Document:

Exhibit

EXHIBIT 10.17
NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

THIS NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made this day of September 5, 2019, by and between Travelzoo, a Delaware corporation (the "Company") and Holger Bartel ("Optionee"). 

WHEREAS, Optionee has been providing services for the Company pursuant to an Employment Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2015, as amended, by and between Optionee and the Company (“Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, the Company desires to grant to Optionee the option to purchase certain shares of its stock, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, with such option intended to be a nonstatutory stock option that is not an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual agreements hereinafter set forth, it is covenanted and agreed as follows:
1.     Grant and Terms of Option. Pursuant to action of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), the Company grants, effective September 5, 2019 (“Date of Grant”) to Optionee the option to purchase all or any part of Four Hundred Thousand (400,000) shares of the common stock of the Company, par value of $0.01 each ("Common Stock"), to vest quarterly over a period of two (2) years as set forth in the table below, at the purchase price of $10.79 per share, which is the fair market value of the Common Stock determined as the official NASDAQ closing share price on the Date of Grant; provided, however, that the right to exercise such option shall be, and is hereby, restricted as follows:
(a)    No shares may be purchased prior to March 31, 2020.  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the 400,000 stock options shall vest in eight (8) quarterly installments, beginning on January 1, 2020, as follows:

	
		
	Vesting Date
	Percentage of Stock Options Vesting

	On March 31, 2020
	12.5%

	On June 30, 2020
	12.5%

	On September 30, 2020
	12.5%

	On December 31, 2020
	12.5%

	On March 31, 2021
	12.5%

	On June 30, 2021
	12.5%

	On September 30, 2021
	12.5%

	On December 31, 2021
	12.5%

On or after December 31, 2021, during the term hereof, Optionee will become entitled to purchase the entire number of shares (400,000 shares) to which this option relates.
(b)    In no event may this option or any part thereof be exercised after the expiration of five (5) years from the Date of Grant, which shall be the term of the option.
(c)    The purchase price of the shares subject to the option may be paid for (i) in cash, (ii) in the discretion of the Board, by tender of shares of Common Stock 

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already owned by Optionee, or (iii) in the discretion of the Board, by such other method as the Board may determine. 
(d)    The option may not be exercised for a fraction of a share. 
(e)    The option may not be exercised if Optionee is no longer employed by the Company subject to the provisions of section 4 of this Agreement.
(f)    The option may not be exercised if shareholder approval is not received and may not be exercised prior to the registration of the shares being offered under the Agreement, which registration shall be filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission following the Company’s next annual shareholder meeting.
(g)    The Board or the Committee shall also determine the methods by which shares of stock shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Optionee.
2.    Anti-Dilution Provisions. In the event that, during the term of this Agreement, there is any change in the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock of the Company by reason of stock dividends, recapitalizations, mergers, consolidations, split-ups, combinations or exchanges of shares and the like, not including any issuances of shares for consideration or capital increases by the Company, the number of shares covered by this option agreement and the price thereof shall be adjusted, to the same proportionate number of shares and price as in this original agreement.
3.    Non-Transferability. Neither the option hereby granted nor any rights thereunder or under this Agreement may be assigned, transferred or in any manner encumbered except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and any attempted assignment, transfer, mortgage, pledge or encumbrance except as herein authorized, shall be void and of no effect.

The option may be exercised during Optionee's lifetime only by Optionee or his guardian or legal representative as set forth herein.
4.    Termination of Employment. In the event of the termination of the Employment Agreement prior to its expiration, or to the extent the Company terminates employment of Optionee, including upon death or disability, Optionee’s (or, in the event of death, the legatee or legatees of Optionee under his last will, or his personal representatives or distributees) right to exercise the option, only to the extent it was vested and he was entitled to exercise it on the date of termination of services or employment, shall continue for 90 days after such termination but not after five (5) years from the Date of Grant. If Optionee (or, in the event of death, the legatee or legatees of Optionee under his last will, or his personal representatives or distributees) does not exercise the option within 90 days following such termination of Employment, any unexercised vested option shall be null and void.
5.    Method of Exercise/Shares Issued on Exercise of Option. The option may be exercised (in whole or in part) at any time during the period specified in this Agreement, by delivering to the Secretary of the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date of exercise (or such shorter period as the Company shall approve) (a) a written notice of exercise designating the number of shares to be purchased, signed by Optionee, and (b) payment of the full amount of the purchase price of the shares with respect to which the option is exercised. If the written notice of exercise is delivered by mail, or by any other means of delivery, the date of delivery and the date of exercise shall be the date the written notice is actually received by the Secretary. It is the intention of the Company that on any exercise of this option it will transfer to Optionee shares of its authorized but unissued stock or transfer Treasury shares or utilize any combination of Treasury shares and authorized but unissued shares, to satisfy its obligations to deliver shares on any exercise hereof. No rights of a shareholder shall exist with respect to the Common Stock under this option as a result of the mere grant of this option.

