Airline C-Level Executives to Discuss Future of Aviation at Europe Business Travel Conference

Panel to Feature Executives from Virgin Atlantic, Finnair, Lufthansa

Alexandria, VA (11 October 2018) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – and German business travel buyer association VDR, today unveiled a Centre Stage panel in an exciting line-up of speakers for GBTA Conference 2018 Berlin in Partnership with VDR, taking place 27-29 November in Berlin.

The Wednesday morning panel, Airline C-Level Panel – The 2020 vision on Aviation, will feature three senior executives in aviation as they share their insights on the future of aviation and what this means for travel buyers. Panelists include:

• Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Executive Board & Chief Officer Hub Management, Lufthansa Group
• Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair
• Shai Weiss, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer and incoming CEO, Virgin Atlantic

“We are delighted to welcome these thought leaders to Centre Stage,” said Catherine McGavock, GBTA Regional Vice President – EMEA. “Given the ever-changing nature of aviation and the impending impact of Brexit negotiations, it will be extremely relevant for our attendees to hear from these prominent executives on the numerous factors impacting the industry, both today and in the near future.”

“We are privileged that three board members from such prominent airlines, have agreed to share their knowledge and views at our joint event. Delegates will hear first-hand about current issues in air transport, which guarantees to be an exciting discussion in times of flight failures, delays and security challenges throughout Europe,” added Hans-Ingo Biehl, VDR Executive Director and Board Member.

The conference will take place 27-29 November in Berlin, Germany at the Estrel Congress Center and will bring together more than 60 industry speakers and over 50 exhibitors from around the globe. This year’s theme, Momentum, is designed to address the rapid acceleration of change within the business travel industry.

Attendee registration is open now. Register by 23 October for up to €350 in savings. For the latest developments and more information, please visit europeconference.gbta.org.

Media registration is complimentary. For media accreditation, please contact Nikki Stimson at nstimson@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 delivers 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, visit gbta.org.