Awards will celebrate Europe’s role in technology innovation to transform businesses, industries, and communities.
TORONTO – Booking.com announced the launch of the first Technology Playmaker Awards. Created by Booking.com, the awards aim to celebrate and recognize women who have disrupted, and continue to transform businesses, industries, and communities through the use of technology.
Now open for entries at techplaymakerawards.com, the Technology Playmaker Awards include 10 categories which celebrate many aspects of technology including entrepreneurship, innovation, community impact, and technology leadership. The overall grand prix award will be awarded to the female technology leader whom the judges consider to be the most impactful individual in the European technology space. Each category winner will receive a monetary prize of $7,250 to help them advance their business and professional goals, with the overall grand prix winner collecting a $14,500 award.
Chaired by Gillian Tans, CEO of Booking.com, the judging panel will include leading figures from across the technology industry, related sectors and from Booking.com. Judges include Marili't Hooft-Bolle, COO of WeTransfer, Ruth Chandler, Chief People Officer at Skyscanner, Jon Reynolds, CEO and Co-Founder of SwiftKey, and Maija Palmer, Digital and Communities Editor at the Financial Times.
The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on March 8, 2018 at the Sackler Hall of the Museum of London, where Randi Zuckerberg, Founder & CEO at Zuckerberg Media and former Director of Market Development for Facebook, will give the keynote address. Randi Zuckerberg will share her unique experience in helping to shape the success of Facebook and building a successful career as a businesswoman, digital leader and published author.
According to a report by the European Commission, having more women in the technology sector could boost the EU's GDP by $13 billion a year. However, women currently make up only 30% of the 7 million people working in Europe's digital sector. While the underrepresentation of women is a worldwide challenge, European tech start-ups led by women are particularly affected, with only 14.7% of European tech unicorns being founded by women compared to 17% in the US. Booking.com wants to recognize and support the European technology scene, including those women driving innovation.
To address this gender imbalance and celebrate successful women in tech on the continent, the inaugural Booking.com Technology Playmaker Awards will in their first year be focussed on Europe.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
