Check-In with Suzanne

The Importance of Community and Where You Can Find It

This month I headed west to Utah and joined the Salt Lake City GBTA Chapter at their monthly meeting. I was there to share our latest research and outlook on the state of business travel globally as well as in the US. Uniquely, GBTA Chapters are the local, active communities where travel professionals can connect and learn. In the US, GBTA is 37 chapters strong representing thousands of travel professionals and we just welcomed our newest chapter in Las Vegas.

Chapter events are great opportunities to catch up with constituents – like I did in Salt Lake City with Mike Cameron, CEO of Christopherson Travel, and Michael Lyons, former GBTA Board member. We discussed the value of business travel and why, with so much changing, having a well-managed travel program is more important than ever. If you’re in the US, you may see me or another GBTA Board member or team leader in your “backyard” as we continue to take to the road to meet with you at upcoming Chapter meetings − San Antonio, TX, Detroit, MI, Richmond, VA and Dallas/Fort Worth, TX are just a few on our list in the coming weeks.

And if you’re in our other regions, watch the GBTA Events Calendar for conferences and local association partner meetings as well as other local happenings for relationship building, policy opportunities and industry learnings.

And industry professionals also have another way to connect online. Yesterday the GBTA Foundation launched its new page and social community on LinkedIn here. If you are passionate about the future of our industry and especially areas such as sustainability, talent retention, DEI, accessibility and more, follow the Foundation on LinkedIn and bring your voice to the discussion. You can also check out GBTA’s other social media channels here.

Coming up in two weeks is another important moment for our GBTA member community: the kickoff of the GBTA Board of Directors Elections where six Board seats will be open for nominations. Board President, Mark Cuschieri, said in a recent BTN article his philosophy is to “ensure that [the Board] leave our tenure in a better position than we found it and we're setting the framework for the future.”

The GBTA elections process begins on March 1^st when nominations will open. Watch for more details to come and start planning now if you have an interest in running. And voting in GBTA elections is an exclusive benefit for members – so sign up now and be sure your GBTA membership is active by May 14^th so you can cast your vote and help us shape the future.

Suzanne

Industry Spotlight

GBTA Foundation
Follow the GBTA Foundation On Linkedin!

The GBTA Foundation, our cause-led arm of GBTA, has created a new Linkedin page to share real-time updates on their People and Planet initiatives – everything from fostering the next generation of travel professionals; driving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessbility within our industry; to advocating for climate action – all with the focus on positively shaping the future of business travel.

Connect today to ensure you receive the latest Foundation resources, news content, event updates, and to learn about opportunities to get involved. Visit the page and join the Foundation on our journey!

GBTA Canada Conference 2024 | Toronto
Find Your Super Power at GBTA Canada Conference 2024 | Toronto with Keynote Justin Kingsley, Global Business Strategist + Performance Expert

Register before rates increase on March 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET!

Finding your superpower makes you better at what you do, and better at working with others toward team goals. How can breaking the status quo within an organization lead to unparalleled success? What are the secrets behind some of these iconic branding case studies? And how does it reinforce its organizational values, culture, and brand on a day-to-day basis?

Justin dissects his story of how he created some of the most iconic brands and movements in the industry and showcases his roadmap for transforming sleepy organizations into global superpowers, and how your team can benefit from these principles too. This talk is designed to move your team from Impossible to Possible and to hammer home the understanding that by facing our challenges head-on, we build the resilience required when bigger challenges arise.

Resources

Crisis24 Intelligence Brief

More Information