The Women in Travel Awards have drawn to a close for another year, though our hangovers seem to be very much open for business.
The night was filled with glitz, glamour, and of course, sparkling.
But most importantly, the night was packed to the brim with gratitude.
Gratitude for the women who are making leaps and bounds in the industry. Those who are pushing us forward, probing at the biggest issues and asking the toughest questions.
The future of Australian travel is being shaped by these incredible women, and they deserve much more than just one night of applause.
But, we sure did make the most of it.
See also: Women in Travel Awards Winners Photo Gallery
Shark Tank’s Naomi Simson gave the keynote address and our very own Tara Harrison gave exceptional speeches all the way through.
From tea bags to RedBalloons, last night was truly a night for the memory books.
So who were the women who got the biggest nods at the awards?
Find out every single winner here:
Employer of the Year
Finalists:
- Booking Boss NSW
- Flight Centre Travel Group QLD
- AccorHotels Asia Pacific
- TFE Hotels
- The Travel Corporation
- Helloworld Emu Plains, Penrith & Richmond
Winner: TFE Hotels
Road and Rail
Finalists:
- Jenny Lorkin – AVIS Budget Group NSW
- Ingrid Kocijan – Rail Plus
- Kelly Grace – DriveAway
- Maria Pantazis – Hertz
Winner: Avis Budget Group’s Jenny Lorkin
Corporate
Finalists:
- Shelley Poten – FCM Travel Solutions QLD
- Rebecca Crosbie – Global Travel Management VIC
- Birgit Patenall – Corporate Travel Management WA
- Sarah Tauri – Corporate Travel Management QLD
- Rachel Lagos – Travel Club (Flight Centre Travel Group) NSW
- Sally King – Corporate Traveller NSW
- Susan Connor – Corporate Travel Management VIC
- Miling Harpur – Corporate Traveller VIC
- Cherie Drummond – Corporate Travel Management NSW
Winner: Corporate Travel Management WA’s Birgit Patenall
Retail
Finalists:
- Trish Park – Wiltrans
- Jacqui Cameron – Travel Counsellors
- Naomi Liss – TravelManagers
- Fay Cohen – Travel Phase
- Lena Nielson – Flight Centre
- Rachel Cleary – Flight Centre
- Sue Bohme – Out and About Travel
Winner: Travel Phase’s Fay Cohen
Rising Star of the Year
Finalists:
- Ami Hart – Corporate Traveller
- Kylie Brady – KB 4 Travel
- Sam Aldenton – Flight Centre Travel Group
- Sabrina Bethunin – MadeComfy
- Vanessa Budah – The Travel Corporation
- Jessica Johnson – Intrepid Group
- Zoe Taylor – Peter Milling Travel
- Sophia Cogan – G Adventures
Winner: MadeComfy’s Sabrina Bethunin
Sales Person of the Year
Finalists:
- Elizabeth Hutchison – Air New Zealand
- Deborah Bartolo – Travel Counsellors
- Chriss Perry – Travel Partners
- Karen Morris – Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
- Emily Warbrick – Snowscene
- Sandy Winter – Intrepid Group
- Beanca Daluz – Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
- Fran Gildon – Collette Travel
- Emily Kadinski – itravel Carlingford
- Susan Haberle – APT Travel Group
- Holly Cooling – Busabout
- Miling Harpur – Corporate Traveller
- Nicola Marshall – Intrepid Group
- Ana Marcelo – ANA
- Sheree Pekovich – Julie King & Associates
Winner: Corporate Traveller’s Miling Harpur
Wholesaler
Finalists:
- Susie Potter – The Africa Safari Co
- Simla Sooboodoo – Hands on Journeys
- Sue Badyari – World Expeditions
- Clare Taylor – Backroads Touring
- Anna Jones – Ormina Tours
- Sujata Raman – Abercrombie & Kent
Winner: World Expeditions’ Sue Badyari
Cruise
Finalists:
- Anthea Somerville – SeaLink Group and Captain Cook Cruises
- Chloe Jones – Princess Cruises
