The 2020 Excellence in Hospitality Awards would have been held on this Thursday evening, May 7 at LeBossier Event Center in Bossier City. At around 6 p.m., Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau President Stacy Brown would have taken the stage, introduced the emcees for the night, and formally kicked-off an awards program that is, sincerely, one of the most inspiring, moving nights of the year.

Outstanding Bellman. Outstanding Food Server. Outstanding Housekeeping Professional. The night—complete with glittering gowns, a plated dinner, and celebrity guest emcees, is all about celebrating the hard-working folks who make up the backbone of Shreveport-Bossier’s tourism and hospitality industry. Some 10,000 people work in the local tourism and hospitality industry and the Excellence in Hospitality Awards—known for many years as the P.R.I.D.E. Awards—honors the very best and brightest.

Winners of the Excellence in Hospitality Award are, typically, the kind of folks who go the extra mile to insure that visitors to Shreveport-Bossier have an incredible time. Trey’Shekia Harris, an award-winner from 2017, is a perfect example of the kind of exemplary hospitality worker who these awards were designed to celebrate. Here’s Trey’Shekia’s take on winning:

Due to the requirement for social distancing during COVID-19, the 2020 Excellence in Hospitality Awards may be rescheduled for a new date in the fall, depending on circumstances. Out of all of the cancellations and postponements caused by COVID-19 (if you’re curious, you can see a list of cancelled and postponed events here), the indefinite postponement of this year’s Excellence in Hospitality Awards is a tough pill to swallow. There is simply no other community-wide awards program that celebrates these folks.

However, if you’d like to do something to honor hospitality and tourism workers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, there is a simple and rewarding way to do so: by donating to United Way of Northwest Louisiana‘s Shreveport-Bossier Hospitality Relief Fund. All proceeds raised by this fund will benefit hospitality industry workers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes who have become unemployed or suffered financial hardship due to COVID-19. If you work in the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, casinos and attractions, for example) and have suffered financially due to COVID-19, you can apply for funds here.

If the 2020 Excellence in Hospitality Awards are rescheduled, we’ll share the news here at 20×49.com. You can also keep an eye on the awards website for updates or join the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau’s e-mail list to be first to know.

Watch more video testimonials from past Excellence in Hospitality Award-winners on Youtube.

20×49.com is a publication of Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.