Amber Lock moved from Tampa, Florida to New York City at the age of nineteen. Initially working for a family owned fashion design firm, her then colleague was a friend of Seth Rudman, owner of Upward Bound Travel. Rudman hired Lock when she was twenty-one, commencing her impressive career in entertainment travel.
Amber Lock moved from Tampa, Florida to New York City at the age of nineteen. Initially working for a family owned fashion design firm, her then colleague was a friend of Seth Rudman, owner of Upward Bound Travel. Rudman hired Lock when she was twenty-one, commencing her impressive career in entertainment travel.
At Upward Bound, Amber worked with entertainment friendly hotels, acclimating herself within the industry by talking with others in the field, handling travel arrangements for Santana, the CEO of Sony Music, Neil Young, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony among others. As business grew, Amber was offered employment within other agencies.
Nearing her fifteenth year in the entertainment travel industry, major transition was on the horizon. Says Amber, “The time had come to end a partnership and take a look at who I was and where I wanted to be. Humbly accepting that my "name" had earned a pretty good reputation, I decided to keep it simple and brand my company Lock Travel Management.”
Valuing the reputation of her organization, Amber works to maintain high moral integrity. Respecting and empowering others in addition to healthy competition, Amber delights in contributing to the greater entertainment travel community.
“Amber is dedicated to her clients and works on every project with passion and integrity,” says Tampa based, Adrienne Lock, who has worked with her sister for two and a half years. “I am always amazed at the vast amount of knowledge she has; I learn from her daily. I am truly blessed to be a part of her team.”
Amber is very hands-on, as are the agents in her office. “Amber is great to work with,” reports Fatema Caderbhoy, Air Travel Specialist for Lock Travel Management.
“I’ve received the best education simply by being around one of the best in the industry. Amber teaches me every day, sometimes without even meaning to or realizing that she is and it’s simply because she’s really amazing at her job,” says very grateful employee of the last year, Jasmine Esposito. “Amber is really humble and genuinely cares for the people around her.”
Lock believes in growing her business by pairing clients with agents based on personalities. “Earning business organically ensures healthy relationships with clients,” Amber reports. Through personalized service, Amber’s team makes travel a comfortable, enjoyable experience. Word of mouth and referrals from clients have fueled Lock’s expansion.
“I enjoy the process with her, as well as the results,” says Jennifer Sartory, long time client of Amber’s, who first worked together on production for Dancing With the Stars, and now Tour Director for various artists. “Travel is such a big piece. Lock just gets it in every way.”
Building Lock Travel Management has been quite an accomplishment. “Each day over the past year have been some of the hardest and most rewarding of my career,” recalls Amber. “The tireless support of my team and encouragement from my mentors and friends in the industry enabled me to keep moving forward. Over the past six months, as unanticipated referrals of new clients came in fast and furious, I wondered, ‘What the hell did I get myself into?’ But I'm a fighter and am thrilled that we've grown with three additions to our team, Allison Gruchacz, Jennifer Wall and Karen Southerland.”
Tremendously valuing her partnerships with hoteliers, we asked Amber what some might do to improve that relationship. Amber suggests responsiveness. “Communicating, being open, having respect and going to bat on our behalf are ideal, mutually.” And of course, reviewing thoroughly all correspondence, with the appropriate team members on property, is key.
Lock, on her current success: “I have to say, LTM is kicking ass and I'm extremely proud of what our team has accomplished.”
When she takes the time to travel, Amber seeks the relaxation of beach vacations. She looks forward to an upcoming trip to see her clients, Sir Elton John & Motley Crue, at Rock in Rio, with some much needed relaxation time afterward in Trancoso. The Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand are at the top of her dream travel list.
Words: Vanessa Forster, Tour Connection, Inc.