Joanna Doherty was one of 12 agents to bag a place at the glitzy ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in central London through Cunard's trade loyalty programme, Shine Rewards Club.
Doherty had previously told her client about "Cunard's refined British feel" but hadn't mentioned its entertainment offering before.
Cunard was confirmed as headline partner at the Olivier Awards for the ceremony's 50th anniversary earlier this year.
"I didn't realise how passionate my client was about theatre," the Yorkshire-based Not Just Travel franchisee told TTG. "That conversation only happened because of my experience at the Olivier Awards.
"I emailed him while travelling to London to say I'd be attending the Olivier Awards and suggested he look out for me. He ended up watching the entire ceremony, looking out for me – that really helped bring Cunard to life for him."
When Doherty logged back online the next day after the Olivier Awards, she saw the client had confirmed the Queens Grill Suite booking onboard Queen Elizabeth for a fly-cruise in the Mediterranean in September next year. The departure will be her client's first sailing with Cunard.
“When you work from home, you don’t often get opportunities like this," Doherty added. "Walking into the Royal Albert Hall was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. You see the green carpet on TV, but experiencing it in person was incredible.”
She added first-hand experiences such as this are invaluable as a home-based agent. “I don’t have a shop window or brochures – everything I do is online," she continued.
'Especially rewarding'
David Jones, Cunard’s vice president of global marketing and EMEA sales, said: “As long-time champions of the theatre and performing arts it was a real pleasure to welcome our travel agent partners to this landmark 50th anniversary ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall.
“Our travel trade partners are central to Cunard’s success, and we know that first-hand experiences play a vital role in deepening understanding of the brand, making it easier for agents to confidently bring that story to life for their clients.
"It is especially rewarding to see that engagement translate into strong client relationships and high-value bookings. We are proud to work closely with amazing advisors like Joanna who share our passion for Cunard and help introduce new guests to our beautiful ships.”
