Debby Corwin, Founder & CEO of TAToolkit accepts the 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. (Photo Credit: ASTA)
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has officially opened applications for its annual Entrepreneur of the Year contest and is accepting entries now through March 29, 2024.
Established nearly a decade ago by the Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation, the award recognizes innovators who have either established their own businesses or who have been responsible for significant entrepreneurial initiatives within an existing organization with a special honor and a $10,000 cash prize.
The winner will be named at The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas, Texas on May 29-31, 2024.
To be considered for the award, advisors or agencies must complete an online application with name and contact information and craft a 500-word or less narrative statement describing their contribution to entrepreneurship in the industry and explaining how it relates to the benchmarks described in the evaluation criteria.
Nominees must also submit a video no more than five minutes long detailing the innovative product or service and its value. The content must be uploaded to a file-sharing site such as YouTube, Vimeo or DropBox so a link can be provided.
Applicants must also provide certification that, if selected as one of five semi-finalists, ASTA has permission to post their video and narrative statement on a members-only ASTA webpage. Finally, applicants must certify that, if selected as one of the three finalists, they agree to participate in the Entrepreneur of the Year session at The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas.
David Chait, Founder and CEO, Travefy accepts the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. (Photo Credit: ASTA)
"Winning ASTA's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022 provided me with exposure I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, as well as a chance to promote TAToolkit further as an award-winning product," Debby Corwin, Founder & CEO of TAToolkit and 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year winner said in a statement.
"The prize money provided me with a cushion to do some program enhancements and try some marketing that might otherwise have needed to wait awhile. My advice to applicants is to be very relatable to your target audience; speak to their pain points. I knew the audience was getting my message when I told them TAToolkit could help them go to bed when their spouse does—and they laughed, which is exactly what I wanted."
David Chait, Founder and CEO, Travefy called his 2017 victory "a game-changing moment for Travefy that helped us grow our business significantly."
"Even beyond the cash prize, the exposure we received from winning the award allowed us to reach so many incredible advisors we otherwise might not have had the opportunity to. If you are selected as a finalist, you get incredible exposure to amazing travel advisors from across the country as well as invaluable advice from judges to help you grow. Applying for the contest is one the best decisions Travefy ever made."
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