The judging process

The Business Travel Awards Europe are judged by an independent panel of about 30 senior corporate travel buyers and independent travel management consultants. The BTN Group strives to ensure the diversity of the judging panel is reflective of our industry and includes representatives from across the UK and Europe, as well as from a variety of industries with managed travel programmes of varying scope and size. All judges are asked to keep the information contained in entries confidential and the BTN Group recuses judges from certain entries if there are conflicts of interest or if there is some specific/historic negative experience that would influence their judging.

The Business Travel Awards uses a two-phase judging process.

Phase 2 - The judges individually review and score the stage two entries online and then meet virtually to discuss their scoring and impressions of each finalist entry, listen to the perspectives of all judges, agree on a final score and determine the category winners.

There are two exceptions to the judging process. For the Travel Buyer of the Year and Travel Team of the Year categories, the phase one judging remains the same. After the finalists are determined, the editorial team will conduct extensive interviews with key representatives of that team, as well as any key suppliers that have supported your efforts to determine the winner.

Phase 1 - The judges individually review and score the stage one entries online. The BTN Group recuses judges from certain entries if there are conflicts of interest or if there is some specific/historic negative experience that would influence their judging. Using the criteria the BTN Group has established for each category and a scoring rubric, the judges score the entries to determine the finalists.

FAQs

  • What information do I need to make a submission?

    You can access the stage one and stage two submission questions/information here.

  • Where can I submit my entry?

    You can submit your entry here. Please note, the BTN Group is using a new awards platform this year called Evessio. Please add btae@thebtngroup.com to your Safe Senders email list to ensure you receive messages from the awards platform related to your entry.

  • Is there an entry fee?

    No. There is no charge for entries to the Business Travel Awards Europe.

  • Is there a limit to the number of categories an organisation can enter?

    An organisation may enter multiple categories, subject to eligibility, as long as each submission is unique. The BTN Group reserves the right to recategorise submissions.

  • Can my entry focus solely on sustainability efforts?

    It is recommended that sustainability not be the primary focus of submission entries, case studies and/testimonials. Organisations with submissions that focus on sustainability are encouraged to submit an entry into the BTN Group’s Business Travel Sustainability Awards Europe. Submissions for the Business Travel Sustainability Awards close on 22 January.

  • Will information submitted within an entry remain confidential?

    Yes. Only the judges will see the information and they will not share or make any information public. However, all entrants (companies, teams, individuals) must agree to coverage by Business Travel News Europe if named a Business Travel Awards Europe winner.

  • What if my customer does not want their name share as part of the stage two case study or testimonial?

    If your customer does not want to be named, you can make them anonymous and refer to them as customer x. However, please confirm the customer's name and details to Jen Bankard (jbankard@thebtngroup.com) to verify. The judges will then be notified that the anonymous customer has been checked and verified.

  • When is the entry deadline?

    Stage one entries will close Friday, 12 April at 17:00 BST

  • Is it possible to make a joint entry with a partner organisation?

    Only in respect of the Travel Team of the Year award.

  • Can I make a submission on behalf of someone else?

    Yes. PR consultants can submit an entry on behalf of a client as long as they have their approval. Additionally, organisations, and suppliers, can submit entries nominating individuals within corporate client companies in the Travel Buyer of the Year and Travel Team of the Year categories.

  • When will the finalists be announced?

    The finalists will be announced on Monday, 13 May.

  • Is there a fee to use the award logo?

    Yes, there is a fee for finalists and winners. Finalists will receive a complimentary social media asset to promote their finalist status. Use of this asset is complimentary until 24 September 2024. After this time, the licensing packages will apply. Click here to view the licensing packages.