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

Lyons’ Dedication to NBTA, Managed Travel Industry Earn Him Esteemed Award

Alexandria, VA (August 6, 2010) – The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today announced that NBTA members Michael W. Lyons, CCTE, Vice President, Corporate Events & Travel Services at HSBC will be honored with the NBTA President’s Award. The award is presented each year at the NBTA International Convention & Exposition, to be held this year August 8-11 in Houston, to an NBTA Direct member (travel/meetings buyer) who has demonstrated steadfast dedication to NBTA and the managed travel industry as a whole.

Lyons has been in the corporate travel industry for more than 20 years, having held positions on both the buyer and supplier side of business. As an NBTA member for nearly a decade, Lyons has been committed to the association’s mission, having served on the Board of Directors as Vice President and Director at large, as well as on various committees for NBTA and the NBTA Foundation. He has spoken at NBTA events around the world, including Australia, China, Brazil and Mexico.  At the local chapter level, Lyons sits on the Education Committee for the Chicago Business Travel Association and has served twice as Vice President of the Los Angeles Business Travel Association.                                                                 

Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.P.M., CMM, NBTA President and CEO, said, “Michael Lyons is a perfect example of why NBTA created the President’s Award. His commitment over the years to the association and its local chapters is astounding, and his dedication to supporting advancement throughout the corporate travel community is unmatched. NBTA is fortunate to have a friend and advocate in Michael Lyons, who is always willing help shape the direction of the association and the future of our industry.”

About the 2010 NBTA International Convention & Exposition

Widely recognized as the must-attend event for business travel buyers, suppliers, industry leaders and business travel journalists, the 2010 NBTA International Convention & Exposition will be held in Houston August 8-11, 2010.  More than 5,500 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 60 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. 

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