MAST Travel Network recently hosted its 15th Annual Awards Night honoring top member agencies and suppliers. Over 150 awards were given in 14 sales and marketing categories. MAST is a travel agency network with over 225 agency members throughout North America, primarily in the Midwest.
MAST is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019. A special ceremony recognized agencies with 40 years or more of continuous membership in MAST. Those eight member-agencies honored were: Hinsdale Travel Service, Hinsdale, Ill.; da Rosa Travel, Skokie, Ill.; Wayne Griffin Travel & Cruise Services, Arlington Heights, Ill.; Hemisphere Travel, Schaumburg, Ill.; Vega Travel, Chicago; Carefree Travel, Delevan, Wis.; and Elm Grove Travel, Elm Grove, Wis.
"Now is a great time to be a travel advisor because people are seeing the value of using a professional travel advisor to plan their travel," President and COO John Werner said in his remarks. "The unique types of vacations people are seeking have made it possible for travel advisors to flourish in recent years, and MAST Awards Night is proof of that."
Twenty-nine travel advisors received MAST's Million Dollar Travel Advisor Sales Award for their achievements in individual sales of MAST's preferred suppliers. Fourteen travel advisors won the Outstanding Travel Advisor Sales Awards, for sales of $750,000 and higher on MAST's preferred suppliers.
The Directors Achievement Award was given to DSBelmont Travel Consultants, Inc., Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Best Group Promotion was presented to GetAway Travel Service, Hartland, Wis. Best Travel Show was awarded to Global Voyages, Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Werner presented former Chairman of the Board Dick Fisler and his wife, Mary Fisler, with MAST's President's Award. The Fislers own Picture Perfect Travel, Rock Island, Ill. The couple remarked that joining MAST "has changed their lives. The MAST community has become our family and friends."
MAST's highest award, the All-Star Award, was presented to 25 agencies. The top agency was Cary Travel Express from Cary, Ill. The All Star Award winners will be invited on the MAST All Star trip this fall hosted by Rocky Mountaineer.
The Best Supplier Awards as voted on by MAST members went to:
Best Sales Managers over $2M in sales: Royal Caribbean International
Best Sales Managers under $2M in sales: Down Under Answers
Best Inside Sales Support over $2M in sales: AIG Travel
Best Inside Sales Support under $2M in sales: Insight Vacations
Best Reservations Department over $2M in sales: Globus family of brands
Best Reservations Department under $2M in sales: All About Tours
Best Group Department over $2M in sales: Royal Caribbean International
Best Group Department under $2M in sales: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Best Customer Service over $2M in sales: Globus family of brands
Best Customer Service under $2M in sales: CIE Tours International
Best Marketing Support over $2M in sales: Holland America Line
Best Marketing Support under $2M in sales: CIE Tours International
Best Training Program over $2M in sales: Globus family of brands
Best Training Program under $2M in sales: Azamara Club Cruises
Best Client Documents over $2M in sales: Holland America Line
Best Client Documents under $2M in sales: Down Under Answers
Best MAST Sales Sensation Exhibit over $2M in sales: Holland America Line
Best MAST Sales Sensation Exhibit under $2M in sales: CIE Tours International
Best Support of Travel Advisors in Consumer Marketing: Celebrity Cruises
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