GBTA’s 5th Annual Media Day Broadcasts Breaking News From Nearly 30 Companies

(Chicago, IL) August 7, 2019—The Global Business Travel Associations—the voice of the business travel industry held its 5^th Annual Media Day on August 4, 2019 at GBTA Convention 2019 in Chicago. Media Day features breaking news from prominent travel companies. This year showcased 29 announcements. Below is a recap of each company’s announcement with a link to their video broadcast.

 

PredictX
Do you find air sourcing difficult?  Air supplier analysis and management is a common pain point for many travel managers. The development of NDC connectivity, branded fares and the constantly shifting sands of new JVs are making it even more complicated. PredictX has released a new data solution answering these challenges. The PredictX Navigator uses intelligent data management coupled with AI and predictive analytics to guide buyers in making optimal supplier management decisions, all while analyzing and managing shifting marketplace dynamics across all fare types. Watch now– https://youtu.be/ul3eWZTNb3E

TripActions
TripActions announced today it is expanding its suite of enterprise solutions with the launch of TripActions Consulting. The new offering will help organizations of every size and industry create and manage best-in-class corporate travel programs at scale. TripActions Consulting joins a suite of offerings, including TripActions VIP Luxe and TripActions Meetings and Events that empowers global enterprises to delight their employees, improve travel spend visibility and control, and seize travel as a strategic level for growth and culture. Watch now– https://youtu.be/fQK5fUi_KbI

SAP Concur
SAP Concur announced results of a survey with GBTA exploring the changing role of the corporate travel manager. Watch now– https://youtu.be/ngg027PBzMs 

Direct Travel
Darryl Hoover, Chief Technology Officer for Direct Travel discussed the launch of TravelStack – a digital collection of technologies and services designed to elevate travel programs – as well as what’s next with the Omni-Channel Contact Center and the creation of an AI team. Watch now– https://youtu.be/KoDZyWJ8BMI 

Sabre
Traci Mercer, SVP, Lodging, Ground & Sea for Sabre Travel Network with Sabre, made an announcement about Content Services for Lodging and how it enables travel agencies and corporations to easily shop and compare millions of lodging options around the world. Watch now– https://youtu.be/rbDPtR58qNs 

U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank’s Tory Passons, VP of Group Product Manager Corporate Payment Partnerships, shared an announcement on the future of business travel expense management. He shared info on thie new payment product, U.S. Bank Expense WizardTM. Watch now– https://youtu.be/VZkA5ErjP8Y

Fox World Travel
Fox World Travel’s, Chief Information Officer, Sam Hilgendorf introduced Cognition, a powerful new solution for the company’s business travel clients. Cognition provides clients with comprehensive reporting dashboards and real-time data visualization, creating actionable insights for travel managers to proactively manage their travel program. Watch now– https://youtu.be/5eSEEdSCU38

Dinova
Alison Galik has been named Dinova CEO and will speak to the company’s continuous exceptional growth as well as two new exciting product launches including the industry’s first Catering Portal and corporate dining concierge, Dine Assist. Galik will also discuss business traveler satisfaction trends, executive appointments including a new CFO and CRO and the strategy to build upon Dinova’s momentum that is changing the enterprise approach to business dining. Watch now– https://youtu.be/paGc5J9h-9o

ARC
This study examines how organizations, and particularly their travel programs, utilize data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve the traveler experience, enhance trip success and increase employee retention. It seeks to understand what travel programs are collecting, measuring and sharing within their enterprises. It is based on a GBTA survey of 114 United States and Canada-based travel buyers. Watch now– https://youtu.be/ehTidknq-PI

American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) announces their flagship charitable cause and global partnership in support of UNICEF as part of GBT’s Responsible Business program. Through the partnership with UNICEF USA, GBT commits to a global donation of half a million dollars from August 2019 through June 2021 to help give children access to the supplies they need to continue their educations in times of crisis. One in three children and young people are out of school in countries affected by war or natural disaster, and UNICEF, with the support of partners like GBT, can rapidly respond to provide supplies and safe learning spaces for children to learn and play in more than 190 countries and territories. Watch now– https://youtu.be/_wgSKjqWTjU

