Dear NBTA Members,

It has been a very busy start of the New Year here in the Washington, DC area. Although NBTA engages in scores of political debates about our industry, there is an issue happening today in DC that seems to be uniquely in NBTA’s wheelhouse.

Like you, I have been shocked and appalled at some of the excesses of executives at some corporations who have accepted TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) or “bail-out” funds. As I watch various news reports of “Execs Gone Wild,” I can only think how they are hurting our industry’s reputation. Today Congress is rightfully looking into how to curb executive compensation and excesses in other areas.

What we are concerned about is the unintended consequences of over regulating corporations, particularly their travel and meetings spend. We are very concerned about Congress or the U.S. Department of Treasury becoming the nation’s Corporate Travel or Meetings Manager. That is YOUR job!

Who better than NBTA corporate travel mangers to explain the virtues of good travel management - competitive bidding, expense reporting, cost containment, ensuring security, policy compliance and all the smart purchasing and procurement policy tools you utilize everyday. Many of you have adopted the principles of NBTA’s Strategic Meetings Management Program and apply these same financial controls and policies to your meetings spend. Many of you are experts in this often little recognized or underappreciated career field. You have studied this science and hold CCTE or CTE designations or a variety of other credentials. This is your moment; you are the solution.

Right now NBTA joins a coalition of major travel organizations strongly urging Congress to apply the basic tenants of travel and strategic meetings management to companies that have accepted TARP funds. The alternative would be to have Treasury bureaucrats dictating travel policy to corporations. I believe this moment is to travel and strategic meetings management what the Sarbanes-Oxley debate was to the corporate accounting world. Regulations coming out of this debate may spread beyond TARP corporations, and that may be good for all of us if we act now to do what we do best - manage travel smartly.

NBTA is front and center on this issue, and the expertise of our membership is needed now more than ever in the global corporate arena. Woe unto the company who is thinking about axing its travel or meetings department to save some money in the short term. Don’t be surprised to see Federal regulators at your door telling you where you can have a meeting, what hotel you can stay in, and what national air carrier you must to use.

Travel and Strategic Meetings Management is the natural tonic that can cure corporate excesses. It’s time to talk loudly about what we do well.

Please feel free to send us your comments and ideas. Thank you all for what you do and for your ongoing support and membership.

Bill Connors
Executive Director & COO
National Business travel Association