Security, cost containment, and accelerating the pace of the global economy drew 1200 ranking travel industry executives…
Security, cost containment, and accelerating the pace of the global economy drew 1200 ranking travel industry executives from around the world to the Disney Institute for the Association of Corporate Travel Executives Global Conference on Sunday, April 25, 2004. Delegates from EMEA, Asia, and Canada, joined colleagues from the United States in a marathon 3-day effort to identify and resolve issues confronting this $150 billion dollar industry.
Business travel is a critical component of national and international economics, said ACTE President Garth Jopling. Our agenda for this conference was twofold. We identified the issues on which government and the travel industry must work together, and we explored advanced techniques of the travel management function. These included procurement procedures, new technology, distribution and interpreting current travel trends.
Each conference day was structured around a presentation by a cabinet-level (or higher) expert in government or a head-of-the-boardroom table representative of industry. Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway and former director general of the World Health Organization, expounded on pandemics and politics. Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary, explained the way government communicates. Ram Charan, advisor to some of the most powerful corporate leaders in the world, presented a simplified program for rapid career advancement. Michael Cherkasky, president and CEO of Kroll, Inc., detailed the challenges to securing a country and a global industry against terrorism.
These wide-angle presentations were linked to a series of educational sessions through industry perspectives, delivered by corporate officers from some of the biggest names in the business travel industry. Thirty educational sessions covered everything from the advanced techniques of procurement, to corporate reform law (Sarbanes-Oxley and the similar laws in the EU), to the evolving impact of GDS rule changes.
I found the presentation by Michael Cherkasky, president of Kroll, Inc. fascinating, as it illustrated what transportation security needs to be and just how vulnerable this industry really is, said Thomas Barrett, Global Strategic Sourcing Director for American Standard Companies. The value of a conference like this is it gives you an industry perspective, while also giving you to opportunity to meet with key suppliers and colleagues. It`s education plus the networking support to accomplish some real work outside the office.
Industry veteran Nancy Godfrey, Manager Global Travel for ChevronTexaco, found the Six Sigma session especially pertinent, and strongly concurred on the networking opportunities at the Orlando conference. This conference provided food for thought whether you were an industry veteran or relatively new to the field. said Godfrey. And even with the latest advances, a large segment of travel management still deals with measurement. And that puts the onus on benchmarking and networking. The networking opportunities at this conference were very good.
The emphasis on networking is not surprising, as it emerged as one of the primary benefits and expectations in ACTE`s 2004 Membership Needs Analysis.
While most travel events generate buzz, this one generated statistics. Conference attendees were polled on critical issues before and during the conference proceedings to guarantee the validity of the issues and the resulting positions taken.
A poll of 1000 business travelers in the United States indicates that while a majority (85 percent) would pay up to $100 (USD) to avoid standing in a long security line at the airport, their companies would not. The poll also showed that with shrinking waiting times at security checkpoints, the US government may be wasting its time developing a program that would be obsolete soon after implementation. ACTE`s European constituency has asked, What does this program offer for Europeans flying from city to city in the US?
Thirty-four percent of polled business travel managers in the EU are looking into travel alternatives in case the US suspends landing rights for airlines that do not provide PNR information (sensitive traveler data). A slightly higher number (39 percent) claim that requirements for fingerprinting and photographs — coupled with the current request for PNR information — could cause their company to look for business travel alternatives.
These are questions that transcend national borders, said Nadine Dewart, travel manager for the Netherlands-based BMC software. These are global issues that require a concerted resolution on behalf of this industry, and uniform action on behalf of the EU and the US.
On the subject of cost containment, ACTE announced that EU businesses lose 1 billion euros annually to outdated IATA regulations. The initial results of an awareness campaign begun on April 22 in Helsinki indicate that EU business leaders are mobilizing to put pressure on the EC to hasten an IATA review.
Companies are investing heavily in technology and managerial change to get the most out of their investment in business travel, said Ann Cleveland Oey, Global Travel Manager for Wartsila Corporation. Outdated IATA regulations frustrate those efforts. This forum is an essential part in communicating the need and the strategy for change.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