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6.    Board Administration. The Board, the Committee, or any successor or other committee authorized by the Board, subject to the express terms of this option, shall have plenary authority to interpret any provision of this option and to make any determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of this option and the exercise of the rights herein granted, and may waive or amend any provisions hereof in any manner not adversely affecting the rights granted to Optionee by the express terms hereof.
7.    Option not an Incentive Stock Option. It is intended that this option shall not be treated as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or otherwise qualify for any special tax benefits to Optionee.
8.    No Contract of Employment. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be considered or construed as creating a contract of employment for any specified period of time.
9.    Restrictions on Exercise. This option may not be exercised if the issuance of Common Stock upon Optionee’s exercise or the method of payment of consideration for such Common Stock would constitute a violation of any applicable Federal or state securities law or other applicable law or regulation. As a condition to the exercise of this option, the Company may require Optionee to make any representations and warranty to the Company as may be required by any applicable law or regulation.
10.    Termination of Option. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of the term of five (5) years from the Date of Grant, as set forth in section 1(b) hereof.
11.    Withholding upon Exercise. The Company reserves the right to withhold, in accordance with any applicable laws, from any consideration payable to Optionee any taxes required to be withheld by Federal, state or local law as a result of the grant or exercise of this option. If the amount of any consideration payable to Optionee is insufficient to pay such taxes or if no consideration is payable to Optionee, upon request of the Company, Optionee shall pay to the Company in cash an amount sufficient for the Company to satisfy any Federal, state or local tax withholding requirements it may incur as a result of the grant or exercise of this option.
12.    Severability. Any word, phrase, clause, sentence or other provision herein which violates or is prohibited by any applicable law, court decree or public policy shall be modified as necessary to avoid the violation or prohibition and so as to make this Agreement enforceable as fully as possible under applicable law, and if such cannot be so modified, the same shall be ineffective to the extent of such violation or prohibition without invalidating or affecting the remaining provisions herein.
13.    Non-Waiver of Rights. The Company’s failure to enforce at any time any of the provisions of this agreement or to require at any time performance by Optionee of any of the provisions hereof shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provisions or to affect either the validity of this agreement, or any part hereof, or the right of the Company thereafter to enforce each and every provision in accordance with the terms of this agreement.
14.    Entire Agreement; Amendments. No modification, amendment or waiver of any of the provisions of this agreement shall be effective unless in writing specifically referring hereto and signed by the parties hereto. This agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between Optionee and the Company to the extent that any such agreements or understandings conflict with the terms of this agreement.    
15.    Assignment. This agreement shall be freely assignable by the Company to and shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Company, its successors and assigns and/or any other entity which shall succeed to the business presently being conducted by the Company.

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16.    Governing Law. To the extent that Federal laws do not otherwise control, all determinations made, or actions taken pursuant hereto shall be governed by the laws of the state of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws rules thereof.

[Signature Page Follows]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by the undersigned officer pursuant to due authorization, and Optionee has signed this Agreement to evidence his acceptance of the option herein granted and of the terms hereof, all as of the date hereof.

