Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 138, ctiller@nbta.org

Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 133, nhayes@nbta.org

Cirque du Soleil Procurement VP, BMO Global Economist to Address More than 250 Attendees

Toronto, Ontario (November 5, 2009) – NBTA Canada – a global regional affiliate of The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – today announced that it expects more than 250 Canadian corporate travel professionals to attend its 6^th Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase April 13-14 in Toronto. The Exhibitor Showcase is already more than 90 percent sold out, with more than 34 travel vendors planning to highlight new technology and services.

NBTA Canada President Tanya Racz, CTE, CCTE, said, “Once again, excitement about Canada’s largest business travel event has already begun. And despite the state of the global economy, exhibitors are lining up to participate, well aware that the NBTA Canada Conference and Exhibitor Showcase is the major event of the year to which the Canadian corporate travel community will flock.”

Charles Décarie, Vice-President of Procurement, Building Services and Workshops at Cirque du Soleil®, will examine the modest origins and phenomenal worldwide growth of Cirque du Soleil. The scope of its annual procurements budget is at the level of a multinational, but the scale of the acquisitions is more like that of a medium-sized business – which calls for an approach that is both responsible and creative. Mr. Décarie illustrates how the company embraces risk-taking and practices social involvement – and describes the unusual demands and challenges of corporate travel culture at Cirque du Soleil. Décarie is responsible for the company’s procurement operations, including operational purchasing activities and strategic procurement in North America, Europe and Asia.

Douglas Porter, CFA, Deputy Chief Economist & Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets, will share his global economic outlook for the coming year and beyond. Porter has analyzed and written about trends in the Canadian and global economies and financial markets for over twenty-five years. He is particularly known for bringing to light what Statistics Canada said was its most serious error on record and for highlighting the large price gaps on many consumer goods between Canada and the United States.

Racz continued, “In addition to two days of education sessions, some which are strictly for travel buyers, these distinguished industry experts are sure to provide attendees with exactly what they need to navigate the road ahead. The conference will arm corporate travel professionals with the knowledge and resources necessary to survive and thrive in today’s demanding corporate environment.”

This event is made possible by support from our partners: Air Canada, Scotiabank, STAR Alliance, Amtrak, BMO Financial Group, Skyteam, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Oneworld, Vision 2000 Travel Group, and TravelPort.  

NBTA Canada, the leading organization for corporate travel professionals in Canada, is part of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its additional regional affiliates – the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Australia/New Zealand, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexico and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 17,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 5,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 13 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org and www.nbtacanada.org.

NBTA Canada, le chef de file de l’organisation des voyages d’affaires pour les professionnels au Canada, fait partie de la National Business Travel Association (NBTA), l’organisme de voyages d’affaires par excellence à l’échelle globale. La NBTA, ainsi que ses filiales régionales – la Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Australie/Nouvelle-Zélande, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexique et NBTA États-Unis – offrent des services à plus de 17 000 voyageurs d’affaires à travers le monde en fait d’événements à la fine pointe, de réseautage, de formation et de perfectionnement professionnel, de recherche, de nouvelles et d’information ainsi que de plaidoirie. Les 5 000 membres de la NBTA, répartis dans 30 pays, sont des gestionnaires de voyages et de réunions d’affaires provenant des milieux public et privé ainsi que des fournisseurs de services de voyage. Ensemble, ils gèrent un portefeuille de plus de 340 milliards US$ en dépenses liées aux voyages d’affaires annuellement pour le compte de plus de 13 millions de voyageurs d’affaires et leur organisation. Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter les sites www.nbta.org et www.nbtacanada.org.