10 tips for creating a winning entry to The Travel Awards
Are you still yet to submit you entry/entries for The Travel Awards 2019? Well, we’ve kindly put together somewhat of a cheat sheet to help you put your best foot forward.
Organised by Travel Weekly, part of The Misfits Media Company, in association with media partner Better Homes and Gardens and principal partner Crystal, The Travel Awards are designed to celebrate wholesalers, destinations, airlines, tourism boards, cruise lines, retailers and the myriad of other companies that make the travel industry so amazing.
Judged by more than 50 of Australia’s most experienced travel industry alumni and experts from the marketing sector, 37 categories cover the full gamut of the travel industry.
The deadline for entries to this year’s awards is Friday 30 August 2019, meaning you have just over two weeks to throw your hat in the ring.
But before you submit your entry (you can do so HERE), below are 10 handy tips on how to win a shiny gong on the night:
Enter the right category
Read the entry criteria slowly and carefully. Then re-read the entry criteria to ensure you have the right category (details on all 37 categories for this year’s awards can be found HERE). Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often this mistake is made, and it could cost you the gong! Don’t get the intern to submit the entry on deadline, or a river cruise line could end up entering the Ocean Cruise Line of the Year category (*take note – there’s a difference).
Remember who is judging
The Travel Awards are judged by more than 50 of Australia’s most experienced travel industry alumni and experts from the marketing sector. Your competitor isn’t looking at your financial results, and all judges sign non-disclosure agreements anyway, so don’t leave anything out! It could be the difference between winning and not. This is your chance to showcase your very best in front of future and present clients.
Presentation is everything
We obviously instruct our judges to assess the content of the entries, but if you’re a travel agency that submits a university dissertation-type document, you’re immediately on the back foot!
Action speaks louder than words
We can guarantee that every company will say that diversity and sustainability are huge priorities within their business, but what are you doing about it? Impressive entries have impressive policies and have taken real positive action within their company. And it’s not something just the HR person knows about – it’s evident that it’s directed by the very top brass.
Effectiveness matters
All categories have an element of effectiveness in the criteria. Don’t brush over the results, or worse, pull the figures out of nowhere. We will be randomly auditing entries so, just like this year’s tax return, now is not the time to fudge your numbers. Our judges are notoriously good at smelling sh*t.
Stand out from the crowd
Make sure your entry is both succinct and engaging at the same time. Judges often have 40 entries to read through and you want to grab their attention! Ensure that you answer the question in each section. Make your case why ‘you’ and only ‘you’ should win.
Get the whole team involved
They may think of something you haven’t to make your entry complete. Not only is it a massive morale booster, you might get some constructive feedback or a gem you hadn’t thought of.
Use your time wisely
Every now and then, hop back into the portal and review your entry. Sometimes allowing a little time to pass then re-reading will trigger a new thought process and lead to an improved set of answers. Allow enough time to complete your entry properly. Rushing at the last minute increases the risk of introducing errors.
Be authentic
Don’t be afraid to admit failure where relevant. Sometimes demonstrating how you overcame a setback and thrived can show how strong and successful your company or team is.
Get ya skates on!
What are you waiting for? Time to get started.
Best of luck to those entering The Travel Awards 2019, which will be held on Friday 29 November at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney.
Click HERE to secure your spot at the awards and take advantage of the early bird ticket special! The dress code for the sit-down-dinner affair is black tie.
And kudos to all the sponsors for this year’s event, which you can check out below…
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
the travel awards The Travel Awards 2019Latest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.