Check-In with Suzanne:

How Do You Transform An Industry? One Person at a Time.

Today we step into November – for many of us the next few weeks will be busy and productive ones as we wrap up 2022 and move our focus to the year ahead. But it’s also a not-to-be-missed opportunity to reflect on how much has been accomplished.

Last Thursday evening, we celebrated many in our industry who are giving back to move us forward. At the sold-out GBTA WINiT Awards Gala in New York City, the industry gathered to honor and thank more than 60 individuals – both women and men – as well as their organizations, whose efforts have supported and advanced women in travel-related industries. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! It’s well-deserved recognition.

These dedicated individuals, and the many others who have supported GBTA, WINiT, and the industry over the years, are so much more than volunteers. They are the people whose efforts, expertise and passion are ultimately empowering and driving transformation across the global business travel industry. We are grateful for all of you!

Another critical area of transformation for our industry is sustainability, an existential topic of our times. We’re in the run-up to our first-ever GBTA Sustainability Summit on November 8 in Brussels (as well as the GBTA Europe Conference), which is running concurrently with COP 27 (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Egypt starting Sunday. From what we are hearing from you, it is clear our industry cares, acknowledging that our collective sustainability journey is a critical one. We see this both from your show of support financially and also from the conferences, meetings, and workshops many of you are holding within your individual companies on this complicated topic. Thanks for including GBTA in so many of them.

Sustainability will continue to be a major priority for our industry in 2023 and beyond, and we look forward to working collectively to transform our industry and business travel for a greener future. Sustainability is clearly activated across the travel industry – evidenced by the discussions around the solutions, policy choices and ultimate investment required. And now it’s time for action, for business travel has an opportunity to lead the way for the entire travel industry – with our many voices and one purpose.

Suzanne

Industry Spotlight

GBTA Global Sustainability Summit
Driving Action to Net Zero Business Travel

Mark Cuschieri, Vice President, GBTA Board, explains the significance of GBTA’s first-ever Global Sustainability Summit on 8 November in Brussels, focusing on Driving Action to Net Zero Business Travel. This one-day, high-level event, will bring together experts, the industry, and policy leaders to outline concrete solutions to decarbonize business travel.  

The benefits of being there:

1. Get inspired about how to place sustainability and climate action at the forefront of your travel programs and operations
2. Learn from experts and about best practices and progress made across all verticals of travel, directly from subject matter specialists, industry leaders and policymakers
3. Foster connections and participate in an interactive session to develop our Industry Action Plan to reduce emissions and mitigate the climate impact of business travel

Latest program highlights:

• Climate change is already with us - what does a low carbon future look like for business travel? Dr. Gabrielle Walker, Founder and Director of Valence Solutions and non-profit Rethinking Removals, will take attendees through the pathways to transform business travel and make it part of the climate solution.
• Think Tank Session: What’s Next in the Race to Net Zero? Members of the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council will guide participants through an interactive think tank session to outline our Industry Action Plan, aligned with the five pathways of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Travel and Tourism adopted at COP26: Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance.  

Only one week to go until the event - click here to register!  

GBTA Survey
Membership Giveaway and Education Survey

GBTA’s commitment to community, learning and advocacy is designed to bring the global business travel industry together so our members can learn from and inspire one another, develop as businesses and as individuals, and collectively move the industry forward – through many voices and one purpose. In celebration of the new era and brand for GBTA and its member-focused journey, during Convention CEO Suzanne Neufang announced onstage that the association will be awarding 500 free GBTA memberships* which you can use for yourself or pay it forward as a gift for someone else.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from access to thousands of resources and peer-to-peer interaction but has been unable to secure the funding to join, we encourage you to complete and share this survey. Not only will you be providing your voice and views to help GBTA better understand and serve its members and their current and future education and programming needs, but you can also foster professional and career growth for yourself or someone else who could benefit. If you are among the first 500 to fully complete the survey, you can secure one of these free memberships* for yourself or someone else who may not otherwise be able to join.

* GBTA members will vote for new Board of Directors, including President and Vice President to lead the Association in the summer of 2023. Per association bylaws, individuals with free memberships fall into the non-voting member category. As such, any opting for this free membership are not eligible to run for GBTA elected positions or to vote in GBTA elections during the term the free membership is effective. Only fully paid GBTA members are eligible to vote or run for elected offices.

Resources

Crisis24 Intelligence Brief

Central/South America and Mexico - Tropical Storm Lisa tracking westward in Caribbean Sea late Oct. 31. Close approach to Honduras likely late Nov. 1-2.

China, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam - Typhoon Nalgae tracking north-northwest across South China Sea early Nov. 1. Landfall over western Guangdong Province, China early Nov. 3.

France - Yellow Vest activists to demonstrate in Paris, France, Nov. 2; increased security localized disruptions likely.

United Kingdom - Unionized staff at Southampton Airport to strike Nov. 5; airport and flight disruptions likely. Reconfirm flights.

More Information