Why GBTA’s Global Presence at Events is Important for Business Travel and Program Success

In this feature series, GBTA’s Board of Directors share their views on topics that matter most to members, the industry and the way forward for business travel. Today’s guest author is GBTA Board member and Tammy Routh, Senior Vice President, Global Sales Organization at Marriott International.

As I reflect on my time at GBTA’s APAC 2024 Conference in Singapore in May and get ready for GBTA Convention 2024 in Atlanta next week, I am struck by the fact that there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings. The ability to network, listen to rich educational content – and hear from peers, customers and suppliers – is the reason why we invest our travel budgets in this way.

Understanding the nuances of doing business in a region other than your own is best done by immersing yourself in a different culture and being endlessly curious. Regardless, if you are new to having global responsibilities or are a veteran, there is always something new to learn to improve the way we go about running our organizations, and traveling for business is the key to achieving this. I also notice many of us choose business conferences and conventions to bring our global teams together for additional meetings and networking, and I’m certain this will be the case at GBTA Convention 2024 as well. It’s a tremendous ROI and reward for our team members to couple an internal meeting with the professional development that comes from the community, education and advocacy with an exciting and dynamic destination as the backdrop.

A lot of planning from dedicated leaders goes into these massive undertakings, and GBTA is no different. It’s important for attendees to have confidence the event is worth the financial investment by offering a nice balance of educational content and personal development sessions. Happily, the APAC Conference exceeded my expectations; my favorite part was hearing from travel buyers and suppliers to ensure I stay current in my understanding of the business climate and unique needs of this region. I look forward to this kind of global outlook at Convention as well.

Thank you to GBTA for investing in APAC, LATAM, EMEA and beyond by hosting and having a presence at numerous conferences, summits, meetings and events throughout the year. As our global community continues to grow, leveraging the connections that we can only make through in-person interactions is what will ensure we are prepared for the future.