2015 Global Business Travel Association Conference Celebrates Business in Motion

11th Annual Conference Brings Hot-Button Topics and Business Travel Solutions to Industry Forefront

Toronto (April 13, 2015) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the leading voice of the business travel industry in Canada, will host its 11th annual conference in Toronto from April 20-22, 2015 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

With more than 500 attendees from across Canada and the United States, the GBTA Canada Conference brings travel industry leaders and professionals together to address key issues being faced by the industry. From shifting business travel demands and trends, to economic impact and the threat of micro-terrorism, conference delegates will gain expert knowledge while networking with peers.

“This is an exciting time for business travel in Canada and globally. This conference opens discussions on the changing market and provides opportunities for business travel professionals to better understand these changes and adapt,” said Nancy Tudorache, GBTA Director of Operations for Canada. “This conference is shaping up to be our most attended conference to date. GBTA Canada’s continued growth reinforces our position as a key association within the business travel industry.”

In line with the conference theme of “Business in Motion”, delegates will have the opportunity to gain insights from business leaders across various industries, exploring the momentum of the travel sector. During the three-day conference attendees can partake in various educational sessions developed to help business travel professionals succeed in the increasingly complex travel landscape. This includes seminars, panel discussions and interactive sessions designed to engage and instill best practices, as well as address ways to best service the needs of the evolving business traveller.

Keynote speakers include:

Joe Bates, Vice President, Research, Global Business Travel Association
Bonnie Brooks, Vice Chairman, Hudson’s Bay Company
Duncan Bureau, Vice President, Global Sales, Air Canada
Dorothy Dowling, 
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Best Western International
Lyell Farquharson, 
Vice President of Sales, WestJet
Mike Guadagnoli, Assistant Vice President, Business Rental Development
Canadian Operations, Enterprise Holdings
Katherine L. Harmon, Director of Health Intelligence, iJET International
Bruce McIndoe, CEO, iJET International
John Stackhouse, Senior Vice President, Office of the CEO, Royal Bank of Canada
Charles Sultan, Senior VP, Supplier Services, Platform Services

Education session speakers are as follows:

Omer Aziz, HR Executive, CHRP
PENG International
Fiona Birch, Founder, Tonic Global
Betsy Bondurant, CMM, CTE, Consultant
Patrick Collette, National Director, Sales & Business Development, AXA Assistance Canada Inc.
Danièle Gadbois, Director, Business Development, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Canada
Tammy Gillis, Principal Owner, Gillis Consulting & Training Inc.
Robyn Gilmartin, Project Manager, Carlson Wagonlit’s Air Solutions Group
Darren Hailes, Emerging Media Coordinator, WestJet
Shelly Lewchuk, GTP, CCTE
Manager, Corporate Travel
Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Rajaie Matuk, Senior Research Director, Hotspex
K. Ian Race, CTE
VP Sales & Account Management, Vision Travel Solutions
Russ Sabo, Manager, Emergency Response & Business Recovery WestJet
Nikki Stone, Vice President, Business Development, Active International

This year also marks the first year for Education-on-Demand provided by American Express Global Business Travel. This new addition will enable all education sessions to be recorded, allowing all delegates to revisit or view the sessions that took place during the conference.

For more on information on the GBTA Canada Conference please visit www.GBTA.org/Canada/Conference

Social media links
Twitter: @GlobalBTA
#GBTAToronto15
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GBTA

For more information or media accreditation contact:
Tamara Stefek, 647-405-5636, tamara@parlurcommunications.com
Nancy Tudorache, 416-840-6128, ntudorache@gbta.org

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, gbta.org