Business Travel & Meetings Show Names Vodafone Exec Top European Travel Buyer

Vodafone global travel manager Tracey Williamson was named European travel buyer of the year Tuesday night at the European Travel Buyer Awards in London, organized by the Business Travel & Meetings Show. Torbjörn Erling, global meeting and travel manager for Ikea Group, was runner-up, but took the award for best innovation in a travel program for "Meeting, the Ikea Way," which encourages employees to meet more but travel less by using videoconferencing and other virtual alternatives.

BG Group was named European business travel team of the year, and best use of technology in a travel program went to Marijke Poppink of Reed Elsevier.