It’s our favorite time of year once again. No – not Christmas (yet), but the annual ASA workshop weekend away! 48 hours of quality time together with the current ASA family plus a selection of core supplier partners, in one off-site location #theASAway
The destination for 2026 – ISTANBUL. Centuries of history, culture, and cuisine all blended together. East meets West and New meets Old, with 15mil+ inhabitants and an unknown number of cats, Istanbul must be the ultimate destination for a travel company get together!
With local partners Item Travel, the itinerary packed in the perfect mix of networking & teambuilding, alongside the opportunity to experience this unique destination straddling the Bosporus. Great food, stunning scenery, extensive haggling in the bazaar, belly dancing, exotic spices, too many goodie bag preps to count, shisha and a healthy dose of dubious dancefloor moves – this years trip had it all!
Our usual remote ASA office was in full swing while the majority travelled and thankfully the travel gods smiled upon us this year – no delays! After an informal first evening with traditional entertainment on board a rather splendid cruiser, we followed up with teambuilding in the old bazaar pitting our negotiation skills again the elite of Istanbul’s finest shopkeepers. That night we hosted the ASA Star Awards in a rooftop setting with fabulous panoramic views and fine dining.
This was our 16th trip but only the second time we have hosted the awards following their inaugural year in 2025. They are now a firm highlight of the year and have elevated the trip to new heights. Originally established to recognize and celebrate the valuable contribution our newer colleagues make, they have already evolved with a new category added for this year. Winners were judged to having made a significant impact within their teams whilst reflecting the values the company was founded on.
This years categories and winners were…..
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ASA “Rising Star” Award Winners 2026
Esin joined our HR & Training department in the London office and quickly established herself, showing resilience and a genuine desire to learn. Whilst contributing mostly behind the scenes, Esin’s efforts have been very much noted and appreciated by her immediate team members and her colleagues across the company.
Tatiana works in another critical supporting role, Inventory, within the Procurement department in London. Tatiana has embraced her recent position with an attention to detail, 100% commitment, an uplifting smile and positive attitude, making her a popular choice amongst her colleagues.
Alaw, based in Wales, is a fully remote member of our Tailormade team under the Cambria@ASA specialist Welsh DMC brand. Multiple overseas partners have noted Alaw’s positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile in delivery of bespoke experiences on the front line. Willing to learn and eager to develop, all the signs are pointing towards a positive future.
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The ASA Star Award Winner 2026
Renata, based in London, is a manager within our Groups department. Her quiet determination, alongside increasing responsibility has shown her to be calm in the face of challenges, supportive to other colleagues and consistently accountable and reliable over the past twelve months. Renata has secured and delivered complex pieces of business, displaying both strong sales and operational skills. A worthy winner of the 2026 ASA Star Award!
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CEO’s Choice Award Winners 2026.
We had two winners this year, Anastasia and Luke. Both from our Business Development team but with very different styles to their approach to getting the job done. Equally determined and committed to create opportunities for ASA, one has quietly set about their task, the other less quietly! Both securing results, establishing genuine relationships whilst being outstanding ambassadors for ASA.
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The ASA Star “People’s Choice” Award Winner 2026
Eligible to anyone, old and new, with the exception of the three company Directors and the two VP’s. This was the only category not judged by senior management making this a particularly special award to win. Peer nominations with explanation were accepted. Twenty seven team members were nominated and a final shortlist created of six members having received the highest number of nominations. The entire company then voted for their choice with a 100% engagement rate!
The winner of the first ever ASA Star “People’s Choice” Award was Beata from our FIT department based in our Edinburgh office!
Beata was noted by those who nominated her as someone that makes an enormous contribution every day. Always cheerful, approachable and dependable, generous with her knowledge and supportive of junior colleagues. Her kindness, commitment and contribution clearly recognized and celebrated by many.
Congratulations and thank you to all our award winners!
Next year our we will be back in the UK for the first time since 2024. Chester, we’ll be seeing you very soon!
