The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and Business Travel News (BTN) announced plans to once again co-locate at the association’s upcoming Global Education Conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., 5-7 April.  Last year marked the first time the two organizations had combined forces for the global event.

“ACTE is very pleased to join with Business Travel News once again and expand upon the key features and education sessions that made last year’s Global Education Conference such a success,” Susan Gurley, ACTE Executive Director, said. “It is especially during challenging times that one needs to acquire new skills, gain fresh insights and broaden one’s network - that is what an ACTE conference offers.”

“We're delighted to be working with ACTE once again to contribute to the education and elevation of business travel professionals,” commented David Meyer, BTN Editor-in-Chief. “Original BTN research and some of the most knowledgeable buyers and suppliers in the business make this event a must for those who make corporate travel decisions.”

By co-locating with BTN, ACTE is also serving its commitment to sustainability by reducing carbon emissions at the conference. Co-locating is one of the new ways the industry is incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and green initiatives - by holding similar meetings simultaneously in one venue.

BTN will host several education sessions at the conference on the topics of airline negotiating, procurement practices and targeted discussions of benchmarks and best practices. In addition, the publication will recognize its 2009 designees for the top 25 most influential executives in the business travel industry. After the announcement, BTN will lead a “town hall” type discussion with individuals from the group during the conference’s closing general session (Tuesday, 7 April, 15:15 to 16:15) to address industry wide issues such as distribution, capacity and demand.

The theme of this year’s conference, Unconventional Solutions for Uncommon Times, will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn from some of the most influential minds in global business travel, procurement, meetings, finance, academia, business and government about real strategies, techniques and best practices to improve a company’s travel program and bottom line.

The opening general session at 17:00 on Sunday, 5 April, will feature Juan Enriquez, a thought leader who studies the intersection of science, business and society, who will discuss how those forces will impact the future of business and the economy.

Other keynote speakers at the event include James C. May, President and CEO of the Air Transport Association (ATA); Polly LaBarre, Innovation Correspondent for CNN and co-author of the bestseller, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win, and Drazen Prelec, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor and Behavioral Economist.

Also on the agenda, for the second year, is a special education track designed by Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, conducted by Professor Ricardo Ernst, Ph.D. and co-director of the Global Logistics Research Program at Georgetown University School of Business.

More than 1,300 delegates representing 30 countries attended the 2008 ACTE Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C.