Top Speakers Slated for GBTA’s ERM Symposium in Calgary

Top Speakers Slated for GBTA’s ERM Symposium in Calgary

As the leading voice of the business travel industry in Canada, GBTA is excited to host its third annual Energy, Resources & Marine Symposium | Calgary on October 18, 2016 at the Calgary Downtown Marriott Hotel. GBTA Canada has long supported our country’s oil, gas, energy & resources sector with our ERM Symposiums.  This year it is…

GBTA Announces UVA’s Darden School as New Partner for Prestigious GLP Program

GBTA Announces UVA’s Darden School as New Partner for Prestigious GLP Program

*This post is co-authored by Christle Johnson, GBTA President and Daphne Bryant, GBTA Foundation Executive Director* The GBTA Academy is pleased to announce a new partnership today for our Global Leadership Professional® (GLP) program with the University of Virginia’s renowned Darden School of Business. The only masters-level course for travel professionals, the GLP has a strategic…

Supplier Summit Helps Set the Stage for Success at Convention 2017

Supplier Summit Helps Set the Stage for Success at Convention 2017

GBTA is hosting its 4th annual Supplier Summit in Boston on November 2-3. This special supplier-only event will feature education, insight into what buyers want and a tour of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center where GBTA’s 2017 Convention will take place this July. The event will kick off Wednesday evening with a networking reception…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Remember the computer glitches and delays from this past summer? They’re back! Reuters reports thousands of passengers faced delays worldwide after a United Airlines computer glitch late Thursday night. According to The Independent, the problem was resolved as of 3 a.m. ET, but led to the delay of at least 60 flights. Bloomberg states airlines…

When Event Planning Meets Marketing

When Event Planning Meets Marketing

One-half (49 percent) of event planners report the marketing departments at their respective companies are always or often involved in the planning and execution of events, and an overwhelming majority find value in this type of partnership. Today, the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership…

Video Blog: Benefits & Barriers for Single-Use Virtual Payments

Video Blog: Benefits & Barriers for Single-Use Virtual Payments

During our Convention this summer, GBTA’s Nancy Tudorache caught up with Jennifer Swenson of U.S. Bank at the GBTA Broadcast Studio after she took part in an education session on virtual payments. Jennifer shared highlights from a GBTA Foundation research project conducted in partnership with U.S. Bank focusing on the benefits and barriers of virtual…

Getting the Most from Your Travel Spend in 2017
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Getting the Most from Your Travel Spend in 2017

With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, currency fluctuations, emerging markets, and various geopolitical events at play, planning and developing a travel budget can be challenging. As companies around the globe prepare for the new fiscal year, travel professionals are working diligently to determine how these factors will impact their travel spend. In order to assist with…

Stronger Together: GBTA Urges Policymakers to Keep  Visa-Free Travel Reciprocity in Place Between Europe and the United States
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Stronger Together: GBTA Urges Policymakers to Keep Visa-Free Travel Reciprocity in Place Between Europe and the United States

GBTA has long supported and advocated for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in the United States, which allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa for stays of up to 90 days for business or leisure, but not for employment, study or residency. By making it easier for…

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Benchmarking Your Risk Management Program

Whether you’re jumping in the car or hopping on a plane, anything can happen from the moment you leave your door to the moment you reach your destination. As global crises increasingly unfold, preparing for the unexpected is paramount, and employers must ensure their travelers are safe and protected. GBTA recently held a webinar called…

Amadeus’ Jay Richmond Talks Complexity, Data & Integration with GBTA
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Amadeus’ Jay Richmond Talks Complexity, Data & Integration with GBTA

During Convention this summer, Jay Richmond, Head of Business Travel for Amadeus North America, sat down with GBTA’s Ed Barrett at the Broadcast Studio to talk travel technology. Jay flagged complexity, data and integration as the key areas to address in the coming years. Jay also shared a challenge coming quickly down the pipeline that…

Executive Discussion: Preparing for Millennials and Handling Crisis Management
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Executive Discussion: Preparing for Millennials and Handling Crisis Management

During Convention, I had a chance to talk with Tom Tulloch, Managing Director of North America for Pi, at the GBTA Broadcast Studio. Tom shared the technology company’s plans for the upcoming year focusing on growth and innovation around Pi Travel. He also shared some general challenges the industry faces in today’s world. Tom believes…

Benchmarking Your Risk Management Program
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Benchmarking Your Risk Management Program

Whether you’re jumping in the car or hopping on a plane, anything can happen from the moment you leave your door to the moment you reach your destination. As global crises increasingly unfold, preparing for the unexpected is paramount, and employers must ensure their travelers are safe and protected. GBTA recently held a webinar called…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Congress approved a short-term spending bill earlier this week avoiding a shutdown and keeping the government running through December 9. GBTA was pleased to see language included that will allow TSA to continue to fund increased personnel, however, a long-term solution is necessary. Travelers crave price transparency, according to Christopher Elliott in a USA Today…

Video: iCars President Talks Duty of Care
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Video: iCars President Talks Duty of Care

Shortly after the company announced its plans for national expansion, iCars President Ed Silver joined GBTA’s Caitlin Gomez at the Broadcast Studio at Convention this summer. The business travel industry is constantly evolving, and it is not news that in recent years, the sharing economy and technology have led to massive disruption in the ground…

GBTA Pleased TSA Funding Language Included in Continuing Resolution
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GBTA Pleased TSA Funding Language Included in Continuing Resolution