Conferma Pay
Could you travel across various cities and get by without the use of a plastic card or cash?
This year, Conferma Pay set out on that very mission – #MissionCashless – to discover whether the most popular business destinations were in fact ready for a completely cashless way of life. We chose Aurelie, who will vlog from top business cities and rate her experience at each one. The twist is that Aurelie will only be using virtual cards and all payments will be made with mobile devices. She will use her Apple Pay Wallet powered with Conferma Pay virtual cards, paying with her Apple Watch and iPhone on the go or in apps. No cash allowed. Mobile wallet only. Will it work? #MissionCashless reveals Aurelie`s findings in a travel show-and-tell vlogomentary style. https://mailchi.mp/a93c5bef42d3/missioncashless. Watch now– https://youtu.be/4Gq8qBxcwAA

Sleepbox
We are very excited and pleased to use GBTA as the platform to first announce our partnership with Priority Pass. We have been working closely with Priority Pass leaders to establish incentives that improve the airport traveler’s experience. Priority Pass members will receive a first hour free stay at Sleepbox Dulles International Airport with 20% off additional time booked. The anticipated launch date of this initiative is August 2019. Now you can rest, work, nap, and recharge in the privacy of your personal Sleepbox! Watch now– https://youtu.be/CKzN9rFHIgo

Yapta
Yapta, the innovator of airfare and hotel price tracking services, announced the release of a highly-advanced prescriptive hotel analytics solution, TravelAI Hotel version 2.0. Using advanced analytics and modeling, the solution provides clear line of sight into hotel savings achieved by implementing recommendations across sourcing, rate types and policy improvements. Actionable recommendations are based on near real-time booking data, visibility into POS rate availability data, and pricing data gathered from tracking over half a million bookings a day. Watch now– https://youtu.be/_P6MVR27KXE

Timeshifter
Timeshifter® – The Jet Lag App® — today announced a new service enabling businesses to easily distribute the Timeshifter app to their travelling employees. Heralded as the best travel companion for frequent business travelers, Timeshifter aims to help travelers optimize their performance, enjoyment, and health on trips
crossing multiple time zones. The business service includes, app subscriptions for employees, materials to explain and promote the app internally, access to experts (including two retired NASA Astronauts) for onsite or online speaking engagements, and monthly reporting to track usage and effectiveness. Watch now– https://youtu.be/64kGra9iu-E

 Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines now offers to its preferred corporate customers additional savings with some of their Global Partners. Preferred Corporate customers can now benefit both in savings and accruing elite qualifying miles in the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Program. Contact your local Alaska Airlines Sales Manager for more information. Watch now– https://youtu.be/mEy2_Ckl6dc

RoomIt by CWT
RoomIt by CWT announces its first global campaign in support of the World Childhood Foundation, an organization that focuses on preventing abuse and exploitation of children, including trafficking.  RoomIt will donate $1 for each hotel booking made globally during the month of August, up to $100,000. “The World Childhood Foundation’s mission to create a world where all children are free from violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation speaks volumes to our teams across the globe at RoomIt and CWT,” said Geoff Waldmiller, Vice President of Revenue Optimization at RoomIt by CWT. “It’s not only the largest traveler campaign to date, but the first campaign we’ve run where hotel bookings directly benefit charity. We’re excited to give our clients’ business travelers the opportunity to give back while conducting their business.”  Watch now– https://youtu.be/wlcsFgM3iIY

CWT
CWT announces the appointment of Erik Magnuson to Vice President of Air Distribution Capabilities. In this newly created role, he will further develop CWT’s existing private channel distribution agreements, airline engagements around the world, and strong working relationships with GDSs on their specialist programs. “Air distribution continues to change at a dramatic pace, and not just with the introduction of IATA’s New Distribution Capability (‘NDC’) program, so we are looking to solve for future complexity, now,” said Patrick Andersen, CWT’s Chief Strategy & Commerce Officer.

