 | Tuesday, December 9, 2008 Radisson SAS Portman Hotel, London |
 See photos from the Awards here
Jeremy Vine reveals his Andrew Sachs moment: read the blog here
AGENT CATEGORIES
Reservations Consultant of the Year sponsored by 
Winner: Angela Garrity, Key Travel What the judges said: Angela showed an impressive and solid all-round performance. She demonstrated excellent customer service, great team working skills and had an enormous amount of very positive customer feedback.
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Reservations Team of the Year sponsored by 
Winner: Carlson Wagonlit Travel - Customer A reservations team
 | What the judges said: this entry was succinct, professional and demonstrated that the team is incredibly client-focused. It showed excellent levels of customer satisfaction, and impressed the judges with both the improved reduction of missed savings and the increase in productivity with a decrease in head count. |
Manager of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Mark Pollard, Key Travel | What the judges said: Mark’s presentation was well-ordered and impressive. He comes across as a real professional, someone his team can really look up to, adopting a structured approach to management and taking the initiative to propose change when necessary. The judges were particularly impressed by Mark’s idea of bringing together the teams across the company, which led to much clearer definition of roles. | 
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Account Manager of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Faith Padmore, Chambers Travel Management 
| What the judges said: they thought Faith’s entry was excellent. She gave many examples and showed evidence of how proactive she is, taking a consultative approach to the job. A highlight was how quickly she implemented the TNS account. Judges were impressed with how quickly Faith adapted to the business travel arena, coming from a leisure background. |
Account Management Team of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Chambers Travel Management | What the judges said: Chambers’ account management team showed a very strong team spirit where each member was highly valued and celebrations of personal achievement were common place. The judges were extremely impressed by the positive results from their client survey and excellent customer testimonials. | 
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Sales/Business Development Manager of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Fiona Goldsmith, FCm Travel Solutions 
| What the judges said: this was a very close call, but Fiona demonstrated that she can think outside the box and was not afraid to be creative during her first year in the job. The judges felt that Fiona has set the foundations for a very profitable future.
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Sales Team/ Business Development Team of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: FCm Travel Solutions - SME Business Development Team, 'The Sharks' What the judges said: this is the second time the Sharks have scooped this award – and it’s once again well-deserved. The judges were impressed by the team’s methodology and the process they adopted to give clear measurement of performance. They liked the Sharks’ unique approach to following up on new customers, “The Seven Touches”!
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Young Business Travel Professional Sponsored by 
Winner: Janina Zachopoulous-Butler, Carlson Wagonlit Travel 
| What the judges said: our judges were impressed by the levels of professionalism and consistency throughout Janina’s entry. She has a proven dedication and commitment to the role, and has found innovative ways to take the business forward. The judges felt Janina was a role model for her peers. They were particularly impressed by Janina’s people skills – with both internal staff and clients.
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SUPPLIER CATEGORIES
Supplier Sales Manager/Business Development Manager of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Kathryn Wallington, Travelport What the judges said: Kathryn demonstrated incredible ability in a challenging market place, showing how to retain customers as well as grow business. The judges were particularly impressed by her “relentlessness” (her words!) in chasing the Advantage business and building strong relationships with the consortium. Judges were also impressed by how much segment volume rose since the migration.
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Supplier Sales Team/ Business Development Team of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Park Plaza Country Hall, London 
| What the judges said: they were highly impressed by the Park Plaza team. They felt the submission showed an incredible amount of passion and innovation. The judges noted the team’s innovative approach to marketing – in particular developing the company’s first YouTube movie and its first viral video game. The team also provided financial evidence to back up their success.
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CORPORATE CATEGORY
Travel Management Company of the Year Sponsored by 
Winner: Carlson Wagonlit Travel What the judges said: Carlson Wagonlit Travel produced a clear, concise and professional entry. The company showed the excellent benefits it gives staff and evidence of really looking after its employees. The judges were particularly impressed by CWT’s outstanding training and “school term contracts” for working mothers. Judges commented on how creatively the company seemed to approach everything – a well deserved winner.
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INDUSTRY AWARD
Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Sponsored by
Winner: Richard Brown, chief executive, Eurostar 
| What the judges said: Richard Brown is the quiet man of travel – but his lack of high profile does not detract from his – and his team’s – amazing achievements over the past year. The first and most obvious (and the judges drew comparisons with the disastrous opening of T5), was the seamless transition from Waterloo to St Pancras last year – a move which really could not have gone better in the judges’ opinion. The opening of Ebbsfleet has less fanfare but was equally as successful. The judges were also full of praise for Richard’s push to get Eurostar onto the GDSs and his unswerving championship of environmental causes.
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