The virtual awards will take place this year on 7th April as part of the Summit of the Americas. This year’s awards have been adapted to focus on the positives to emerge from the past year, with new categories that celebrate positivity, partnerships and community as well as travel retail excellence.

“ARI North America is honoured to once again sponsor the DFNI Americas Awards and we are very happy that even though this past year has been a trying one for the industry and the world, we are still taking the time to recognise the effort airports, airlines, retailers and suppliers have put in to keep employees and passengers safe and to make the most of the travel experience despite all obstacles,” commented Aer Rianta International North America General Manager, Jackie McDonagh.

She added: “This year has allowed us to reflect on what is most important for us a company and we are glad that the DFNI Awards are also pivoting to recognise that the heart of the industry is its people even though we are all commercial enterprises. We are looking forward to hearing about all the innovative achievements of our fellow travel industry members and sharing what we have accomplished during this year that will likely change the industry forever.” 

Commenting on the partnership, DFNI Sales Director Felix Barlow said: “We are delighted to welcome back for a second year ARI North America as a Gold Sponsoring Partner of the DFNI Americas Awards. This renewed partnership is testament both to the positive, supportive ethos that Jackie McDonough, Katherine Sullivan and the ARI team bring to the wider travel retail industry, and to the quality and independently-judged credibility of our Awards.”

Deadline fast approaching
There is still time to enter. The full list of awards more details about our new categories including their criteria can be found on our website. The 2021 DFNI Americas Awards will close on Friday 5 March.

Why we think you should enter

This year more than ever it is so important to reward and celebrate your team for their hard work during the crisis. This is your opportunity to showcase the amazing work you achieved in 2020. Recognition Winning an award sends a positive message to your employees. Just entering shows your belief in your team’s efforts and gives them a confidence boost.

Increased credibility
Being nominated and winning an award gives your company publicity and credibility for being excellent – within and outside of the industry. It is a great tool for benchmarking to see how your company is performing against your competitors.

Building partnerships
Awards are also a great way to build and celebrate partnerships, it is a great reminder of why you and your partners work together and what you can achieve.

Esteemed judges
By entering the DFNI Americas Awards you get your brand and products in front of our influential judges. The 2021 judging panel is made up of some of the most experienced and respected individuals in the industry; find out more about our judges here.

Attracting talent
Picking up an award means you can also attract the interest of new talent. If people are at the heart of your business, there is no better advertisement than to work at an award-winning company.

Our 16 new categories have been specially created for 2021, focussing on the positives to emerge from 2020. You can find further details on all our categories on our website here.