November 20, 2024 // Franchising.com // Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – It was a star-studded and touching evening filled with laughter, tears, and awe at the Dream Vacations annual awards ceremony hosted by Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager, Joelle Delva, vice president of operations, and Dawn Gillis, director of network sales and support. The interactive and engaging ceremony featured mesmerizing performances thanks to the wonderous talent onboard the Celebrity Ascent.

The Franchise of the Year Award was re-named the Bobbye Haupt Franchise of the Year Award in memory of a beloved franchisee who passed away in September 2021. She led by example, inspired many, and left a legacy in our network. Under the leadership of franchise owner Jamie Margolis Ross, Moms at Sea Travel was recognized as this year’s Bobbye Haupt Franchise of the Year.  With her deep passion for travel, she took her engaged family travel Facebook community and transformed it into a thriving business.

“This award means so much to me and I know how much it means to our incredible network of talented travel advisors and business savvy owners,” says Ross. ‘It’s wonderful to be recognized from an award named after a strong woman in the travel industry. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to balance work and family life. But my family and community keep me motivated.”

Ross launched her franchise, Moms at Sea Travel, in August 2021 to satisfy her love of travel. Since then, Moms at Sea has grown into a booming juggernaut. Her franchise and her family have been featured in publications including Travel Weekly, Entrepreneur, and USA Today. Ross took home Rookie of the Year at a previous conference and has skyrocketed her franchise to join the Circle of Excellence, an elite group of the top one to two percent of all Dream Vacations sellers. She has made an incredible mark on the travel community with her original Facebook page soaring to more than 110,000 members, connecting mothers to share travel experiences and tips.

The onboard ceremony honored departmental awards where advisors were recognized for their sales, marketing, public relations, social media, IT, and more. The ceremony also recognized those who served the network by participating on a committee, those with milestone anniversaries, and top-producing advisors.

SOURCE Dream Vacations

###