CEO Lorraine Barnes Burton has developed the British Travel Awards (BTAs) into the largest independent awards scheme in the UK since she took hold of the reigns in 2007 and turned “just another industry awards event” into the only purely consumer voted awards programme for the travel industry – providing a valuable accolade and consumer-recognised brand that travel companies can use to enhance their own sales propositions.
Previously involved in the media world (which has proved invaluable in setting up media partnerships for the BTAs) she was head of travel and leisure offers at the Evening Standard and is widely acknowledged as coming up with the BOGOF strapline!
Before that Lorraine worked at the BBC as a production assistant and then an exhibitions executive working on external site management and this has come full circle with Lorraine’s latest venture as a founding director of Converge Exhibitions. This company was set up to bring travelling and buying consumers to specifically tailored b2c shows and successfully launched its first exhibition ‘The Wildlife & Safari Travel Show’ in September 2018.
Lorraine also runs a busy home in Surrey and is Mum to three boys and two cockerpoos.