COMPANY:
TRAVELZOO 
By: _____________________________
Name: Ralph Bartel
Title: Chairman
Date: September 5, 2019

OPTIONEE:
By: _____________________________ 

Name: Holger Bartel

Title: Global Chief Executive Officer 
 
Date: 

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EXHIBIT 10.18
STOCK REPURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS STOCK REPURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 6, 2019, by and between Travelzoo, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Holger Bartel (the “Selling Stockholder”).
Recitals
WHEREAS, the Selling Stockholder desires to sell to the Company, and the Company desires to repurchase from the Selling Stockholder, an aggregate of 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Shares”) at a price of $10.05 per Share, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,010,000 for the Shares (such aggregate purchase price, the “Purchase Price”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement (the “Repurchase”).
WHEREAS, the parties acknowledge that the Purchase Price is based on the 10-day volume weighted average price based on trading activity on October 22, 2019 through and including November 4, 2019, calculated using the VWAP function on Bloomberg, minus a 4.4% discount.  
WHEREAS, as Mr. Bartel is the Company’s Global Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, being comprised of independent members of the Board, was authorized by the Board to evaluate the Repurchase and has determined that the terms and conditions of the Repurchase, as set forth in this Agreement, are fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agree as follows:
Agreement
1.Repurchase.
(a)    Purchase and Sale.  At the Closing (as defined below), the Company hereby agrees to repurchase from the Selling Stockholder, and the Selling Stockholder hereby agrees to sell and deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Company, the Shares. The Purchase Price shall be paid in two installments by the Company, with $1,010,000 payable at the Closing (the “First Payment”) and the remaining $1,000,000 payable thereafter at such time as is mutually agreed upon by the Company, with the approval of the Compensation Committee, and the Selling Stockholder.
(b)    Closing.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the delivery of the deliverables contemplated by Section 1(c) of this Agreement, the closing of the sale of the Shares (the “Closing”) will take place on November 6, 2019, via the exchange of deliverables, or such other time, date or place as shall be agreed upon by the parties.

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(c)    Closing Deliveries and Actions.  At the Closing, the Selling Stockholder shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Shares to the Company in the manner directed in writing by the Company and the Company shall deliver to the Selling Stockholder by wire transfer, in accordance with written instructions to be provided by the Selling Stockholder prior to the Closing, immediately available funds in an amount equal to the First Payment.
(d)    Other Payments. The Selling Stockholder agrees to pay all stamp, stock transfer and similar duties, if any, in connection with the Repurchase.
2.    Representations of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Selling Stockholder that, as of the date hereof and at the Closing:
(a)    The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
(b)    The Company has the full power and authority to execute, deliver and carry out the terms and provisions of this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, and has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(c)    This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that (i) such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to certain equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceedings thereof may be brought. The execution and delivery of this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been approved by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board in accordance with the Company’s policies and procedures for identifying and approving related person transactions and by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board.
(d)    The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in the breach of any of the terms or conditions of, constitute a default under or violate, accelerate or permit the acceleration of any other similar right of any other party under, the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, any law, rule or regulation or any agreement, lease, mortgage, note, bond, indenture, license or other document or undertaking, to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or its properties may be bound, nor will such execution, delivery and consummation violate any order, writ, injunction or decree of any federal, state, local or foreign court, administrative agency or governmental or regulatory authority or body (each, an “Authority”) to which the Company or any of its properties is subject, the effect of any of which, either individually or in the aggregate, would have, or reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial 

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position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole or materially impact the Company’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such Authority is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such consents, approvals, authorizations and orders as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(e)    There has been no act or omission by the Company which would give rise to any valid claim against any of the parties hereto for a brokerage commission, finder's fee, or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.
3.    Representations of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to the Company that, as of the date hereof and at the Closing:
(a)    The Selling Stockholder has full legal right and capacity to execute, deliver and carry out the terms and provisions of this Agreement and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. 
(b)    This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder, and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Selling Stockholder, enforceable against the Selling Stockholder in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that (i) such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to certain equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceedings therefor may be brought.
(c)    The sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder and the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in the breach of any of the terms or conditions of, constitute a default under or violate, accelerate or permit the acceleration of any other similar right of any other party under, any law, rule or regulation, or any agreement, lease, mortgage, note, bond, indenture, license or other document or undertaking, to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling Stockholder or its properties may be bound, nor will such execution, delivery and consummation violate any order, writ, injunction or decree of any Authority to which the Selling Stockholder or any of its properties is subject, the effect of any of which, either individually or in the aggregate, would affect the validity of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder or reasonably be expected to materially impact the Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such Authority is required for the performance by the Selling Stockholder of its obligations under this Agreement and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by the Selling 

