There are awards nights, and then there are awards nights. When TravelManagers takes over Bali’s Nusa Dua for its annual National Conference, you can be sure the champagne flows, the applause echoes and the tissue boxes are discreetly positioned under tables. Last night’s gala, the crown jewel of the three-day gathering, was no exception: 500-plus personal travel managers (PTMs), suppliers, media and National Partnership Office (NPO) staff gathered to witness the best and brightest of their industry feted in a fashion that combined red-carpet glamour with a genuine family reunion.
If you thought travel people could only spin stories about faraway places, think again. They also know how to celebrate themselves with gusto, warmth, and teary eyes.
Emma Lucas: The Star of Stars
It was a double victory for Victorian PTM Emma Lucas, who not only secured her state’s top honour but went on to claim the ultimate crown: Personal Travel Manager of the Year 2024/25.
Lucas, already known for her tenacity and enviable client following, accepted the national award with grace. Her colleagues rose in unison to applaud. It was the kind of ovation that says, “Here is someone who embodies the resilience and brilliance of a travel professional who has seen it all and still comes out smiling.”
A Rising Force: Joel Webb
Nearby, fellow Victorian Joel Webb proved that fresh blood can make an almighty splash. Named New PTM of the Year, Webb demonstrated that enthusiasm and sharp business sense are as much a ticket to the top as decades of experience. He joined TravelManagers just last year and already has a trophy to polish. Watch this space: if the grin plastered on his face was anything to go by, Webb isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Travel’s brightest crowned in Bali, trophies clutched, spirits soaring.
Heart and Humanity: The Above and Beyond Award
Awards for sales and commissions are all good, but sometimes the moments that define an industry are less about dollars and more about decency. Enter Queensland PTMs Karen Christie and Rebecca Harrison, who jointly handed the Above and Beyond Award.
This one is for acts of exceptional kindness, service and dedication, the phone calls at midnight, the clients rescued when the world fell apart, the colleagues lifted when morale sagged. Christie and Harrison stood centre stage as the room erupted, reminding everyone that while travel may be a business, it is also a calling.
When Peers Decide: PTM Choice Award
Recognition from above is nice, but recognition from one’s peers is priceless. This year, Rachael Portelli received the PTM Choice Award, which was decided by votes from within the network.
Chief Operating Officer Grant Campbell explained it neatly:
“The accolade is given to a fellow PTM whose qualities may include willingness to help, professionalism, upholding the TravelManagers brand and developing the unique culture within our business.”
Put, Portelli is the kind of colleague you’d want on your team, on your fam trip, or on the other end of the phone when the booking system crashes.
Bali night sparkled as TravelManagers’ finest claimed their crowns.
The Supplier Stage
The night wasn’t all about PTMs. Vietnam Travel & Tours scooped Partner Supplier of the Year, proof that strong alliances remain the backbone of the business.
Ki Williams of TTC won the Top Sales Executive Award and was cheered for his creativity and hands-on support. The Supplier Choice Award went to Robbie Barrett, a PTM recognised by suppliers as an unwavering brand advocate. For Barrett, it was his second trip to the stage, he also appeared in the Top Ten PTMs roll-call, proving that some people can’t stop winning.
The Spirit of TravelManagers
The Barry Mayo Spirit Award carries perhaps the most emotional weight of all the awards. As the citation puts it, it is given to someone who “lives, breathes and reflects the heart and soul of TravelManagers.”
This year, that someone was Carli Byrne. Byrne’s everyday principles, her cheer, and her indefatigable enthusiasm earned her a trophy and a tidal wave of affection from her peers. There were hugs, tears, and the unmistakable sense that Mayo would have nodded approvingly.
Loyalty Rewarded
If Byrne’s win brought tears, the recognition of long service brought goosebumps. Sixty-six PTMs and NPO staff marked ten or fifteen years with the business, while Lisa Metzl was honoured for an extraordinary 20 years.
Two decades in any job is remarkable. Two decades in the travel industry with its pandemics, downturns, airline collapses, and ever-shifting trends is nothing short of heroic. Metzl’s name was greeted with a standing ovation and more than a few moist eyes.
Applause thundered as TravelManagers’ champions stepped proudly into the spotlight.
More Glittering Names
The list of winners was long, but each name carried weight:
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Engagement Award: Vikki Southern — for her tireless participation and professional growth.
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Most Improved PTM: Amanda Brady (QLD, national winner) — growth that would make any accountant smile.
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Excellence in Marketing: Sinead Phillips — proof that a sharp message is as valuable as a sharp fare.
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Recognition Award: Tanya Nielsen — the dependable hand every business needs.
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Support Award: Rebecca Owen (Accounts) — adored by PTMs for her behind-the-scenes wizardry.
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Denise Dean Advocate Award: Ange Bowerman — loud, proud, and effective in championing the TravelManagers brand.
Then came the Top 10 PTMs by commission, featuring stalwarts like Ally Casey, Emma Lucas, Kerrin Poupos and Melanie Whyte. These are the people whose spreadsheets could double as travel brochures, impressive numbers, delivered with passion.
More Than Just Trophies
Awards nights, let’s be honest, often descend into box-ticking rituals, the kind of evenings where polite clapping alternates with furtive glances at the dessert table. But Bali wasn’t that. This was no perfunctory pat on the back; it was a noisy, heartfelt celebration of a network that has copped more blows than a battered suitcase on a baggage carousel and somehow emerged shinier for the experience.
The travel industry has, in recent years, weathered enough turbulence to make a 747 pilot nervous. Yet here was a ballroom packed with PTMs laughing, hugging, and applauding each other with the kind of gusto you simply can’t script. It wasn’t stage-managed; it was genuine, messy, gloriously human, the very stuff that keeps TravelManagers from being just another business card in a wallet.
The Last Glass
By the time the final trophy was hoisted and the last glass drained (not always in that order), the message was as clear as a Balinese sunrise after a tropical downpour: TravelManagers’ strength doesn’t sit in spreadsheets, it beats in the people who call this network home.
Yes, Emma Lucas was queen of the night, Joel Webb was the bright-eyed newcomer, and Carli Byrne was the spirit everyone wished they had bottled. But in truth, every handshake, every cheer, every slightly wobbly dance step later in the evening told the same story: this was a room full of winners.
Because travel, when you strip away the jargon, has never really been about destinations. It’s about people who get you there, the ones who fix things when they go wrong, and those who, for one night in Bali, reminded us why this battered, brilliant industry is worth the ride.
By Prae Lee
