TORONTO — The Travel Agent Next Door’s virtual Gala Awards Night honoured top-producing TTAND agents as well as many of the host agency’s top preferred and approved partner suppliers.
Decked out in tuxes, suits, evening gowns and other finery, the TTAND crew and their supplier partners saluted agents, lauding them for their hard work during this difficult time.
Not only did many TTAND agents win awards, suppliers did too, based on votes from TTAND members. The night was hosted by TTAND’s Flemming Friisdahl, Penny Martin, Rhonda Stanley and Shean Carmichael.
TravelBrands, represented by Director of Sales, Bruce Lidberg, was voted TTAND’s Best Overall Approved Supplier Partner, as well as Most Supportive FIT Partner. “We have a great partnership with The Travel Agent Next Door. Both companies are very productive and forward-thinking,” said Lidberg last night as he raised a glass to toast the host agency and its membership.
As they popped up on screen to congratulate the top-achieving agents, suppliers had nothing but praise for each agent’s accomplishments.
Air Canada Vacations’ Erminia Nigro General Manager, Sales – Ontario & National Accounts, had two awards to give out, to Cindy Almond, Romance & Foodie Travel, and to Sylvette Deveau, Deveau Travel. “Cindy, you’ve done such a fantastic job with groups,” said Nigro, adding to Deveau, “Sylvette, great job and it will be a pleasure to work more closely with you.”
This is the latest webinar event hosted by TTAND. In May the host agency toasted its partners and agents with a special webinar presentation that looked back at 2019’s successes and ahead to 2020, with all of its challenges and opportunities.
From last night’s event, here are the lists of winners ….
TOP SUPPLIER AWARDS, VOTED BY TTAND MEMBERS
Most Supportive Tour Operator Partner – Transat
Most Supportive Land / Guided Tour Partner – Goway
Most Supportive Ocean Cruise Line – Celebrity Cruises
Most Supportive River Cruise Line – AmaWaterways
Most Supportive FIT Partner – TravelBrands – Exotik
Most Supportive Specialty Product Partner – G Adventures
Best Overall Approved Supplier Partner – TravelBrands – Encore Cruises, Intair, Sunquest
TOP-ACHIEVING AGENT AWARDS, BY SUPPLIER
Air Canada – Mike Gilmore, TailWind Travel
Air Canada Vacations – Sylvette Deveau, Deveau Travel & Cindy Almond, Romance & Foodie Travel
AM Resorts – Top Producer – Cynthia Davidson, Beaches & Beyond; Top Producer Western Canada – Shelley Cota, Shelley’s Sun & Sand Travel; Highest Sale increase – Dianne Marsden, The Travel Agent Next Door
AMAWaterways – Karen Gill, Plan A Vacation
Azamara – Linda Kettlewell, The Travel Agent Next Door
Bedsonline – Steph Switzer, Exclusive To You Travel Services
Celebrity Cruises – James Li, The Travel Agent Next Door; Lee Ann Jensen, The Travel Agent Next Door; Steph Switzer, Exclusive To You Travel Services; Anna Abbandonato, Exclusive To You Travel Services; Maizy Alexander, The Travel Agent Next Door
Collette – Top Group Agent – Lee Ann Jensen, The Travel Agent Next Door; Top Retail Agent – Shelley Cota, Shelley’s Sun & Sand Travel
Crystal Cruises – Paula Stewart, Stewart Travel Group
G Adventures – Chen Yu, The Travel Agent Next Door
Gateways International – Stewart Travel Group; Anita Paton, The Travel Agent Next Door
Globus – Valerie Paton, BF Travel
Goway – Cathy Wiechnik, Xcursions
Insight Vacations – Wendi Gladstone, Unique Group Tours
Just You – Daphne Hart, You Go Girl Travel Group
Manulife – Karen Gill, Plan A Vacation; Travis Stewart, Stewart Travel Group
Norwegian Cruise Line – LeighAnne O’Neill, Once in a Lifetime Travel
Oceania Cruises – Bruce Chadwick, The Travel Agent Next Door
Playa Hotel & Resorts – Wendy Harrison, Lakeshore Travel
Princess Cruises – Lee Ann Jensen, The Travel Agent Next Door
Rail Europe – Julie Gillen, The Travel Agent Next Door
Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Top Performer – Carolyn Lass, Burloak Travel; Top Travel Advisor Partner – Scott Waldron, Gravitate
Royal Caribbean International – Top Atlantic – Scott Penney, The Travel Agent Next Door; Top Prairies – Karen Davidson, Four Corners Vacations; Top BC – James Li, The Travel Agent Next Door; Top ON & Overall – Lee Ann Jensen, The Travel Agent Next Door
Sandals/Beaches – Most direct bookings – Ruth Guiry, Guiry Travel; Most registered bookings – Sylvette Deveau, Deveau Travel
Tourcan Vacations – Top performer – Wendi Gladstone, Unique Group Tours; Runner up – Kim Lake, Getaway with Compass
Transat – Top overall sales – Shelley Cota, Shelley’s Sun & Sand Travel; Top rising star – Maureen Hummel, The Travel Agent Next Door
Travel Brands – Sharna Crouch, Kala Travel; Maria Garcia, RMG Travel Services
Viking River Cruises – Wilma Suurnakki, The Travel Agent Next Door
WestJet – Dawn Uchida, Let’s Get Out of Here; Dawn Negrey, Vacations by Dawn; Debbi Rempel, The Travel Agent Next Door
WestJet Vacations – Sharlene Philipchuck, A Whole World to Travel; Shelley Cota, Shelley’s Sun & Sand Travel; Ruth Malcolm, The Travel Agent Next Door
