you've met someone who was extra helpful, courteous, energetic or went out of their way to serve you, we'd like to know about it! You can nominate that person using the form below.

Any nominations from now through March 1, 2026, will be considered for our 2026 Howdy Program.
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I'm proud to nominate this person for a Howdy Award for Hospitality Excellence.
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What Are The Howdy Awards?

Explore Western Mass has developed a program that’s like a giant tip for people who work in hospitality. Best of all, when they get nominated, EVERYONE knows, because it’s on the news, all over social media and there's a great awards dinner to announce the winners. It’s called the Howdy Awards.

In a nutshell, the Howdy Awards are for people in the hospitality industry who are great at their jobs.  If visitors are treated well, they’re bound to return, which means more dollars are being spent, which generates taxes, keeps jobs, and creates a better economy.

Nominations for Howdy Awards are accepted year-round, though the deadline for the 2026 Howdy Awards is March 1, 2026 (entries received after that date jump into the running for the 2027 Howdys). The winners are selected by a trio of judges who are hospitality industry experts from outside the region, and the awards are held every May.

So if you’re in Western Mass and meet a particularly friendly/helpful retail clerk, amusement park ride attendant, hotel worker or anyone who works with the public, make note of their name and the date, and nominate them for a Howdy Award. It takes just a minute, but your thoughtfulness might help that person get a lot of recognition! Go ahead, it’s SO easy!

In appreciation to our Howdy Sponsors: