GBTA Latin America Hosts Third Annual Successful Conference in Sao Paulo Brasil

SAO PAULO, BRASIL 2 July 2015 – The Global Busines Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – hosted its third annual successful conference last week in Sao Paulo Brasil with more than 300 total attendees. The event took place at the Pullman Hotel, Vila Olympia, Sao Paulo, located within one of the city’s most prominent financial centers.

“As business travel markets continue expanding in Latin America, GBTA is implementing a series of conferences throughout the region to continue growing the travel management industry in Latin America through increased education, networking and sessions highlighting hot topics and best practices,” said Wellington Costa, Regional Director, GBTA Brasil. “Last week’s conference brought together business travel professionals from Brasil with worldwide suppliers.”

GBTA Conference 2015 Brasil featured a series of general sessions and multiple education seminars. An event highlight included two education modules, presented by GBTA Board Member Bhart Sarin, from the forthcoming Advanced Principles of Business Travel Management course, to be offered at a sold out session at GBTA Convention 2015 in Orlando, Florida, July 25 -29. The Advanced Principles course will soon be offered at locations in Latin America as well.

Other conference highlights included:
• Well-attended general sessions including The Future of Aviation panel, moderated by Edmar Bull, President of ABRACORP, Brasil’s premier TMC association representing major agencies. Panelists discussingthe future of aviation included Ian Gillespie, Avianca’s International Division Director, and Lucimar Reis, United Airlines’ Country Director for Brasil
• An engaging discussion led by Pepita Soler, Director Brasil and LATAM for IDEA CONNECTON SYSTEMS on Aligning Your Human Value for Strategic Innovation.
• GBTA Foundation Vice President, Joseph Bates presented the latest in a continuing series of business travel forecats focused on Brasil and its growing yet challenged business travel sector.
• Marina Lopes, a journalist and former consultant for Facebook and editor for Groupon led an important how-to session called Social Media – How to Use It.
• Experts from Phocuswright, Ericson, Staybridge Hotel and Intercity Hotels answered the question, What Do We Want From Hotels in the Future? The panel focused on many aspects of hotel booking processes, delivery value, technology and the importance of connectivity.

GBTA Conference 2016 Sao Paulo will take place June 27 – 28 in Sao Paulo, Brasil at the Pullman Hotel.

CONTACT: Colleen Gallagher, +1 703-236-1133, cgallagher@gbta.org
Wellington Costa, wcosta@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