Riding The Wave of Change with Brand Guru Dietmar Dahmen and a Record Number of Attendees

GBTA Conference 2015 | Frankfurt in partnership with VDR officially kicked off on Monday. Dirk Gerdom, President of VDR, and Christle Johnson, GBTA President, welcomed over 1,000 delegates. This record number represents a strong growth in delegate numbers and sponsor support this year, making it the largest and most diverse industry gathering of its kind in Europe.

“The next days are a unique opportunity to become actively involved in the issues that are currently affecting, but also unsettling our industry,” Dirk told the audience as a preview of what is to come over the three-day conference.

During the official opening, Torbjorn Erling, Global Meeting & Travel Manager, IKEA Group and GBTA Europe Advisory Board Chair, was presented with the prestigious GBTA Direct Member of Year Award, previously announced at GBTA Convention 2015. Mr Erling’s leadership, passion and ability to think creatively has helped GBTA navigate the European business travel marketplace.

Next up, the energetic Dietmar Dahmen opened Centre Stage showing Frankfurt delegates his dynamic presentation, Riding the Wave of Change, looking at the nature of change and giving attendees strategies for how to adapt keeping their personal brands relevant to ensure future success. Dietmar told the captivated audience, “The real challenge is not the fight. The real challenge is the speed of the fight.” He challenged everyone to embrace change.

Sticking with our Conference theme of #SharingEurope, here are just a few of the tweets our attendees shared during Dietmar’s lively session:

Business travel professionals recognize the importance of taking time to invest in education and in building their networks. The next couple days here in Frankfurt will give them the perfect opportunity to do just that. Stay tuned for the latest updates from Frankfurt.