CTM All Stars EMEA 2024: Shoot for the Stars
Having just returned from an energising few days in Malaga for our 2024 CTM All Stars Conference and Awards, we are reflecting on just how incredible this year’s event was. Our management and senior leadership joined forces at the conference to discuss strategy, deliver key updates, and align focuses for the remainder of FY25, before rounding off the event with our highly anticipated gala dinner and awards presentation to crown this year’s CTM All Stars winners.
Our winners will join their global counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, the US, and Asia on an incentive trip to an exclusive destination yet to be revealed. Previous destinations include the mesmerising city of Dubai, sunny Sydney and bustling Tokyo!
Alongside ‘Deliver’ and ‘Evolve’, ‘Connect’ is one of CTM’s values and All Stars provided the perfect opportunity for our team to demonstrate this, strengthening relationships with each other and our supplier partner network, listening and learning from colleagues and keynote speakers, and celebrating each other’s successes.
Thursday – Conference opening day
The main conference began on Thursday afternoon with a warm welcome from Jacqui Nightingale, CTM’s Global Head of People and Performance, who shared details about our new leadership programmes, provided valuable insights into the hard work and planning that goes into setting our leaders up for success, and highlighted the unmistakeable importance of our people in driving business performance.
Fittingly, this preceded a captivating leadership training session delivered by Bruce Sullivan, an accomplished author, senior executive and business leadership development professional. Bruce empowered our team to rediscover our best selves with practical, hands-on strategies for personal growth and development, not just at work but in all aspects of our lives. A few members of our audience were even lucky enough to take home signed editions of Bruce’s book ‘How to be your best you’!
Friday – Welcoming our Stars and Suppliers
On Friday we welcomed representatives from CTM’s extensive preferred supplier partner network and our guests of honour – the CTM All Stars finalists!
We opened the day hearing from our incoming CEO, Michael Healy who shared insights on this year’s achievements, outlined our priorities, and set out what we aim to accomplish in the future. Our CFO and General Managers provided a detailed overview of our five-year plan and what’s in motion.
The conference then transitioned into breakout sessions, where attendees delved into key topics from various departments, including Marketing, Supplier Relations, Technology Innovation and Special Brands – CTM Sport, Masterfare and 1000 Mile Travel Group. Before finishing the afternoon with our renowned speed networking event.
Hosted at the Melia Costa del Sol, our speed networking event gave each of our suppliers dedicated time slots to meet with key members of the CTM team across operations, account management, and senior leadership. The room had a real buzz to it as we whizzed through countless product overviews and updates throughout this lively, valuable afternoon!
Continuing the energy of the day into the night, we enjoyed a drinks reception sponsored by Saudi Air at the beautiful Sky & Sea rooftop bar with canapes, a DJ, and a live saxophonist.
Saturday – Recognising our shining stars
Our final day began with some key updates from our HR & People team, who showcased the work that’s being put into new policies and processes to benefit the wider team. The talk also highlighted our new values: Connect, Deliver, Evolve – which were decided on collaboratively with input from all colleagues across the organisation.
An inspiring session with businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Emma Sinclair MBE was next on the agenda. Emma shared with us her amazing journey towards becoming the youngest person in the UK to take a company public, her passion for supporting refugees as a UNICEF advisor, and how she champions women in the investment sector. It was incredible to hear from such an accomplished businesswoman and really valuable for our audience to ask their burning questions in a Q&A session at the end.
Sponsored by Air Canada and United, Saturday’s team building activity brought together CTM employees and suppliers under a shared purpose, buying food and local produce to donate to two local charities that support families in need.
We were split into groups of eight and tasked with navigating Malaga via an iPad to find historic hotspots and learn about the city while locating local vendors to purchase essentials such as cooking oil, milk, and tinned vegetables. Not only did this allow us to explore the beauty and history of Malaga, but also to ensure we supported independent businesses and made a positive impact on the local community during our time there.
In total, €2,500 worth of food was donated to the Bancosol Food Bank and an additional €2,500 was donated to the San José de la Montaña Shelter, a homeless shelter for mothers.
Later that evening we were whisked off to the beautiful La Tosca Finca for a celebration to remember! The night commenced with a glittering awards ceremony sponsored by Melia Hotels International where we revealed this year’s All Stars winners, followed by a delicious gala dinner and plenty of dancing. As well as a DJ, our entertainment for the night comprised a fantastic live flamenco band and dancer, aerial acrobats and circus performers – our Meetings and Events team made sure we ended the conference with a bang!
Congratulations to CTM’s 2024 All Stars EMEA Winners and thank you to our supplier partner network for their continued support.
