Travelscene American Express Consultants had reason to kick up their glitzy platform shoes and shake their shimmery outfits at the finale of this year’s National Consultants Conference, the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert–themed Star Awards Dinner.

The message to Member Agencies was clear - the best home for the travel agent in Australia is Travelscene American Express.

The two-day Conference culminated with the naming of Maree Wright from Travelscene Nowra, as the winner of the Rising Star of the Year Award, and Sarah Pogson from Travelscene Kogarah, as the 2012 titleholder of the prestigious Consultant of the Year Award.

Wendy Wu Tours was named Most Supportive Preferred Supplier Award and APT the Most Supportive Quantum Supplier Award.

The winners of the state QCme! Awards (for individual support of preferred partners) were:
·         Barbara Gross, Sabra Travel Pty Ltd (ACT/NSW)
·         Lenny Padowitz, Travelscene Logan (QLD/Northern NSW)
·         Kristy Collier, Eyre Travel (SA/NT)
·         Andrew Zegelin, Travelcentre Bendigo (VIC/TAS)
·         Casey Potter, The Travel Emporium (WA)

The winners of the state QCteam! Awards were:
·         Travelscene Wollongong (ACT/NSW)
·         Travel Masters (QLD/Northern NSW)
·         Phil Hoffmann Travel - Glenelg (SA/NT)
·         Travelscene Echuca (VIC/TAS)
·         Sandi Royce Travel (WA)

Travelscene American Express General Manager, David Padman expressed pride in the winners and nominees, while sharing his excitement about the future of the group and the industry.

“I worked as a travel consultant for many years and, almost twenty years later, I stand by the fact that the very backbone of the travel industry lies with the consultants who work on the front line every day,” Mr Padman said. “And this conference is one of the best things that we do for our Members and their teams.”

“The weekend calendar has been jam-packed with social events, dinners and entertainment, but most importantly it has been a fantastic way for us to thank Members for their work and offer them personal growth, training and resources that they can take home.”

“There is no better time to be a great travel agent in Australia. Looking back over the last 12 months, there have been rapid changes in the industry and, with new products and technologies being released almost daily and consumer buying patterns shifting, things will continue to move and shake. So it’s up to the consultants to manage these changes well.  And while it’s not easy, there is significant opportunity to rise to the challenge.”

“In addition, it has become the norm for consultants to deliver great customer service and exceed client expectations to stay one step ahead of the game. It is, therefore, up to us, the Travelscene American Express network, to support Members’ strengths, innovations and individualism. And we’re doing this through our unique Membership offerings.”

Commenting on the weekend, Travelscene American Express CEO, Mike Thompson said “We bring to the table strong partnerships with our preferred suppliers which means Members get great products and competitive prices which they can pass on to their clients. We open up avenues for Members to expand their client bases, and we provide networking opportunities so that they can connect with like-minded industry experts.”

“This conference could not have happened without the support of our preferred suppliers and I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all involved.”

More than 320 delegates experienced what Alice Springs had to offer over 2 days, including getting down RM Williams-style with Shannon Noll at the I love Australia Bash at the Outback Quarry on Saturday night. But while there was well-deserved down-time, the key focus of the conference was to listen to the delegates, share knowledge among experts and demonstrating why there is no better place for travel agencies than Travelscene American Express.