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Check-in with Suzanne

Being an event, conference or meeting professional is an especially challenging role these days. At GBTA, we understand firsthand what the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) sector has been navigating.   Our plate has been full restarting our own in-person conferences now in Q4 on a regional basis – including in Canada, the US and Europe – as well as planning for 2022 to restart the topical meetings that were put on hold for over two years. There is a lot of pent-up…

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Politics of Travel Stop and Smell the roses with more clarity on International Travel

Anticipation is hitting me on so many levels. The U.S. House of Representatives may or may not vote on both the bi-partisan hard infrastructure AND the Build Back Better (BBB) plan on Thursday evening…I am writing this at 3:30 PM Thursday November 4 – its now 8:30 am Friday and they say a vote is happening…

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Politics of Travel Stop and Smell the roses with more clarity on International Travel

Anticipation is hitting me on so many levels. The U.S. House of Representatives may or may not vote on both the bi-partisan hard infrastructure AND the Build Back Better (BBB) plan on Thursday evening…I am writing this at 3:30 PM Thursday November 4 – its now 8:30 am Friday and they say a vote is happening…

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Check-In With Suzanne:

Last week I joined GBTA’s VP of Government Relations, Shane Downey, for an event in Washington, D.C. featuring U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, Chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion. We were able to grab a few minutes with Senator Rosen to talk more about the proposed omnibus bill — the Travel and Tourism Act, aka the “TourBus” aimed at helping the industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  This came on the…

Spotlight on Marilyn Markham, 2021 WINiT Top 50 Women in Travel Recipient

Marilyn Markham is the Head of the Salesforce Centre of Excellence at American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). In her role, she builds the operational platform necessary to enable modern digital experiences to manage travel for colleagues, business travelers and travel managers. Marilyn moved from London, UK, in 2018 to work in GBT’s New York…

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Check-In with Suzanne

What do you value? What do you worry about? We’re listening. Recently over 500 members made their voices heard in a survey about in-person attendance at the GBTA Convention next month. Many shared their enthusiasm:   “I need to connect with my prospects and partners in person and drive business along.”  “Getting back to travel and seeing what the breakout sessions will offer as we work to find our…

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Politics of Travel: Two doses needed for U.S. Travel, Facial Recognition and Bobby McGee

Well well here we are, all looking forward to meeting in person current business partners and new ones in Orlando! And Please don’t think convention is all about networking and business opportunities, the Convention is where you learn about the latest trends, tools and thought leadership in the outstanding education sessions and GBTA Main Stage….

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U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Some International Travel

Today, the Biden Administration announced its new travel policy that beginning November 8 foreign national air travelers can enter the United States with the requirement that they be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination status to fly to the U.S. Fully vaccinated travelers will continue to be required to show a pre-departure negative test taken within…

Education Opportunities In The Thousands

 Education. Training. Professional Development. Upskilling. Learning. No matter what you call it, it matters and especially in these changing times. It not only benefits our professional journey and careers but also our personal growth. Education programming has always been a cornerstone of GBTA’s mission and value, delivering leading programs by and for members and…

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New International Border Openings Set to Accelerate Lift in Business Travel

Optimistic signs of return and tangible recovery in the business travel sector could be seen over the past month. In the latest poll from The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), half (52%) of industry respondents reported more optimism compared to September. October also saw an increase to 66% of those polled who said their companies…