The Senate filed a Continuing Resolution (CR) today that would keep the government running through December 9 of this year avoiding a government shutdown on October 1. The CR includes the following language on funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA): GBTA is pleased to see this language included, which will allow TSA to continue…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Marriott International and Starwood have completed a $13 billion merger as of today, Buying Business Travel reports, making the new hotel company the owner of 30 hotel brands. Skift notes Marriott International is now the world’s largest hotel operator and plans to prioritize combining the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs. According to Skift, Google has announced…

Video: CWT CEO Talks Technology and Pace of Change
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Video: CWT CEO Talks Technology and Pace of Change

Recently the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and the Carlson Family Foundation, released new research showing almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) travel professionals indicate their travel program does not have a mobile strategy in place. Given today’s increasingly mobile world, this isn’t likely to last. Travel professionals agreed, as almost…

GBTA India Business Travel Symposium Features Panel Discussions on Hot Topics,  Latest Industry Research and Robust Networking Opportunities

GBTA India Business Travel Symposium Features Panel Discussions on Hot Topics, Latest Industry Research and Robust Networking Opportunities

GBTA recently hosted its flagship Business Travel Symposium in India. Nearly 300 attended the successful event for a day filled with education, research and networking. The Symposium also featured a tradeshow floor for attendees to see the latest business travel products and solutions exhibitors had to offer. GBTA India Regional Director Gaurav Sundaram kicked the…

Average Compensation for U.S. Travel Buyers Gets Moderate Year-Over-Year Bump

Average Compensation for U.S. Travel Buyers Gets Moderate Year-Over-Year Bump

Average compensation for U.S. travel buyers saw a moderate 1.8 percent year-over-year increase in 2016 reaching $114,000, according to an annual study released today by the GBTA Foundation. Despite only a modest increase, almost three-quarters (73 percent) of travel buyers are satisfied with their compensation, while only 8 percent are dissatisfied – in line with…

Taking Travel Risk Management to the Next Level
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Taking Travel Risk Management to the Next Level

With the frequency and severity of global terror and health threats increasing, safety and security have become the number one concern for companies across the globe. From the Istanbul airport terrorist attack earlier this summer to the outbreak of Zika, mitigating risk for business travelers has never been more crucial. To assist companies in ensuring…

Aerolineas Argentinas President Isela Costantini to Deliver Keynote Address at GBTA Conference Tuesday in Buenos Aires
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Aerolineas Argentinas President Isela Costantini to Deliver Keynote Address at GBTA Conference Tuesday in Buenos Aires

GBTA Conference 2016 Buenos Aires gets underway this evening, and tomorrow conference attendees will hear from featured speaker Isela Costantini, president of the Aerolineas Argentinas Group. Having previously worked for General Motors, Isela took the reins of Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentina’s largest airline, in January of this year. During GBTA Convention this summer, we were able…

Setting a Clear Mobile Travel Strategy

Setting a Clear Mobile Travel Strategy

Download our new app, follow us on social, subscribe for the latest updates, and don’t forget to turn on your push notifications! With so many ways to get connected, mobile is becoming increasingly relevant in the corporate space, and travel professionals are beginning to assess their mobile travel strategies, or lack thereof. To educate organizations…

Potential Return of Long Security Lines Loom Large If Changes Aren’t Made
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Potential Return of Long Security Lines Loom Large If Changes Aren’t Made

This spring as the busy summer travel season approached, long security lines at airports were becoming a serious issue. People were being asked to arrive at the airport earlier and earlier as wait times continued to swell. An influx of funding, collaboration between TSA with airports and airlines and increased enrollment in TSA PreCheck helped…

How the Sharing Economy is Changing Travel Policies
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How the Sharing Economy is Changing Travel Policies

There is no doubt that the sharing economy – particularly the rise in ride sharing and home sharing services – are changing the face of travel. The recent GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index™ Global Report, in partnership with American Express, finds that beyond consumer travel, many business travelers and corporate travel policies are addressing the…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Typhoon Meranti caused flight disruptions for China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines this week as it approached Taiwan, reports Business Traveller. According to Al Jazeera, Meranti hit southeastern China and is the third most violent typhoon on record and the strongest storm of the year globally. The TSA is boasting reduced airport wait times, with nearly 92% of fliers…

What Do Shake Shack and Delta Air Lines Have in Common?
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What Do Shake Shack and Delta Air Lines Have in Common?

This Sunday is National Cheeseburger Day. What exactly does this have to do with one of the major U.S. airlines though? Today, Delta announced it will be serving Shake Shack burgers to its Delta One business class customers flying from JFK to LAX on Sunday in honor of National Cheeseburger Day. In addition, all flyers…

To Sit Back and Relax or Sit Back and Work During a Flight?
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To Sit Back and Relax or Sit Back and Work During a Flight?

Once upon a time, people would dress up before getting on an airplane. On board, flight attendants would serve complimentary meals with real silverware. Playing cards would be handed out to passengers to help pass the time. While much has changed since then – gone are the meals, the silverware, and the dress clothes –…

GBTA Canada Travel Sourcing Series Continues

GBTA Canada Travel Sourcing Series Continues

GBTA Canada’s 2016 Travel Sourcing Series continues today in Toronto and Wednesday in Montreal as industry professionals come together in a buyer-only setting to discuss hot topics in the industry from cost savings strategies to sourcing strategies and tactics for success. During GBTA’s Convention this summer, Nancy Tudorache, director of operations for GBTA Canada, sat…