Dave Hilfman’s Monday Memo to GBTA Members

Friends and Colleagues:

Today is a big day. Our Annual Business Meeting begins at 11:00 a.m. EST and it’s not too late for you to register and attend: Register Now.

I hope you’ll join us as we conduct a year in review, including our association’s annual report and 2019 financials; announce the results of the current GBTA Board of Directors election; and recognize some of GBTA’s brightest stars when we award the President’s, Allied Member of the Year, Direct Member of the Year and Committee Member of the Year awards and announce our Business Travel Service Awards honorees.

Executive Director Search in Full Swing

 

Our executive director search process is in full swing. We received over 100 resumes for the position, which I find very encouraging. Even in the midst of a pandemic that has severely impacted the business travel industry, people recognize what a great opportunity this is and the importance of GBTA in the association world.

There’s an outstanding group of industry professionals serving alongside me on our independent search committee:

Mark Cuschieri – Global Head of Travel at UBS

Sharlene Kewaroo-Nanoo – Category Manager of Travel at Rogers Communications

Beth Kinerk – SVP of Sales at Avis Budget Group

Denise Jackson – President & CEO of the Balboa Travel Group

Kristin Shovlin – VP of Sales Operations & Development at Delta Air Lines

Wendy Stachowiak – VP of Global Travel Industry Relations at International SOS

Dave Porter – CFO of GBTA

The search committee will be extremely busy with interviews over the next month or so and we’ll keep you updated on our progress.

 

Ready.Safe.Travel. Video Contest Closes This Friday

 

In five days, our Ready.Safe.Travel. video contest ends. You don’t want to miss your last chance to be entered to win one of two $1,000 GBTA scholarships.

Our Ready.Safe.Travel. campaign is an effort to bring attention to the economic necessity of a thriving business travel industry and pushing for a safe return to business travel. To organically grow this campaign, we’re asking you to film a quick, simple video sharing what “Ready. Safe.

Travel.” means to you. Everyone who submits a video by this Friday, December 11, is entered to win.

It’s simple to do. For more information and submission instructions, click here.

 

Final Week of This Year’s Collaboratory Webinar Series

During this pandemic, GBTA has provided valuable educational content through our Collaboratory 2020 series, featuring experts from across a wide array of industries who have provided insights, diverse perspectives and actionable takeaways to help address the issues facing the global business travel industry.

The final sessions of 2020 will a focus on technology. Make sure you get the most out of this series and register for one – or more – of these outstanding webinars:

Dec. 8: Tech Trends 2020 – You Decide What is Discussed!

Dec. 9: Travel Buyers Unplugged: New Technology Innovations Fueling Travel

Dec. 10: Technology Mergers and Acquisitions – What this Means to Me?

Dec. 11: Tech Safari: A New Virtual Series – Part III

Dec. 14: Women in Technology [Recommended by WINiT]

This Collaboratory webinar series will be back in 2021, with more outstanding topics and sessions. Stay tuned for more information.

Reminder: Our Final Coronavirus Poll in 2020 Releases This Week

Our coronavirus polling series rolled out at the start of the pandemic and this week, we are collecting responses for our final poll of this year. The GBTA coronavirus poll, which will pick back up again in the new year, has become a benchmark for the global travel industry and has been cited in hundreds of news stories worldwide, including in the Financial Times, Conde Nast Traveler, the Daily Mirror, Wired and The Hill.

Please help us collect the best data possible by taking the poll and sharing your viewpoint. Look out for an email this week, requesting your participation and including a link to take the poll.

BTI Outlook Coming in January

 

Each year, the release of the GBTA BTI™ Outlook – Annual Global Report and Forecast is anticipated by many in the industry. Now in its 12th year, this comprehensive study of business travel spending and growth across the globe will be released in January, as we look forward to a year that we all hope will see the start of a rebound for our industry.

Finally, I’d like to end this note with a special thank you. This past Saturday, December 5, was International Volunteer Day, a day designated by the United Nations for encouraging volunteerism and recognizing those who give so generously. Our association is made up of thousands of volunteers – from our committee and chapter members and leadership, to our Board of Directors. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our association. Our successes are due to the commitment and dedication you put into GBTA’s programs and initiatives.

Have a great week, and I’ll see you at the Annual Business Meeting.

Dave