CLIA celebrates its night of nights

CLIA celebrates its night of nights

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia celebrated another massive year of cruising on Saturday.

Records were smashed at the 2014 Cruise Industry Awards at The Star Event Centre in Sydney, with the industry frocking up in their finest for the festivities.

With two new award categories in the mix, an unprecedented 19 award winners were announced across nine categories.

The night saw Western Australia’s Bicton Travel take out the top gong for 2014, Gold Agency of the Year, for the fourth time in five years.

Cruise Express Balmain took out the silver award, while Phil Hoffmann Travel Glenelg won bronze.

Ozcruising received the inaugural Online Agency of the Year award, while MTA’s Wendy Allen became the first mobile agent to be recognised at the industry awards night.

Recently retired journalist Ian McMahon, founder of Travel Bulletin and longtime editor of Travel Weekly, was welcomed into the CLIA Hall of Fame for his long running commitment to the industry as a trade editor.

AU CLIA award winners

CLIA Australasia Chairman Gavin Smith said the annual awards night was a chance for the association and its 34 member cruise lines to celebrate the outstanding contribution of local agents.

“As the Australasian industry goes from strength to strength, it’s no surprise that our 14th awards night was our biggest yet,” he said.

“With two new awards recognising the changing landscape of the industry and more than 500 industry members coming together to applaud their peers’ hard work and dedication, it really is the biggest night on the cruise calendar.”

In a moving tribute, Smith recognised former P&O Cruises New Zealand manager and CLIA board advisory member Shannon Currie posthumously for his decade-long contribution to New Zealand cruising.

Close friend and Seabourn NZ GSA Joe O’Sullivan accepted the acknowledgment on behalf of the Currie family, saying he played an instrumental role in the industry.

The sell-out gala event was again hosted by Channel 7 sportscaster and host of AFL Game Day Hamish McLachlan and Winners & Losers actress Melanie Vallejo.

An after party sponsored by TravelTek saw celebrations cruise well into the night.

Check out the full list of winners below, complete with some hot snaps of the cruising stars.

Cruise Agency of the Year – Australia

Gold: Bicton Travel, Perth WA

Silver: Cruise Express, Balmain NSW

Bronze: Phil Hoffmann Travel, Glenelg SA

Cruise Agency of the Year – New Zealand

Gold: Pukekohe Travel, Auckland

Silver: Cruiseabout Howick, Auckland

Bronze: Business World Travel, Wellington

Online Agency of the Year – Australia

Ozcruising

Online Agency of the Year – New Zealand

iCruise

Home Based/Mobile Agent of the Year – Australia

Wendy Allen, MTA – Mobile Travel Agent

Broker of the Year – New Zealand

Andrew Lennox, Flight Centre Travel Broker

Cruise Consultant of the Year – Australia

Martine Hero, Clean Cruising QLD

Cruise Consultant of the Year – New Zealand

Mark Smith, Lets Cruise

Rising Star Award – Australia

Ashleigh Fountain, Ozcruising ACT

Rising Star Award – New Zealand

Victoria Sherry, Cruiseabout Ponsonby

Agency Promotion of the Year – Australia

Holiday & Cruise Centre, Ballarat VIC – “Brand the Bus Campaign”

Agency Promotion of the Year – New Zealand

House of Travel Nelson – “The Biggest Cruise Event of 2014”

Network Promotion of the Year – Australasia

United Travel (New Zealand) – “Cruise Insider Magazine”

Media Award

Angie Kelly, Sun Herald Traveller – “The Sea Day Diaries”

CLIA Hall of Fame

Ian McMahon

Special Recognition for Services to the New Zealand Cruise Industry

Shannon Currie

Anthony Gallagher with winner of Agency Promotion of the Year Australia Nicole King and host Melanie Vallejo

Anthony Gallagher with winner of Agency Promotion of the Year Australia Nicole King and host Melanie Vallejo

Australian consultant of year Martine Hero

Australian consultant of year Martine Hero

Carole Smethurst from Bicton Travel

Carole Smethurst from Bicton Travel

Bronze Agency Australian winner, Michelle McNamara from Phil Hoffmann Glenelg and Michelle Black from Scenic Tours

Bronze Agency Australian winner, Michelle McNamara from Phil Hoffmann Glenelg and Michelle Black from Scenic Tours

CLIA GM Brett Jardine, CLIA Hall of Fame inductee Ian McMahon and CLIA Chairman Gavin Smith

CLIA Chairman Gavin Smith, Seabourn NZ GSA Joe O’Sullivan and CLIA GM Brett Jardine

CLIA Chairman Gavin Smith, Seabourn NZ GSA Joe O’Sullivan and CLIA GM Brett Jardine

Cunard Director of Sales Ryan Taibel with Australian mobile agent winner Wendy Allen

Cunard Director of Sales Ryan Taibel with Australian mobile agent winner Wendy Allen

Public Relations Manager Ponant Australasia Michael Corbett with the winner of the media award, Angie Kelly

Public Relations Manager Ponant Australasia Michael Corbett with the winner of the media award, Angie Kelly

Ozcruising's Craig and Bill Chisholm (right) with Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

    Latest comments
    1. I would imagine all these agents were pleased when http://www.bestcruises.com.au were closed. They won the number 1 spot twice and in the top 3, i think approximately 5 times. They were the best cruise staff in Australia. Well done Rob Gurney, Elizabeth Gaines and all the exec team at Jetset/Helloworld for closing it down, $25 million turnover profitable company, pioneers in the cruise industry. I now work for another cruise agent, and the cruise agents were all pleased when it was closed. Biggest fail in travel industry.

Australasia clia cruise lines international association sydney The star event centre

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