CONTACT:       
Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 138, ctiller@nbta.org
Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 133, nhayes@nbta.org

Orlando (June 29, 2010) -- The National Business Travel Association’s (NBTA) Government Travel Group (GTG) today opened the largest conference for professionals working in the government travel sector – the National Travel Forum. The 2010 National Travel Forum (NTF) has drawn nearly 1,100 attendees to Orlando for three days of networking, education, and speakers designed to give attendees the tools and resources they need to help their agencies effectively manage travel on behalf of the taxpayers.

Speaking at the opening session, NBTA President & CEO Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.P.M., CMM, told attendees why their jobs are so important. He said:

“As we climb out of the recession, the economy is still on rocky ground. With unemployment and underemployment still high, state, local, and federal governments are in a particularly tough spot as tax revenues stay low. That is why your jobs are more important than ever! So on behalf of ‘us’ – the rest of the country – I want to say ‘thank you’ for everything you do.  And of course, that is why you are here at NTF 2010 – because you know that smart, cost-effective government travel is more important than ever, and you are here to get the latest tools and knowledge to deliver on that promise.”

Recognized as the largest and most important event for the government travel community, the National Travel Forum draws participants from all the major Federal agencies, as well as several state governments, and features educational sessions presented by agencies including the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO).

About NTF

The National Travel Forum (NTF) is the largest and most important event for the federal travel and relocation community. NTF is held every other year to help attendees continue to offer world class travel management for their agencies by offering dozens of educational sessions on the topics most important to government travel professionals, an exhibition to facilitate networking with key suppliers of travel and related services and multiple opportunities for attendees to interact with government and industry travel and relocation peers. NTF was historically organized by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and since 2008 has been managed by the National Business Travel Association’s (NBTA) Government Travel Group (GTG). For details, visit www.nationaltravelforum.org.

About GTG
In 2004 NBTA created the GTG to serve the growing needs of government travel professionals within GSA, DoD and the states and to provide government travel managers with access to the member benefits that have long set NBTA apart as the leading association for corporate travel professionals. The GTG is steered by an Advisory Board comprised of leading travel figures, including officials from GSA and DoD. For more, see www.nbta.org/gtg

About NBTA

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Australia/New Zealand, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, 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.