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Check-In with Suzanne
Many Time Zones, One Purpose
While I ought not take liberties with our association’s “Many Voices, One Purpose” tagline, the concept of regularly crossing time zones truly reflects our business travel community and how we continue to put the “G” in GBTA. It certainly was the case during our fourth annual APAC Conference 2025 held in Singapore last week and co-located with the WERC® Regional Summit.
APAC is one of the most diverse regions in the world, encompassing a wide range of geographies, cultures and economic opportunity. It’s also among the fastest growing within business travel, representing $612.6 billion, or 41.3%, of global business travel spending in 2024. Another sign of growth: our first APAC conference in 2022 attracted 200 delegates and this year we welcomed a record 950 attendees (including 268 buyers) from 32 countries who came to network, build business relationships and learn.
Walking through the Expo Hall or stopping to chat between a Main Stage or breakout session gave me the chance to catch up in APAC with long-time industry colleagues and meet new ones. This is one of my favorite parts about in-person events. I was inspired by the enthusiastic engagement of our delegates and grateful for the invaluable contributions of our APAC Advisory Board and GBTA team who made it happen.
Seeing all this in Singapore last week was when “Many Time Zones, One Purpose” struck me. It was also relevant to the recent GBTA Ladders Summit, which encompassed an ever-growing international base of participants. And more time zones await us through 2025 with GBTA events scheduled including next week’s U.S. Legislative Summit and Sustainability Summit, July’s Convention, and future events in Germany, Mexico, Australia and India.
Face-to-face interaction is especially vital in times of uncertainty and the benefits it brings confirms the essential role of business travel itself. While emails, phone calls and video meetings are an important part of how we conduct business today, they cannot replace the relationship-building and progress we make while in the same space together. Whether learning something new, meeting with customers and partners, sharing a meal, or connecting with peers…when people gather, collaboration multiplies.
At GBTA, we are greater than the sum of our parts, and our purpose in moving the business travel industry forward unites us. No matter what time zone we’re in, or traveling to.
Happy and productive travels!
Suzanne
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