The Shutdown and What it Means for Business Travel

On Monday night, Federal agencies began the process of shutting down non-essential governmental operations. The length of the shutdown is unknown. In FY 1996, there were two shutdowns – one of five days and another of 21. To date, House Republicans have insisted on changes to the Affordable Care Act as a condition to continued…

The Ladders Experience

Last week on the blog you heard a Convention interview from the Ladders’ leadership team featuring details on how the global mentoring program works and its impact on our industry. Want to learn more? Revisit our podcast episode recorded live onsite at the GBTA Ladders Summit this May. You’ll hear directly from mentees and mentors…

Podcast: Live from Center Stage at GBTA Convention 2018 Part 2

For this week’s episode, The Business of Travel once again revisits GBTA’s 50th Convention that just took place earlier this month in San Diego. Last week you heard our Monday Center Stage sessions and for today’s episode, we bring to you Tuesday’s industry sessions. First, up you’ll hear from Kurt Ekert, CEO of Carlson Wagonlit…

Is Bigger Better in the Travel Sector?

Being bigger can help companies learn, negotiate better, and innovate, according to the representatives of three big travel brands who participated in a panel discussion from Center Stage at GBTA Convention 2018. On the other hand, integrating people from different cultures challenges even the largest corporations. With 4,200 locations worldwide, Best Western CEO David Kong…

Women Must Take Risks and Ask for What They Want, Say Female Business Leaders

Women who want to move ahead in their careers must take risks, thrive through failure and talk the talk, according to three female business leaders on Monday at GBTA Convention 2018. The business travel executives—Jodi Allen, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Hertz; Melissa Maher, SVP Marketing and Innovation at Expedia; and Traci…

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Technology is Poised to “Dramatically Increase Security,” Say Heads of TSA and CBP

New facial recognition and CAT scan technologies are key to stopping terrorists, according to two of the nation’s highest security officials who spoke Monday on Center Stage at GBTA Convention 2018. Transportation Security Administrator (TSA) David Pekoske calls for “better security faster” at Monday’s Q&A session with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin…

How Do You Operationalize “Travel Happiness” in Harmony With Corporate Security & Expense Policies? A Panel of Travel Buyers Debate.

A travel buyer’s job is to ensure that corporate employees safely travel where they’re needed at a reasonable cost. But it’s much more than that. Importantly, these travel buyers are looking to balance corporate security and budgets with the individual traveler’s preferences and convenience. A panel of experienced travel buyers told GBTA attendees from Center…

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Podcast: How Can Managed Travel Programs Address the Safety of Female Business Travelers?

For this week’s episode, The Business of Travel revisits an important topic – the safety of women business travelers. In the opening segment, GBTA President Christle Johnson talks GBTA priorities and highlights from a recent GBTA research study on female business travel safety conducted in partnership with WWStay. Next up, WWStay’s Dawn McGowan dives deeper into…

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Podcast: 2019 Global Travel Forecast

For this week’s episode, The Business of Travel dives into the findings of the just-released 2019 Global Travel Forecast, conducted in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel. GBTA Executive Director and COO Mike McCormick and Jon Gray of Rockport Analytics discuss high-level findings and what buyers can expect for travel prices across the air, hotel and…