The nominees for the third annual Business Traveller Africa Awards have been announced, with the winners in each category due to be revealed at the event, which takes place at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg on the morning of 2 September 2014.
Future Group – the publishers of Business Traveller Africa magazine – in association with headline sponsor Gautrain, research partner TNS, and corporate partners Bidvest Bank, Carlson Rezidor, ExecuJet, Hotel Verde and Travelport, will be hosting the event.
As in 2013, South African Airways has picked up nominations in three categories – ‘Best African Regional Short-Haul Airline’, ‘Best African Long-Haul Airline’ and ‘Best Business Class’ – whilst the airline’s Baobab Business Class Lounge at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg has been nominated in the ‘Best Airport Business Lounge’ category.
In the main hotel category, the ‘Best Hotel Group’ prize will be contested by City Lodge, Legacy Hotels & Resorts, Protea Hotels, Sun International and Tsogo Sun.
The ‘Best Travel Management Company’ category sees American Express Travel Services, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Harvey World Travel and HRG Rennies Travel up against each other.
Of the other main categories, the ‘Best Car Rental Company’ has Avis, Budget Rent a Car, Europcar, Hertz and Tempest contesting the prize, whilst the award for ‘Best Large Conference Venue’ will go to one of Birchwood Hotel & O.R Tambo Conference Centre, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Emperors Palace, International Convention Centre Durban and Sandton Convention Centre.
This year sees four new categories being contested – ‘Best Global Distribution System’, ‘Best International Hotel Group’, ‘Best Small Conference Venue’, and ‘Best Travel Credit Card Provider’.
“What is encouraging is the high number of responses we’ve received to the voting survey this year,” said Dylan Rogers, editor of Business Traveller Africa magazine. “Our database is made up of travel buyers, a large number of travel agents, actual business travellers, professional conference organisers, executive assistants, PAs, and suppliers in the business travel space, and we’re confident that this is a good representation of the overall South African business travel space.”
As with last year, Future Group and Business Traveller Africa magazine will also hand out the ‘Travel Personality of the Year’, which in 2012 went to outgoing Avis CEO and OUTA Chairman Wayne Duvenage, and in 2013 was awarded to Comair CEO Erik Venter.
Further to the awards, Future Group will be hosting three business travel-related panel discussions at the Maslow Hotel on the day of the event, including an examination of the implications of the recent changes to South Africa’s immigration regulations.
The full list of nominees is as follows (in alphabetical order):
African Long-Haul Airline
Air Mauritius
Air Namibia
Ethiopian Airlines
Kenya Airways
SAA
African Regional Short-Haul Airline
Airlink
Air Mauritius
Comair (BA & Kulula)
Mango
SAA
Airport Business Lounge
Bidvest Premier (ORTIA – International)
Emirates (ORTIA – International)
SAA Baobab (ORTIA – International)
SLOW Lounge (ORTIA – International)
Virgin Atlantic (ORTIA – International)
Business Class
British Airways
Emirates
Qatar Airways
SAA
Virgin Atlantic
Business Hotel in SA
Hyatt Regency Johannesburg
Maslow Hotel
Michelangelo Hotel
Radisson Blu Gautrain
Radisson Blu Sandton
Car Rental Company
Avis
Budget Rent a Car
Europcar
Hertz
Tempest
Forex Supplier
American Express Foreign Exchange
Bidvest Bank
Travelex
Global Distribution System
Amadeus
Sabre
Travelport
International Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor
Fairmont
Hilton
Hyatt
Starwood
International Long-Haul Airline
British Airways
Emirates
Lufthansa
Qatar Airways
Virgin Atlantic
Large Conference Venue
Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre
Cape Town International Convention Centre
Emperors Palace
International Convention Centre Durban
Sandton Convention Centre
Luxury Hotel in SA
Michelangelo Towers
One&Only Cape Town
Oyster Box
Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa
Table Bay Hotel
Private Aviation Operator
Bateleur
ExecuJet
Federal Air
NAC
United
Small Conference Venue
Focus Rooms
Maslow Hotel
Radisson Blu Gautrain
Radisson Blu Sandton
Radisson Blu Waterfront
South African Hotel Group
City Lodge Hotels
Legacy Hotels & Resorts
Protea Hotels
Sun International
Tsogo Sun
Travel Credit Card Provider
American Express
Diners Club
MasterCard
Visa
Travel Management Company
American Express Travel Services
BCD Travel
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Harvey World Travel
HRG Rennies Travel
Travel Sales Team
Avis
HRG Rennies Travel
Pentravel
Protea Hotels
Tsogo Sun
Visa Service Provider
MDS VisaPak
ROSE
Swiftline
Visa International
Visas Direct
The Business Traveller Africa Awards is an event for the South African business travel trade. The objective is to reward excellence in South African business travel and to acknowledge those brands/entities that have performed with excellence over the past 12 months. Future Group has partnered with global independent research company TNS to interrogate the industry, collate the results, and come up with the winners in each category.