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Check-In with Suzanne
Traveling for Good in Real-Time
Two weeks ago, I wrote in this column about my month-on-the-road… GBTA’s and my “March Madness,” in a way. I’m happy to report that these 3 weeks have been splendid – and we appreciate all those who’ve tuned in to our main stage insights, or met with us in Spain, Germany, and Singapore. From buyers to suppliers, to TMCs and consultants, the insights you’re sharing with my team and me will help us to keep GBTA programs and offerings relevant on a local, regional, and international level.
Fresh back from Singapore, Catherine Logan, Dawn McCormick, and I are happy to announce our 2023 conference dates for APAC: September 19-20 in Singapore. We’ll be opening registration soon – so save the date! – and we hope to see many of you there from in-region, as well as those from further away who perhaps haven’t connected with your teams in APAC in a while.
What I’m hearing broadly from you on my travels: - Networking and connecting are a priority – post pandemic and looking forward – particularly as the travel manager role at many companies is one-of-a-kind and often isolated. GBTA offers the continuity and community for sharing local and regional best practices – through our chapters, committees, and conferences.
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Sustainability is a hot topic across every market and won’t be resolved quickly. There are also many facets of sustainability in the business travel industry across regions and markets. The industry needs to focus on developing solutions across every sector.
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Distribution issues continue to both evolve and confuse in many markets. With NDC and cross-regional travel top of mind, we will be publishing a podcast in the coming days that features three buyers from different markets discussing possible ways forward in the program management of the evolving distribution ecosystem.
Meanwhile, last week, GBTA welcomed a full house of delegates to the GBTA Mexico Conference 2023. Over 450 buyers and suppliers convened at the Hilton Reforma Mexico City for two days of high-impact programming, networking, and education. While I couldn’t attend in person, it was clear from the social chatter that the conference was a huge success.
What all of this highlights to me is that we as GBTA need to continue to provide the platform for community, learning and advocacy. Together we can make sense of this ever-changing market and help shape the future together.
Finally, in case you missed it, we recently hosted an APAC Sustainability Webinar, which you can view on demand here.
Travel well,
Suzanne |
