Dave Hilfman’s Monday Memo to GBTA Members

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

 

Last year, we launched our Ready. Safe. Travel. campaign to advocate for unity and a safe and responsible restart of business travel. In 2021, we continue to face near-daily changes that impact our industry, including vaccines, testing and quarantines, just to name a few.

 

Our upcoming virtual Ready. Safe. Travel. Summit will bring those topics to the forefront with presentations and Q&A sessions with impressive experts in these areas. I hope you’ll join us and register here.

 

 

Join Me for GBTA Convention 2021 and Stand in Solidarity with the Business Travel Community

 

After missing out on the in-person Convention experience last year, I’m beyond excited for GBTA’s 2021 Convention, July 17-21 in Orlando, Florida. We’ve got five months to go until the big event and feel confident the industry will be ready. As in years past, the 2021 Convention will feature the most innovative suppliers in the industry, relevant and actionable education sessions, and unlimited networking opportunities. To date, we already have more than 1,000 registered attendees! Registration rates increase March 1, so don’t wait – register today for Convention 2021.

 

One of the most valuable parts of Convention is the quality content. We’re still seeking industry professionals to deliver content featuring new ideas, solutions, and innovations for current issues and challenges confronting the travel industry. If you want the unique opportunity to get in front of corporate travel managers and suppliers from across industry segments, click here to submit your education session proposal by February 26.

 

Reminder: WINiT Award Nominations Due This Friday

 

On March 8, we’re hosting our second WINiT Awards & Virtual Gala. While this year’s event will be virtual, it will be no less meaningful than our first gala held in 2019. WINiT by GBTA is one of our association’s most important initiatives and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming gala.

 

To make sure we recognize our best and brightest, we need your help. Please take time to nominate the true visionaries and leaders who are driving positive change for the career advancement of women in our industry. This year, GBTA is waiving the $99 fee for each nomination, so you can nominate one – or more – deserved contenders. Click here to complete a nomination by this Friday, February 5.

 

Are You Registered for Tomorrow’s Business Travel Index (BTI^TM) Presentation?

 

Tomorrow is the presentation of data from our 12th annual Business Travel Index (BTI^TM) report. If you want to be among the first to hear what’s expected for business travel over the next four years, make sure you register to attend (space is limited). For our friends in Europe and Canada, you’ll also want to attend your upcoming Town Halls (Europe Town Hall on February 16 and Canada Town Hall on February 24), where additional regional specific data will be presented.

 

In Closing…

 

We’ve been getting a lot of news lately about increased global travel restrictions. Naturally it’s disheartening to hear about the implementation or broadening of quarantine requirements. Last week, I released a statement on behalf of GBTA calling on world governments to rethink quarantine proposals while also standardizing travel requirements and expanding vaccination and COVID-19 testing programs. You can read the statement here.

 

We will get through this challenge and appreciate everyone’s efforts to communicate with our government leaders around the world.

 

Have a great week.

 

Dave