Welcome to The Advantage Travel Partnership's Big Celebration Lunch!
Join us in celebrating the successes and achievements of our members and partners in the travel industry.
This annual awards ceremony gives us an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the great and the good of travel, be they trailblazers, mentors, unsung heroes or those who deliver over and above to their customers.
Our 2019 Big Celebration Lunch winners
We take pride in celebrating the achievements and innovation of our members and supplier partners which is why this year we have 21 awards showcasing the best of the best! From exceptional employees to sustainability champions, these accolades highlight the passion and dedication of our community. Join us as we delve into these categories, showcasing the inspiring stories behind the awards that encourage our members to continue exploring and shaping the future of travel.
This year's host will be Mark Durden-Smith. Mark previously hosted the event and was a firm favourite so we are thrilled to welcome him back! He is a sport and lifestyle presenter whose versatility has seen him front everything from sports coverage to reality contests, cookery programmes to morning magazine shows.
Well-known to sports fans, Mark has led ITV’s Premiership and World Cup rugby coverage, as well as anchoring their Boat Race broadcast. He followed Premiership coverage as it moved to Channel 5, whilst for Sky he’s presented European golf, international cricket, Spanish football, and the daily round-up Sky Sports Centre, as well as rugby. He also hosted Sky’s reality show The Match, which pitted celebrities against professionals in a football match. Away from the sporting arena, Mark has guest hosted This Morning and fronted Package Holidays Undercover and Wish You Were Here – Now and Then, as well as the reality show spin-offs I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Now!, and Hell’s Kitchen Extra Portions. He’s also hosted game and panel shows for ITV and Sky 1.
Joanna is the founding Director of Themis Advisory, a business affairs and strategic advisory consultancy, following over 20 years providing legal services to the travel and aviation industries.
Since qualification Joanna has specialised in the aviation and travel industries and her advice covers a number of aspects including airlines, tour operators, destination management companies, distribution and accommodation. Her expertise includes aviation and travel law, company/commercial issues and regulatory matters including the Package Travel Regulations, ATOL compliance and aviation regulation. Joanna also has specific expertise in risk management, crisis management and criminalisation in air and travel incidents.
Joanna was appointed as UK Legal Counsel to Advantage in August 2018.
Michelle is Director of A S Training which is a travel specialist apprenticeship Training Provider.
Michelle started her career off as a modern apprentice for Thomas Cook, wanting to offer others the same opportunity she had, Michelle and her team work actively within the travel sector to create career paths for new to travel and establish pathways for up-skilling for existing staff.
In May 2023 Advantage entered into a new partnership with A S Training to provide members with access to a range of apprenticeship courses striving to invest in bringing new talent into the UK travel industry with a bold and ambitious target of introducing 50 new apprenticeships across the Partnership over 12 months.
With 20 years of banking experience, Simon is a Director and Head of Travel within the Large Corporate Hospitality & Leisure Team at Barclays.
He oversees a portfolio of key clients whilst also steering the sector strategy nationally by working closely with industry regulators and experts to ensure that the bank and its Relationship Directors have the tools and industry knowledge to best support their clients across all areas of their financing and banking needs
Discover modern luxury at the Hilton London Bankside Hotel. Located in the heart of London's vibrant South Bank, this stylish hotel offers sophisticated comfort and easy access to top attractions like the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Enjoy well-appointed rooms, exceptional dining, and excellent amenities, making it the perfect choice for both business and leisure travellers. Experience the best of London at the Hilton London Bankside.
📍Address: 2-8 Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 0UG, UK
🕛Time: 12pm - 5pm
We are proud to announce that our Big Celebration Lunch is dedicated to supporting the remarkable charity, The Salvation Army.
At this year’s event we are asking our guests to join us to make a meaningful difference and bring smiles to the faces of deserving children.
Every year The Salvation Army, with the help of the general public, donate new toys and gifts to children, young people, the homeless and older people in need. The demand for Christmas presents increases each year, which is why we are appealing to guests at our lunch to bring a new unwrapped gift to the event.
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