In Challenging Economic Times, Association Invests in Members

Alexandria, VA (March 10, 2009) – The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the largest association of business travel professionals – today announced a stimulus package of programs designed to advance the business travel industry and to invest in the future of its members. At its most recent meeting, the NBTA Board of Directors approved the NBTA Industry Stimulus Package of 2009, directing significant funding for programs to help NBTA members through this unique economic cycle.

The NBTA Industry Stimulus Package includes the following elements:

NBTA Career Center Upgrades and Promotion – The NBTA Career Center is already the most robust job board for travel and meetings management positions, with more than 40 job listings as of today. The stimulus package will invest to further enhance and promote greater usage of this industry-leading resource.

NBTA Membership Lifeline – For members who have lost jobs in these turbulent times, NBTA is extending membership on a complimentary basis. Membership in NBTA includes access to the most important industry networking and education tools, helping those who are currently out of work stay up-to-date on industry developments and connected to the network that is likely to land them their next job.

Meetings/Travel Industry Advocacy – As the meetings and business travel industries have come under attack recently, NBTA has taken a leadership role in promoting the importance of meetings and travel to business success and economic growth. Under the NBTA Industry Stimulus Package, the association will continue to develop new tools and resources to demonstrate the economic impact of travel and meetings and the value of effective travel and meetings management. NBTA has already commissioned IHS Global Insight, a leading economic research firm, to assess the economic impact of business and group travel, as well as managed travel’s contribution to corporate profitability.  In addition, NBTA will engage the industry in grassroots efforts to ensure government intervention does not undermine the industry.

NBTA Convention Scholarships for Buyers – US$500 scholarships for qualified NBTA member travel and meetings buyers will defray part of the cost of attending the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition. The NBTA Convention offers attendees the industry’s premier education and networking opportunities, helping advance their careers and the industry as a whole.

Additional Scholarships – NBTA will develop scholarship programs awarding up to US$200 in assistance for qualified buyers to attend select industry events. Participation in these events will help attendees optimize their careers and advance the industry.

Details of each element of the program will be made available as it is rolled out. The scholarships are in addition to the annual scholarships offered by NBTA and the NBTA Foundation.

NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, said, “We all know these are challenging times for the business travel industry. By rising to the challenge, NBTA will better position the industry to provide value through this economic downturn and to emerge from it even stronger.”

He continued, “My thanks to the NBTA Board for having the foresight to make this important investment in the future of our industry and our members. I’m proud that smart financial management over several years has put NBTA in the position to implement this Industry Stimulus Package to provide new forms of member support when they are needed most.”

About the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition
Widely recognized as the must-attend event for business travel buyers, suppliers, industry leaders and business travel journalists, the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition will be held in San Diego August 23-26, 2009.  More than 5,000 travel professionals are expected to take advantage of the Convention’s programming, designed to empower attendees to maximize value for their companies, including more than 65 seminars on the most important topics in business travel, more than 400 companies exhibiting in the Expo and countless opportunities for networking with peers. For details, visit www.nbtaconvention.org.   

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