- Fiona Dalton – Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
- Kathryn Valk – Royal Caribbean
- Brigita Devries – Dream Cruises
- Sandra Cahill – Pandaw
Winner: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s Fiona Dalton
Aviation
Finalists:
- Felicity Allan – Malaysia Airlines
- Roheena Gidwani – Airline Rep Services – Malindo Air
- Nicole Laurie – Virgin Australia
- Jaclyn Snell – Jetstar
- Sarah Built – Etihad
- Alicia Chapple – Rex
- Nicole Scott – Air NZ
Winner: Etihad’s Sarah Built
Tourism Board
Finalists:
- Kathleen Finneran – Tourism New Zealand
- Stephanie Sng – Japan National Tourism Organization
- Mona Tannous – The Walshe Group | Sultanate of Oman Tourism
- Louise Laing – Visit Ballarat
- Rebecca Lavender – Singapore Tourism
- Lisa Lee – Hong Kong Tourism Board
- Donna Brinkhaus – Destination Canada
Winner: Visit Ballarat’s Louise Laing
Marketer of the Year
Finalists:
- Jayne Andrews – Carnival Cruise Line
- Lisa Ronson – Tourism Australia
- Shannon Davis – Cathay Pacific Airways
- Adelle Clements – G Adventures
- Karmun Leung – Trafalgar
- Chloe Jones – Princess Cruises
- Vanessa Richards – Excite Holidays
- Justine Lally – APT Travel Group
- Karen Deveson – Insight Vacations
Winner: Carnival Cruise Line’s Jayne Andrews
Mentor of the Year
Finalists:
- Astrid Richardson – Flight Centre Travel Group
- Kylie Andrews – TravelManagers
- Sally Gorringe – MTA – Mobile Travel Agents
- Olivia Curtis – Intrepid Group
- Jody Grossfeldt – AAT KINGS
- Megan Pechey – Mantra Group
- Debra Fox – APT Travel Group
- Juliet Hudson – International College of Management Sydney
- Stacia Morris – Grand Pacific Tours
- Rachel Anderson – American Express Global Business Travel
- Lucy Piper – Intrepid Group
Winner: Flight Centre Travel Group’s Astrid Richardson
PR of the Year
Finalists:
- Angela Cowley – AccorHotels
- Madeline Georgiadis – AccorHotels
- Millicent Ogden – Fuel Communications
- Gillian Monahan – Intrepid Group
- Natalie Middleton – Middleton Manning and Co
- Susie Westwood – The Brandman Agency
- Jackie Crossman – Red PR
Winner: Intrepid Group’s Gillian Monahan
Technology
Finalists:
- Barbara dos Santos – Excite Holidays
- Gemma Sherwood – Intrepid Group
- Katie Dance – Intrepid Group
- Greer Abbott – Sabre
- Gena Signorini – Amadeus
- Samantha Stock – Expedia
Winner: Intrepid Group’s Gemma Sherwood
Social Media
Finalists:
- Charis Ricafuente – Hawaii Tourism Oceania (the Walshe Group)
- Jessica OConnell – Excite Holidays
- Carla Kuipers – P&O Cruises Australia
- Chloe Davis – Tourism Australia
- Lucie Snape – Qantas
Winner: Hawaii Tourism Oceania (the Walshe Group)’s Charis Ricafuente
Hotel
Finalists:
- Kim Mahaffy – Marriott
- Nicole Cheramie
- Christine Haddad – Park Hyatt Sydney
- Joanna Hillier – Ovolo
- Jenny Williams – Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
- Juliet Hudson – Outrigger
Winner: Marriott’s Kim Mahaffy
Entrepreneur of the Year
Finalists:
- Lisa Pagotto – Crooked Compass Pty Ltd
- Gayle Dawson – Destination Dance
- Hayley Morris – Sisterhood Womens Travel
- Sabrina Bethunin – MadeComfy
- Miss Merri – Tiwari Travel
- Elizabeth Hayllar – Hayllar Music Tours
- Maxine Wiggs – Resource
- Louise Daley – AccorHotels Asia Pacific
- Penny Spencer – Spencer Group of Companies
- Emily Kadinski – itravel Carlingford
- Nadine Jones – Jones & Co Collection
Winner: Crooked Compass Pty Ltd’s Lisa Pagotto
CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!
Also, a HUGE thank you to all of our sponsors:
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