As you may have noticed from the ribbon on the cover, TravelAge West is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Throughout 2019, we’ll be referring to the history of the publication and other milestones in travel, and our special June 17 issue will be dedicated to coverage of our anniversary.
While there’s a lot to say about the magazine’s history, one aspect of the publication’s mission should be readily apparent to readers: TravelAge West is, and has always been, a publication focused on retail travel agents. Many things have changed over the past half-century, but TravelAge West has stood by agents in the West no matter what challenges and changes they have faced. As other companies have come and gone, this magazine has remained true to its vision — and, perhaps as a result, our audience has remained true to us.
In keeping with this spirit, I’m happy to announce that we are taking entries for our 2019 Trendsetter Awards program. These annual awards are designed to acknowledge the accomplishments and innovations of Western travel advisors. There are four categories to enter: Best Group Booking Sales Effort; Best Targeted Marketing Idea; Best Use of Social Media; and Upward Bound, Rock Star Agent Under 40. Winners receive amazing travel prizes and will be profiled in an issue of TravelAge West. We also salute the winners and runners-up at our WAVE Awards black-tie gala, held this year in Marina Del Rey, Calif., on June 13.
I encourage all of you to enter. This is a great opportunity to be recognized by the biggest brands in travel, to raise your profile with clients and to win great prizes. If you feel that your achievements this year are not suited for one of these categories, you can also nominate a colleague or share the entry information with your personal network of advisors.
We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the efforts of travel advisors, and the Trendsetter Awards are a prime way we can achieve this goal. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or need more information ([email protected]), and visit our website to enter.