TRIPBAM, Inc.
Based on client feedback, TRIPBAM’s Hotel Intelligence 2.0 solution allows travel managers in real-time to accurately grade hotel, brand and chain performance regarding effective discounts received and LRA (Last Room Availability). Additionally, travel managers are able to quantify the realized value and benchmark their managed hotel programs against companies of similar size and compare chain, brand, and property discounts across all hotels. TRIPBAM’s Hotel Intelligence 2.0 will better identify savings lost due to LRA issues and allow travel managers to use this information to correct the issue with the property in real-time. The system provides benchmark negotiated rates and discounts across all hotels plus year-over-year rate changes by city, brand, chain and hotel to assist in rate negotiations during the hotel sourcing process. Watch now– https://youtu.be/qfQUMU3iUok

Deem
Deem unveiled their first virtual payment provider program with Conferma Pay. Watch now– https://youtu.be/HmqilX2uMYQ

Riskline
Female business travellers have a valuable new resource to advise and support them when travelling and working abroad. The Female Traveller Safety Reports, launched by leading travel risk management company Riskline, are a new addition to a its detailed country-specific reports carefully researched by trusted local intelligence experts on the ground. Watch now– https://youtu.be/k8oU1dLs_3U

Amadeus
American Airlines, American Express Global Business Travel and Amadeus announced a milestone in airline retailing. The companies shared they have processed live bookings using American’s NDC-enabled content with American Express Global Business Travel leveraging the new Amadeus Travel API and aiming to exercise its full functionality of end-to-end booking flow and servicing, including cancellations, exchanges and ancillaries, when capabilities reach scalable production levels. This is an important step forward as three industry leaders demonstrate how collaboration is key to creating value and choice. American will look to gain full benefit of the Amadeus Travel Platform through which travel companies like American Express Global Business Travel can provide access to the world’s most comprehensive and robust travel content. Watch now– https://youtu.be/ZYlfifpkIsI

Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM announced offsets for more than 15k customer flight segments to/from Chicago for the week of Aug 3 – 10. Additionally, Senior Vice President – Global Sales Bob Somers said that it will commit to expand the number of corporate accounts with carbon-offsetting built into agreements. See more on the Delta News Hub at http://news.delta.com. Watch now– https://youtu.be/LeRcGvyprDs

BridgeStreet
In July of 2019 BridgeStreet released its Business Travel Industry Report outlining the results of BridgeStreet’s survey of business travelers’ accommodation preferences. The report highlights how important business travel policies are to attracting and retaining employees and enhancing their overall productivity and success. The report also points to changes in traveler preferences and growing interest in alternative accommodation choices as extended travel grows. BridgeStreet also announced the appointment of Mathias Saleborn as Managing Director of EMEA & APAC to lead BridgeStreet’s operations in the region. Mathias brings to BridgeStreet a strong hospitality industry background with a successful track record in strategic revenue management and vast geographic experience. Watch now– https://youtu.be/dvRTFuglZiM

WWStay
WWMeetz is a technology-driven platform designed to streamline your meetings and events by providing a customizable all in one meeting and event management platform. You are able to centralize contracting and expenditures while maintaining, conforming and adhering to your organization’s policies. Visually track, analyze and display key performance indicators, metrics and other key data points, allowing you to monitor your status at any point in time during the meeting and event management process. Watch now– https://youtu.be/bUCEZWda508

DataArt
DataArt are delighted to present our CSL Accelerator for migrating to the new Sabre Content Services for Lodging validated by Sabre and underpinned by our deep expertise and knowledge of Sabre products and services. We firmly believe that Sabre’s new CSL API brings a unique opportunity to the business travel market to offer new hotel content sources which can be adopted to existing business workflow. Therefore, we invested R&D efforts in H1 2019 to prepare a framework which will accelerate migration efforts to the new API in order to enable CSL content to our clients, partners and prospective customers. Faster time-to-market translates to efficiency, cost savings and new potential revenue through increased hotel attachment rates from these new content sources. Watch now– https://youtu.be/sdf8tVkYMjs

GroundLink
GroundLink, a leading black car company with service in more than 460 cities worldwide, announced the release of their new Events Dashboard and Analytics Dashboard. Building on the success of BRIO, their highly-regarded corporate travel management app, the Events Dashboard will make arranging travel for events and meetings streamlined, customized, and responsive. The Analytics Dashboard improves transparency to enable travel managers to manage their spend and gain control of their ground transportation programs. Watch now– https://youtu.be/HFEX9xqPCVM

Southwest Airlines
Dave Harvey, Vice President of Corporate Sales for Southwest Airlines announced a partnership with ATPCO and teased breaking news coming out at GBTA Convention 2019 on Monday. Watch now– https://youtu.be/bAJnqbkdG8Q

Lyft
Lyft highlighted its focus on the traveler journey and making it frictionless for business travelers. Watch now– https://youtu.be/ieUsLjX9JEI

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 10,000-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.