In terms of iconic Australian gongs, there are the Logies, the Brownlow Medal, and the ARIAs.
But Dean Long, Australian Travel Industry Association’s Chief Executive Officer, would fit in seamlessly alongside the celebrities on those red carpets.
Long talked to travelBulletin in the lead-up to this year’s National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA), set to be hosted on Saturday.
“This is the one night where we all come together and celebrate the best the industry has to offer…it doesn’t matter if you cruise, it doesn’t matter if you air, it doesn’t matter if you’re land, it doesn’t matter if you’re an agent,” Long enthused.
“As the custodians of the event, we’re very proud and so protective of the [NTIAs], because it is the best of the best on the industry’s night of nights, and that’s why we’re genuinely excited about doing it.”
The Awards are back in Sydney, after a year in Melbourne; however those assuming the trip south was a mere dalliance can stand corrected, Long asserted.
“We definitely had a huge success in Melbourne, and one of the commitments the Association and the board has made is we will be moving this event around the country…but there is a natural home with it being in Sydney because it was here for so long,” he said. “It’s great to be back in Sydney.”
Attendees at this year’s NTIAs are in for a treat from the outset, Long said, with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on deck as arrival sponsor, as the organisation celebrates its 60th anniversary.
“When you arrive at the ICC, you are going to be stepping into Singapore, recreated in Sydney,” he enthused.
“The investment that they have made into the arrivals experience I think is probably the biggest investment in the last 10 years and people are really going to enjoy that environment,” Long added.
STB joins more than 30 sponsors for the night, including headliner Singapore Airlines, afterparty sponsor CVFR, emcee sponsor Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers, entertainment sponsor Helloworld Travel, beverage sponsor Globus family of brands, and finalist plaque sponsor Tramada.
The arrival experience will complement the musical stylings of Rat Pack Reloaded and Groove Academy, before guests head to the afterparty.
“We know people want to dance and have a good time with their colleagues, families, and loved ones, they can dance right up until the early morning, so it’s going to be a good, high intensity night,” Long said.
However, undoubtedly the most important part of the night is the award winners, and getting one’s hands on an NTIA is harder this year than ever before.
This is not because there are less categories though (there are actually more), but nominees and finalists are put through a far more arduous application process than before.
This year’s applications were asked to submit a video, which was assessed by two university academics, and then by two new judges with a tourism and travel background who assessed the entry. There was also a third tertiary-qualified assessor on hand, in the event of a discrepancy between the two judges.
The submission then went to an industry panel, who was also presented to personally by applicants.
The process was designed to ensure winners are even more proud of their victory than they have been in years passed, Long said.
All this will be indexed to allow applicants to access feedback on their submission for the first time.
“We spent a lot of time and a lot of resources making sure this year that everybody who was a nominee and submitted and didn’t become a finalist will get that feedback to really enhance what they’re doing as an individual or their businesses,” Long said
“[What] will really set this year apart is that if you were a nominee and you made a submission, you will be eligible for feedback.
“Even if you were a finalist, you’ll get the marking feedback about the questions that maybe you didn’t answer as well as what you could have that you can improve on next year…[it] will say what score you got, [and] if you were a finalist, you’re also going to get written feedback from the panel, on top of the judging assessments as well.”
Going the extra mile amplifies the importance of the industry’s night of nights, Long hinted.
“It’s going to give you a better chance to improve what you do as an individual, how you sell yourself, even in a CV, or a pitch to win business,” he explained.
“We know for so many people winning these awards, it sets their career up for a stronger trajectory…people who win these awards go on to bigger and better jobs and the industry really values it, so we’re looking forward to celebrating those winners on Saturday night.”
This commitment to every nominee is a reflection of just how important the travel industry’s major awards are, kickstarting careers across the industry, and a reminder that no matter your role, the NTIAs are a night for everyone in travel.
