That’s a wrap on TBEX North America!
Last week, the Stay22 team was in Richmond for a few days of creator conversations, fresh ideas, and one very exciting moment: unveiling the winners of the TBEX x Stay22 Contest.
On stage, we introduced the top five winning ideas and gave creators the chance to share their concepts directly with the audience. It was inspiring to see how travel creators are rethinking monetization, community, and the future of travel content.
All five winners received a ticket to a future TBEX event, and the top three also took home cash prizes.
Meet the Winners
1st Place Winner: Match Box
Destinations need creators. Creators need work. Match Box is a global marketplace where destinations post projects, creators pitch, and both sides get exactly what they're looking for.
By Bobo and Chichi / Dave Brett (www.boboandchichi.com / www.traveldave.co.uk)
2nd Place Winner: The Lodging Recommender
Food and events bloggers rarely mention hotels. Alex’s idea bridges that gap by adding a simple location input that surfaces nearby lodging recommendations—turning any restaurant or attraction post into a new affiliate opportunity.
By Alex Goodstein (www.alexeatstoomuch.com)
3rd Place Winner: Custom Affiliate Widget Generator
Plain affiliate links often get overlooked. Kerry’s concept introduces a no-code widget builder that transforms Stay22 links into branded, visual embeds. Paste a link, generate a polished widget, and increase conversions effortlessly.
By Kerry Ireland (www.thepetitewanderer.com)
4th Place Winner - The Travel Creator Collective
Travel blogging is isolating by design. Bianca's idea flips that into a community-first platform where creators share resources, co-work, and grow together instead of competing in silence.
By Bianca Alba (www.thislatinatravels.com)
5th Place Winner - In-destination Activity pop-up
Readers already at a destination are ready to act, not plan. Mary's idea uses geolocation to trigger a real-time experience booking pop-up, turning in-destination traffic into affiliate revenue.
By Mary Charleson (www.carryonqueen.com)