Women in business awards to take action after lack of travel and tourism entries

Organisers of the Shine Awards, dedicated to women in business, have admitted that nominations from the travel and tourism were lacking this year.

Women 1^st, which runs the annual awards to recognise "outstanding female and diversity achievement", said in most categories the entries from the sector were not as "plentiful" or "robust" as it had hoped for.

"To this end we will be focusing specifically on working with travel and tourism businesses next year to increase the number of entries and we encourage all businesses and individuals to enter for 2014 as soon as nominations open," said founder Sharon Glancy.

Glancy stressed that despite the low number of nominations, the quality of nominees who have made the shortlist was as high as previous years.

She also said entries from travel and tourism were strong in its more competitive shortlists of ‘Stepping Up’ and ‘Rising Star’.

Laura Garton, learning and development director worldwide for Orient-Express, has been shortlisted for the ‘Stepping Up’ category.

Large businesses shortlisted for embracing diversity included Bourne Leisure and Merlin Entertainments.

This year’s winners will be announced during a gala dinner on June 19 at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in central London.

Here are this year’s shortlisted candidates:

Woman of the Year

Jenny Body OBE – President-Elect, Royal Aeronautical Society Julie Moore – Managing Director, Green Gourmet Ltd.

Michele Moore – Head of People Development, Elior UK

Margot Slattery – Managing Director Ireland and Northern Ireland, Sodexo

Carrie Wicks – Operations Director, Firmdale Hotels Plc

Lifetime Achievement (sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions UK and Ireland)

Jenny Body OBE – President-Elect, Royal Aeronautical Society

Elena Salvoni – Retired, Little Italy Soho

Julia Sibley – Chief Executive, Savoy Educational Trust

Sara Jayne Stanes OBE – Director, Academy of Culinary Arts

Gill Tynan – General Manager, Service Operations, Go-Ahead London

Rising Star (sponsored by McDonald’s)

Babs Coombes -Black Country Area Manager, Centro

Charlie Cousens – Hotel Manager, Strattons Hotel

Emma Cooper – Finance and Marketing Director, The Ambrette

Laura Davis – Sales Manager, Smart Hospitality

Rachel Phillips – HR Director, Marriott Hotels

Stepping Up

Laura Garton – Learning and Development Director Worldwide, Orient-Express

Sarah Jones – Head of Customer Services, Centro

Katy Maddison – Interim Commercial and Finance Director, Sodexo Cyprus

Sarah Prentice – Business Development Manager, Bartlett Mitchell

Sarah Swaysland – Marketing Manager, Be At One Cocktail Bars

Outstanding Entrepreneur

Cleopatra Browne – Managing Director, Celtic Coast Coasteering

Ciara Crossan  – CEO, WeddingDates UK

Carolyn Pearson – CEO, Maiden Voyage.com

Mentor of the Year

Liz Chandler – Director of Corporate Development, Merseytravel

Debrah Dhugga – General Manager, Dukes St. James London

 Lin Dickens – Marketing Director, Bartlett Mitchell

Tracey Rogers – Managing Director, Unilever Food Solutions UK and Ireland

Small Business

Dukes St. James London

Farm Stay UK

Green Gourmet Ltd.

Purple Cubed

Large Business

Addison Lee

Bourne Leisure

McDonald’s Restaurants

Merlin Entertainments