In:House #10

Posted on in Announcements by Mark Bibby Jackson

In this newsletter you will find:

BGTW Board Elections

Nominations for Board, Associate Representative and Academic Representative positions for 2024 are now open.

Nominations close at 5pm (GMT) on Friday 15 December 2023.

The BGTW Board is elected annually; Board members meet monthly and conduct the business of the Guild, organising events and managing priorities for the organisation.

Please refer to the rules on the nomination form for eligibility. If you are eligible to stand for election, you will need to seek the nominations of two relevant Guild colleagues. If we receive more nominations than there are places available, an election will need to be held in January. If not, then the nominees will take up their positions unopposed on Thursday 1 February 2024.

It should be noted that most of the current Board are not standing for re-election so we are particularly keen to hear from members who would like to be involved with events, membership, sponsorship, communications, finance and taking the Guild’s two awards schemes forward (see below). Support and guidance will be given to the incoming Board by the current Board to ensure continuity and succession. The current Board also wishes to make it clear that much is already set up for 2024 and beyond in terms of events and other activity.

The following positions are available for election:

Chair/Joint Chair;

Vice-Chair;

Four Ordinary Directors;

Two Associate Representatives;

Two Academic Representatives.

Members seeking election as Chair, Vice Chair and the four director position require nomination by two full members. The two associate and academic representative positions require nomination by two associate or academic members, respectively.

Once you have your two nominees and their email addresses, please complete the online form that needs to include your 250-word manifesto outlining why you would like to be nominated. This form needs to be submitted by 5.00pm on Friday 15 December 2023.

Considering becoming Chair/Joint Chair or Vice-Chair?

Members are eligible to stand for the position of Chair/Joint Chair if they have been a full member for three years and for the position of Vice-Chair if they have been a full member for two years. The Chair/Joint Chair must have served a minimum of one year as a Board member in the previous five years.

Thinking of becoming a Board member?

If you have been a full member for more than one year, you are eligible to stand as an ordinary Director on the Board. The Guild thrives on fresh ideas and enthusiasm and we encourage as many members as possible to come forward. Directors will take on one of the following portfolios, to be determined at the first meeting of the new Board in February 2024.

Awards Director – Managing, developing and co-ordinating the Guild’s two awards schemes (Members’ Excellence Awards and International Tourism Awards).

Benefits Director – Helping to source and maintain member benefits.

Communications Director – Producing the regular internal and external newsletters and issuing press releases about the Guild’s activities and events.

Events Director – Organising the regular member events (London and regional), workshops and parties.

Finance Director – Controlling the Guild’s finances, managing budgets and liaising with the Guild’s accountant.

Membership Director – Overseeing membership applications, interviews, gazetting and renewals.

Social Media Director – Overseeing the Guild’s social media channels and reach.

Sponsorship Director – Securing sponsorship for the Guild’s events and awards.

In addition, the Board will need a Gala Dinner Director to oversee production and management of our flagship event on the eve of WTM, and a Secretary to attend and minute the monthly Board meetings and serve as the Guild’s authority on the Articles of Association and Regulations. Either of these two positions may be combined with a Director role or serve as non-executive positions. Consideration will also be given to any member wishing to get involved with any of the above activities in an off-board role.

If you have any questions about being on the Board and what’s involved with the specific roles, please feel free to email the relevant Director from the current Board and they’ll be happy to help.

If you have any questions about the election process, please get in touch with the Scrutineer, Charlotte Copeman.

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AGM and Convention in the Isle of Man

Thank you to all members who have completed the registration form to attend our AGM and Convention on the Isle of Man in February. 

Everyone who has registered should by now have been contacted by our BGTW administrator, Charlotte, (if you haven’t received anything, please send her an email) and is now liaising with the team at Visit Isle of Man, our host for the event.  

Members not on the island will be able to attend the formal AGM by Zoom. Full details, together with the necessary AGM paperwork, will be circulated in due course.

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Christmas Party

Unfortunately, we lost the original venue and host for the annual Christmas party and have been unable to find an alternative as all venues are already booked for seasonal celebrations.

We are therefore moving this event to January 2024 and will let you know when arrangements have been confirmed via our Facebook page and our newsletter.

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Press trip invitations

Abu Dhabi

“We’d love to invite you on an exclusive private press trip to Abu Dhabi in January 2024, where you can experience the award-winning musical, Hamilton, which will be coming to the region for the first time ever in January – so if you’ve missed it in the West End or Broadway, now is your chance! And, with the direct BA flights to Abu Dhabi starting in April, now is the perfect opportunity to check out the destination before the crowds!”

Dates for the week are flexible but we are looking at w/c 29th Jan 2024. We’re still finalising and can tailor your itinerary, but this would likely include: 

Participation will be confirmed upon commission within a top tier National or Consumer lifestyle publication. The Hamilton tickets and itinerary are a suggestion as the itinerary could be tailored to fit the journalist’s angle. “

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is offering the opportunity to board its newest ship, Icon of the Seas, between 23rd-26th January (all media – sailing from Miami to the Bahamas) or on 11th January (broadcast only in port in Miami). But they do have most National titles confirmed for this. If of interest for a consumer lifestyle/travel publication or national supplement, an invite can be shared in particular to members who are producers for ITV/Channel 4 who might be interested. As spaces are limited onboard, attendance is confirmed based on commission/request.

Anyone interested in the above trips please contact valery.collins@yahoo.co.uk as soon as possible

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BGTW Webinar programme

We are looking to revitalise the Webinar programme for next year. If you would like to be part of the BGTW Webinar team, whether it is coming up with ideas for the webinars, suggesting people who would be good to feature on a webinar panel, or helping to organise and run the webinars please email Mark at mark.jackson@bgtw.org.

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Icons of Inclusion

Hosted at The Dorchester, London on 18 March, 2024, Icons of Inclusion is an inspirational, thought leadership, education and networking event, with a focus on diversity and inclusion in tourism. It will showcase best practices in the industry, celebrate role models through lively, informative discussions that will provide the industry with actionable steps they can take to create real change with regard to workplace culture, sales and marketing and operations.

The organisers have kindly gifted 40 Complementary tickets to BGTW members. (They cost £199). To request a ticket, please email Charlotte Copeman.

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Guilded News

Following the publication of the first issue of Guilded News in June, we’re now working on the next issue. The purpose of the newsletter is to act as a key point of contact and essential networking tool for the travel industry and the BGTW and its members. It is a forum for BGTW members to update the travel industry on their activities and to act as a conduit for the travel industry to contact our members with commissions and other pieces of work. 

The next issue will be sent on Tuesday 19th December.  If you have any last minute updates for inclusion please send these to Charlotte  These must be received by 5pm on 14th December.

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BGTW on Social Media

We’re always up for sharing your work, events, news, projects etc.

Social media is managed by a small team. If you’re not being followed by the BGTW, email us.

Twitter: Tag @travwriters in your tweet/photo if you want us to see/share. You can also follow fellow members on this BGTW members list.

Instagram posts: Select ‘Tag people’ then tag @travwriters.
You can use the #bgtw hashtag or tag@ us in post copy/comments, but they’re harder to track. Tagging IN the pic guarantees we see it.
Stories/Reels: Use the ‘@mention’ function to tag us.

Facebook: We can promote your work/news on our public Facebook page. Send links via FB Messenger to that account.

LinkedIn: You can ‘@’ British Guild of Travel Writers in posts and we’ll like/share/comment when possible/appropriate

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Mark Bibby Jackson
By: Mark Bibby Jackson Editor, Freelance Journalist, Travel Writer