With the deadline fast approaching, entries to this year’s Women in Travel Awards are coming in thick and fast!

However, before the gate closes on entrants to the awards on Friday 12 April at 5pm AEST, we wanted to debunk a few common misconceptions:

1. You have to be nominated to enter – FALSE. While you’re more than welcome to nominate someone else, don’t be shy about putting yourself forward. It’s not a popularity contest!
2. There a cost attached to enter – FALSE. It’s completely free, which means more cash to splash on a celebration if you win!
3. You can only enter one category – FALSE. You can enter as many categories as you like, provided you meet the criteria.
4. You can’t enter again because you already entered last year – FALSE. That would be just plain mean if we had a one-time entry policy.
5. You can’t enter if you’ve started a new job this year – FALSE. If you’ve hit your KPIs, you’re good to go!

So, now we’ve busted those myths, it’s time to get cracking on your entry to the Women in Travel Awards (if you haven’t started already, of course) here. But before you hit ‘submit’, we highly recommend reading the following crucial info (just to be safe):

• The deadline for entries is Friday 12 April 2019 at 5pm (AEST).
• You are eligible to enter more than one category, as long as the work submitted meets the criteria.
• Previous Women in Travel award winners are eligible to enter again.
• Judging is done by a panel of industry experts and entries are given a score out of 100.
• Please ensure all details are entered accurately, and please include entrants profile photo (in Attachment tab), as this will be used for the awards presentation. For those entering the Employer category, please include a team photo.
• All entrants and finalists must purchase a ticket if they wish to attend the awards night.

In case you’re new to this, the Women in Travel Awards recognise women who have achieved astronomic success in their professional arenas and celebrate their invaluable contribution through leadership, innovation and courage to the travel industry. Check out last year’s winners here.

This year, we’ve added two new categories to the mix: Executive Leader of the Year and Sustainable Practices Champion. You can check out the full list of categories below:

• Employer of the Year
• Social Media
• Road and Rail
• Retail
• Corporate
• Rising Star of the Year
• Marketer of the Year
• Mentor of the Year
• PR of the Year
• Sales Person of the Year
• Wholesale
• Cruise
• Aviation
• Tourism Board
• Technology
• Hotel
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Executive Leader of the Year
• Sustainable Practices Champion

A top team of expert judges will also decide on the 20 most influential women in the travel industry, in the form of Travel Weekly‘s very own Power List. Check out the 2018 list here.

Intrepid Group has come on board as principal sponsor of the Women in Travel Awards for the fourth year in a row, and Doltone House is back as venue partner for the third straight year. APT Travel Group, Collette and G Adventures are also among the sponsors for this year’s awards.

This year, the Women in Travel Awards are being held on Thursday 20 June at Doltone House – Hyde Park in Sydney. Click here to secure your spot and take advantage of the early bird ticket price.

Here are the key dates to mark down in your calendar:

Entries close: Friday 12 April 2019 at 5pm (AEST)

Judging period: Monday 15 April to Friday 10 May 2019

Awards shortlist announced: Wednesday 15 May 2019

Early bird ticket sale closes: Wednesday 22 May 2019 at 5pm (AEST)

Full-price tickets on sale: Wednesday 22 May after 5pm (AEST) until sold out

Awards night: Thursday 20 June 2019 at Doltone House – Hyde Park

P.S. Please save your Women in Travel Awards entry in a Word doc in case so many of you jump onto the awards portal that it crashes. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Stay tuned for plenty more info on the awards in the coming weeks and months. For all Women in Travel Awards enquiries, email Nicolle Lawson at nicolle@travelweekly.com.au.