Opening Center Stage Speaker Announced for GBTA Western Canada Conference 2019

CEO of WestJet To Be Interviewed Live on Stage

Alexandria, VA (September 9, 2019) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry, today announced Edward Sims, CEO of WestJet, as the opening Centre Stage speaker, at the inaugural GBTA Western Canada Conference, being held on October 16-17 in Calgary.

Sims will take to the stage on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 16, with newly elected GBTA President, Bhart Sarin, to discuss the latest trends in aviation and the impact on business travellers and travel buyers today.

As President and CEO of WestJet, Sims is responsible for both the strategic direction of the airline and its day-to-day operations. With over 30 years of experience in the tourism and aviation industry, across European and Australasian markets, this session promises to give an insight into the challenges and opportunities across the airline industry.

WestJet is a great Canadian success story—it began as a low-cost carrier and now has evolved into a full-service airline serving more than 100 destinations,” said Scott Solombrino, GBTA’s Executive Director and COO.  “I know our delegates will look forward to hearing more about its transformation and business growth.  I look forward to hearing Ed’s perspective on what’s next for the company and how it will affect the business travel landscape.”

The GBTA Western Canada Conference will be held at the newly opened Westin Calgary Airport Hotel, bringing together over 300 business travel professionals from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  This highly anticipated conference will address the evolving needs and trends of business travel and meetings management, unique to Western Canada.

Attendee registration is open, register by September 11 to save. For more details visit 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 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.