APAC Travel Buyer of the Year Award | Recognizing Excellence in Corporate Travel

Submissions are now open for the 2026 APAC Travel Buyer of the Year Award, recognising a travel buyer who has excelled in their work, significantly advanced corporate travel practices through innovation, and demonstrated a commitment to pushing boundaries.

Building on the 30-year success of the Business Travel Awards Europe and Business Travel News’ coveted Travel Manager of the Year and Best Practitioner Awards, this honour is the first of its kind for the APAC travel buyer community. It will be presented to a travel buyer or manager who is based in the APAC region and/or oversees a global travel/meetings programme with APAC responsibility. The award will be presented at the conclusion of the Business Travel Show APAC on 15 April 2026.

Submit your entry here

Shaik Abid, International Travel Manager, Adobe

“Shaik Abid's commitment to innovation and his bold approach to solving one of the most persistent pain points in corporate travel—M&E air booking—stood out to our editorial team... His strategy to fully automate these bookings using Adobe’s existing OBT not only delivered powerful business results but also serves as a blueprint for travel managers across the region.”

Elizabeth West, Editorial Director of the BTN Group.

Awards timeline

Submissions Open: 17 November 2025
Stage One Entries Close: 6 February 2026
Finalists Announced: Week of 2 March 2026
Winner Announced: 15 April 2026 at the conclusion of the Business Travel Show APAC

Stage one

Stage One: Submit your online entry by answering a series of questions about your achievements over the past 12 months.

Please note that strict word limits apply. We encourage entrants to take full advantage of the space available to provide meaningful detail. While it is not necessary to use the maximum word count for every question, we strongly advise avoiding overly brief responses that lack sufficient context.
Only one submission per travel manager will be accepted. If multiple individuals wish to support an entry, they may provide a letter of support as an optional supplementary document.

Stage two

Finalists and their key supplier partners will be interviewed by the BTN editorial team. Finalists will also participate in a panel session on day two of the Business Travel Show APAC.

The APAC Travel Buyer of the Year Award is judged by an independent panel of senior corporate travel buyers and independent travel management consultants. The BTN Group ensures the panel is diverse and representative of the industry, with participants from across the APAC region and from a range of industries with varying programme sizes.

Judges review and score entries individually during Stage One, using BTN’s criteria and scoring rubric. To ensure fairness, judges are recused in cases of conflicts of interest. Finalists are determined by the highest scores, after which the BTN editorial team conducts interviews with the buyer finalists and their key suppliers to determine the winner.

Looking to enter for 2026?

View our submission questions Submit your entry here

How do I submit an awards entry?

You can submit your entry here.

What information do I need to submit an entry?

You can access the 2026 submission questions here.

What are the key dates?

Submissions Open: 17 November 2025
Stage One Entries Close: 6 February 2026
Finalists Announced: Week of 2 March 2026
Winner Announced: 15 April 2026

Is there an entry fee?

No, entry is free.

How are the awards judged?

Initial entries are reviewed and scored by an independent panel of experienced travel buyers and consultants. The top-scoring entries advance as finalists. From there, the BTN editorial team conducts extensive interviews with the finalists and their key suppliers to determine the winner.

Can I make a submission on behalf of someone else?

Yes. Self-nominations and nominations from industry peers, consultants, or supplier partners are welcome. However, only one submission per travel manager will be accepted. Supporting letters may be included as optional documents.

Need additional information?

Contact BTN Senior Director of Content Solutions and Conferences, Jen Bankard at jbankard@thebtngroup.com if you have any questions.

APAC TRAVEL BUYER OF THE YEAR

About the Award

Meet the 2025 APAC Travel Buyer of the Year

Awards entry process