Travel Weekly regrets to announce that Penny Akam, head of TW group events, died on December 8 2008.
Penny lost a courageous battle with cancer after a long period of treatment. She leaves a husband and two sons.
One of the TW group’s most highly respected employees and a well-known personality in the travel industry, her popularity spread far and wide. She specifically asked Travel Weekly to make public her illness earlier this year.
Penny has spent 19 years at Travel Weekly, driving its considerable events portfolio which spans from the annual Globe Travel Awards to roadshows and regional balls.
Joining as a promotions co-ordinator in 1989, she was promoted to promotions manager in 1999. Just over two years ago she was again promoted, this time to head of events across the TW group and its sister operation, the Hair & Beauty group, publishers of Hairdressers Journal.
Penny loved the travel industry, and had an enormous impact on all who worked with her and knew her. She will be sadly missed.
Donations
Please send donations to:
The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign
c/o W A Truelove & Sons
121 High Street
Banstead
Surrey
SM7 2NS
Memories of Penny
Travel Weekly is compiling a memory book for Penny’s family. If you would like to share your memories of Penny, please email them to travel.weekly@rbi.co.uk. A selection of messages will be published online and can be viewed here; if you would rather your message remained private, please let us know in your email.