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Stockholder hereunder, except such consents, approvals, authorizations and orders as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Selling Stockholder’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d)    The Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to the delivery of the Shares to the Company at the Closing, the Selling Stockholder will have, valid and unencumbered title to the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder at such time of delivery, free and clear of all security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities and other charges.
(e)    The Selling Stockholder has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the proposed sale of the Shares to the Company and that it has made an independent decision to sell the Shares to the Company based on the Selling Stockholder’s knowledge about the Company and its business and other information available to the Selling Stockholder, which it has determined is adequate for that purpose. The Selling Stockholder acknowledges that it has not relied upon any express or implied representations or warranties of any nature made by or on behalf of the Company, whether or not any such representations, warranties or statements were made in writing or orally, except as expressly set forth for the benefit of the Selling Stockholder in this Agreement. The Selling Stockholder has received all of the information that it considers necessary or appropriate for deciding whether to sell the Shares and has had the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers from the Company. The Selling Stockholder acknowledges that the Company and its affiliates, officers and directors may possess material non-public information not known to the Selling Stockholder regarding or relating to the Company, including, but not limited to, information concerning the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company. The Selling Stockholder acknowledges and confirms that it is aware that future changes and developments in (i) the Company’s business and financial condition and operating results, (ii) the industry in which the Company competes and (iii) overall market and economic conditions, may have a favorable impact on the value of the Company’s common stock after the sale by the Selling Stockholder of the Shares to the Company pursuant to terms of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as set forth in this Agreement, the Company makes no representations with respect to the information provided to the Selling Stockholder in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein or therein, including any current or projected financial information.
(f)    There has been no act or omission by Selling Stockholder which would give rise to any valid claim against any of the parties hereto for a brokerage commission, finder's fee, or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.
4.    Notices.  All notices, demands or other communications to be given or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been given when delivered personally, mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid, or sent via a nationally recognized overnight courier, or sent via 

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email (receipt of which is confirmed) to the recipient. Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent as follows:
To the Selling Stockholder:
Holger Bartel
650 Castro Street
Suite 120 PMB 288
Mountain View, CA 94041

To the Company:
Travelzoo 
            590 Madison Avenue, 37th Floor
New York, New York 
    Attention: Mary Reilly  
    Email: maryreilly38@gmail.com

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Ballard Spahr LLP 
        1735 Market Street, 48th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103 
    Attention: Peter Jaslow 
    Email: JaslowP@ballardspahr.com  

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party.
5.    Miscellaneous.
(a)    Survival of Representations and Warranties.  All representations and warranties contained herein or made in writing by any party in connection herewith shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby until the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations.
(b)    Severability.  Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect any other provision or any other jurisdiction, but this Agreement will be reformed, construed, and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.

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(c)    Complete Agreement.  This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Selling Stockholder with respect to the subject matter hereof. 
(d)    Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. 
(e)    Successors and Assigns.  Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned, in whole or in part, by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Selling Stockholder and the Company and their respective successors and assigns.
(f)    No Third Party Beneficiaries or Other Rights.  This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein express or implied shall give or shall be construed to confer any legal or equitable rights or remedies to any person other than the parties to this Agreement and such successors and permitted assigns.
(g)    Governing Law.  THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE. The Company and the Selling Stockholder each agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this Agreement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the State of Delaware or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in the State of Delaware, and the Company and the Selling Stockholder each agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts. 
(h)    Waiver of Jury Trial.  The Company and the Selling Stockholder each hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. 
(i)    Mutuality of Drafting.  The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as jointly drafted by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of the Agreement.
(j)    Remedies.  The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that money damages may not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the provisions of this Agreement and that any 

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party may in its sole discretion apply to any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction (without posting any bond or deposit) for specific performance or other injunctive relief in order to enforce, or prevent any violations of, the provisions of this Agreement.
(k)    Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended or waived only with the prior written consent of the Company and the Selling Stockholder.
(l)    Expenses.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall bear its own expenses in connection with the drafting, negotiation, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
[Signatures appear on following pages.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Stock Repurchase Agreement as of the date first written above.
COMPANY:
TRAVELZOO

By: __________________________ 
Name: Mary Reilly 
Title:  Director

SELLING STOCKHOLDER:
                            
By: ___________________________ 
Name: Holger Bartel 

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