Nominations are now open for the travel industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony and you decide who wins
Everyone likes to be rewarded for a job well done – you’ve worked hard, gone the extra mile, and sometimes, all it takes is a simple ‘thank you’ to make it all worthwhile.
Well, here’s your chance to give that metaphorical pat on the back to all your favourite travel suppliers, showing how much you value their hard work over the past year by nominating them for the most prestigious award in travel.
The Globe Travel Awards is the biggest event in the industry’s calendar – when you, the readers of Travel Weekly, get to have your say about who has impressed you most this year.
It could be an operator that has gone above and beyond with a tricky booking, a cruise line that gets nothing but good feedback from your clients, a hotel chain that consistently impresses with its customer service, or a trade sales team which has put serious time and effort into helping you boost your business.
The Globe Travel Awards are nominated by and voted for entirely by agents – so start nominating now to make sure your favourite suppliers get the recognition they deserve when the spectacular Globe Travel Awards take place at London’s Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel, on January 12, 2017.
It’s a glittering affair which attracts the crème de la crème of the industry, so nominate your top suppliers – before the deadline of October 12 – to make sure they could be the ones going home with a gong in hand.
A night to remember
Anyone who’s been to the Globes knows it’s bigger and better than any other event in the industry – and this year will be no different. We’re keeping the celebrity host under wraps for now, but with the calibre of past comperes – most recently, the loveable Dame Edna Everage, and before that we’ve seen Jack Whitehall, James Corden, Michael McIntyre and Jimmy Carr get the crowd on their feet – there’s no doubt guests will be in for a treat.
The star-studded line-up of entertainment will also be a surprise on the night, but the audience at the most recent awards couldn’t stop talking about on-stage appearances from love-him-or-hate-him presenter Piers Morgan, comedy rapper Abandoman, X Factor winner Louisa Johnson and, rounding off the night, the always-on fire RPJ Band rocking the after-party.
With plenty of prizes and competitions adding even more excitement on the night, there’s no hotter ticket in town than the Globe Travel Awards.
The Globe Travel Awards are a great opportunity for the trade to get together and acknowledge some of the hardest-working suppliers across every sector.
Alongside all those well deserved gongs are three special awards, which recognise the individuals who make a real difference in our industry. These are judged by a panel of experts who sift through all the entries and weigh up the merits of each – but we still need you to put forward your nominations for the most deserving candidates. They could be colleagues in your agency, counterparts you work with regularly, or contacts from elsewhere in the industry who have impressed you with their efforts. These awards are:
The Penny Akam Unsung Hero Award
This award, sponsored by Affordable Car Hire, recognises the individuals who take every opportunity to go the extra mile for their customers or colleagues. It could be making a special effort with a booking, looking after loyal clients, or always being the one to volunteer for extra tasks around the office that make working life that little bit better.
Named after Travel Weekly’s own unsung hero, Penny Akam, who steadfastly organised the Globes for many years until her death from cancer in 2008, this is your opportunity to nominate the person who deserves their moment in the spotlight.
How to nominate: If you work with or know of someone who sounds worthy of this accolade, please email your nomination to angela.hamilton-jones@travelweekly.co.uk before the deadline of December 7.
The innovation in travel award
Sponsored by Travelport, this is one of the most important gongs given out on the night. It honours a forward-thinking individual or company who dares to think differently by spotting an opportunity, solving a problem, or finding a way to work better, faster or smarter. It doesn’t have to be a technological innovation – it can be any development that has had a major impact on the market.
How to enter: Companies or individuals can put themselves forward or nominate someone else, provided the project is innovative, has a proven record of success and comes from a travel business operating in or from the UK.
Download an entry form at globetravelawards.co.uk or email angela.hamilton-jones@travelweekly.co.uk for more information. The deadline is November 23.
The outstanding achievement award
This is the ultimate accolade the industry can offer, recognising a lifetime of hard work and dedication to this sector.
Many of today’s titans of the travel trade have earned the respect and admiration of their colleagues, perhaps working their way up the ranks, or using their leadership role to be a force for positive change.
Past winners of this award read like a ‘who’s who’ of the industry, with recent recipients having included Monarch Group chief executive Andrew Swaffield, Abta chairman Noel Josephides, IAG boss Willie Walsh, Sandals founder Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart and Hays Travel’s John Hays.