Visit Lake Norman is expanding the annual “Making Waves” hospitality awards which recognize excellence in the hotel industry.  Beginning this year the awards will recognize the very best across all of Lake Norman’s hospitality industry including awards for hotels, restaurants, venues, events and an unsung hospitality hero.

The three hotel award categories will remain intact with the Outshines from the Front Lines, which recognizes a guest service representative; Stellar Seller, which recognizes a sales representative; and Lead to Succeed, which recognizes a management professional.  The new award categories are Divine Dinning, which recognizes an exemplary restaurant; Venue of the Year, which recognizes a great venue that hosts tourism impacting events; Event of the Year, which recognizes a tourism impacting event; and Unsung Hospitality Hero, which recognizes an employee in the industry who goes above and beyond to make Lake Norman a great destination.

The general public can make nominations by submitting on VLN’s website by visiting www.visitlakenorman.org/media/hospitality-awards/ and must be submitted by Dec. 31.  Hospitality businesses in Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville are eligible.  Winners will be announced at VLN’s annual awards luncheon in spring of 2017.