Held at The Rose & Crown in Wimbledon, the milestone event brought together more than 70 industry professionals to celebrate a decade of success.
Guests enjoyed live music, an open bar and a candy counter, and there was also an opportunity to win an £8,000 marketing package in aid of child grief counselling outfit Bebe’s Hive.
"This party is to say thank you, but also to show our passion and how we do care and we do recognise people,” Co-Owner Mark Swords told TTG.
"Sometimes, it's very much the other way around, with tour operators and trade press recognising the agents, but there's never really a reverse of that.”
Mark’s sentiments were echoed by husband and fellow Co-Owner Stuart, who added: “We just want to be able to give back to what we receive.”
Central to the celebration was an awards ceremony, which saw Mark and Stuart recognise the partners who have supported them over the past 10 years.
Carrier took home the prize for Top Luxury Tour Operator, while Pure Escapes was named Luxury Destination Management Partner of the Year.
Georgia Bowhay from Carrier was recognised for her hard work as an account manager
A number of individuals were also honoured, with Karen Porter of Mason Rose winning Luxury Hotel Representation Partner of the Year and Tara Johnson of Elegant Resorts being awarded Supplier Team Champion.
Georgia Bowhay at Carrier was also named Outstanding Account Manager after wowing the Swords Team with her consistent support over the past decade.
There was also a special shout-out for Robert White, whom Mark and Stuart said had been a loyal partner to Swords Travel during his tenure at The Travel Network Group.
“If Rob doesn't know the answer or doesn't sit in his area, he will go out of his way to find the information – he will do that leg work for you,” said Mark. “He doesn't need to, but he does. To me, that's true partnership and true friendship.”
Stuart agreed, adding: “No matter what role he’s in, Rob has always been there for us.”
The couple also said the event was to reward their team’s hard work, before noting the agency has currently reached its ideal size.
“We're not going any bigger,” Mark said. “We want everybody to feel like they're part of something personal.”
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