GBTA Canada Business Travel Forums 2024

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GBTA Canada Business Travel Forums

The GBTA Canada Business Travel Forums are meticulously crafted as a one-day education and networking program replicated in four Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. The program is strategically structured to deliver invaluable knowledge, profound insights, and cutting-edge education to an industry grappling with escalating costs, supply chain uncertainties, and multifaceted disruptions.

Alongside the invaluable educational content, the Forums offer curated networking opportunities, with ample time allocated for meaningful buyer interaction within the Supplier Showcase. By participating in these enriching workshops, our esteemed sponsors gain a crucial platform to highlight their commitment to evolving in alongside the ever-changing landscape of travel programs and traveler expectations.

Sponsoring the Business Travel Forum unequivocally underscores our travel suppliers’ dedication to advancing the Canadian Business Travel Industry and fortifying the development of robust Corporate Travel Programs. Join us in driving the growth of the Canadian business travel sector while forging lasting connections and staying at the forefront of industry innovation.

Calgary

September 19

Attend Calgary

Montreal

October 22

Attend Montreal

Toronto

October 24

Attend Toronto

GBTA Buyer Member	Buyer Nonmember	GBTA Supplier Member	Supplier Nonmember
$0 Complimentary	$0 Complimentary	$300	$395.00 If you become a GBTA member, you will pay $300.00 towards the event and $95.00 for membership. By adding membership during registration, you will save $25.00 on membership activation fees.

2024 Sponsor

Featured

City

Ready to Sponsor?

Ready to sponsor or need expert advice on which opportunity is best for your organization? Fill out the form below and a member of our Sponsorship team will reach out to you shortly.

Agenda

Agenda subject to change based on city.

7:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Registration

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Sponsor Showcase

8:30 AM – 9:15 AM

Buyer Only Breakfast

9:30 AM – 9:35 AM

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• GBTA Welcome
• Host Hotel Welcome

9:35 AM – 10:20 AM

Session #1 – “Content Crisis” – Ever Changing Distribution Strategies for Suppliers

Airlines are not the only ones disrupting the way we get content. NDC for Hotels? Yup, that’s a thing and it’s coming soon. Sourcing rail content from aggregator is becoming common. NDC vs. EDIFACT, what is the difference, and why do I care? My hotel gives me bonus points if I book on their app. Are loyalty points the new world currency? All of these changes make us less dependent on a GDS, how will a TMC service a booking? I’m confused! Help, this is a crisis!

10:20 AM – 10:40 AM

Supplier Spotlight

The Spotlight will be on our participating sponsor suppliers as they share a brief highlight important for Canadian business travel.

10:40 AM – 11:00 AM

Networking Break & Sponsor Showcase

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

Session #2 – Meeting and Events Attendee Experience

This session will map out the attendee journey from pre-event and registration to post event engagement, helping to identify opportunities to provide personalized experiences, target attendee preferences, pain points and understand audience expectations. We will provide best practices for delivering a successful event with high attendee engagement. Our panelists will share insights and perspectives on how to successfully plan for the attendee journey to achieve overall goals.

11:45 PM– 12:30 PM

Session #3 – Individual Profile Risk

An inclusive organizational culture isn’t just about internal dynamics—it’s also crucial for managing travel risk effectively. We will talk about how individual traveler profile characteristics can multiply the risk level of a destination, and how to identify these multipliers, and ensure you are providing the right advice and adequate protection to all your business travelers. We will discuss strategies for addressing individual profile risk in trip preparation, and the additional value that this will bring to your travel program, and your organization.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Networking Lunch & Sponsor Showcase

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Session #4 – “Don’t Show Me The Money” Invisible Hotel Payment Process

Explore virtual payments, their mechanics, benefits, drawbacks, and self-assessment questions to gauge their suitability for your organization. We will dive into the problems they can solve and how they work along with possible concerns to be aware of. This is well suited for anyone making payments for corporate travel.

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Session #5 – NDC Report Card – PART 1

NDC Report Card: Implementation status and learnings from around the world – A separately taped fireside chat with two IATA representatives to discuss how NDC implementation is going for other regions around the world and what Canada can learn from them on our journey.

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM

Supplier Spotlight

The Spotlight will be on our participating sponsor suppliers as they share a brief highlight important for Canadian business travel.

2:50 PM – 3:15 PM

Break & Sponsor Showcase

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

Session #6 – Role of Sustainability Procurement Standards in a Hotel Program

Hotel procurement forms a crucial part of managed travel programs, with travel managers often evaluating thousands of hotel RFP (Request for Proposal) responses annually. As sustainability becomes a core objective in many travel programs, having a straightforward approach to assess the sustainability of hotel suppliers is more essential than ever. To meet this need, the GBTA Foundation, in collaboration with the Sustainability Committee, has released the new Sustainable Procurement Standards for Hotels.

• Where is your organization at on your sustainability journey
• What are the right questions to include in your RFPs that align with your sustainability goals
• Are your hotel partners supporting your sustainability goals

4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Session #7 – IATA Fireside Chat – PART 2

A separately taped fireside chat with two IATA representatives to discuss how NDC implementation is going for other regions around the world and what Canada can learn from them on our journey.

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM

Wrap-Up & Prize Drawing

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Networking Reception in Sponsor Showcase

Thank you for your interest in the upcoming GBTA Canada Business Travel Forum in Vancouver.

After carefully reviewing current market conditions and receiving valuable feedback, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Vancouver forum. Please know this decision was not made lightly, and we regret any disruption this may cause.

While we won’t be able to connect in Vancouver, we would love to see you at one of our other upcoming GBTA Business Travel Forums in Canada:

September 19: Calgary
October 22: Montreal
October 24: Toronto

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via jsanchez@gbta.org.

Thank you to our venue sponsor:

Room Block

Rooms are available at a rate of $279 per night, plus applicable taxes. Each individual guest must make their own reservations by, Friday, August 23, 2024. They must identify themselves as members of the Global Business Travel Association Group. All reservations must be guaranteed and accompanied by a first night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. Reservations can be made by calling the Hotel Toll Free Line at 1-888-744-5866, Locally at (604) 438-1200, Central Reservations at 1-888-559-4599 or by using this reservation link.

Cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to arrival date and no-shows will be charged one night room and tax to their credit card.

Check in Time: 4:00PM
Check Out Time: 12 Noon

Parking:

Attendee Day Parking: Complimentary parking for the first 3 hours is available in the underground parkade in Red, Brown and Green zones on P1, P2, P3 and P4, $3.00 each half hour or portion to a maximum of $13.00 per day inclusive of tax (subject to change). The parkade is accessible off Kingsborough Street.

Overnight Registered Guests: There is a Blue Zone located on each level and parking in this zone is reserved for overnight hotel guests/valet service only. Guests must register their vehicle’s license plate at the front desk. Access to the Hotel Lobby via stairs or elevator is located in the “Blue” zone. Overnight self-parking is available at $21.00 inclusive of tax per day. Daytime valet parking is available at $19.00 and overnight valet parking is available at $29.00, both inclusive of tax per day. Subject to change.

The clearance of the parkade is 6’6”. The hotel does not have on site over-height parking, however, please reach out for alternative parking options. Additional charges may apply.

Registration Pricing:

GBTA Buyer Member	Buyer Nonmember	GBTA Supplier Member	Supplier Nonmember
$0 Complimentary	$25.00 If you become a GBTA member, you will pay $345.00. By adding membership during registration, you will save $25.00 on membership activation fees.	$300	$395.00 If you become a GBTA member, you will pay $300.00 towards the event and $395.00 for membership. By adding membership during registration, you will save $25.00 on membership activation fees.