Does when, where, and how the work gets done matter if deadlines and deliverables are met? How do ways of working impact organizations, employees, and travelers? Listen to this podcast to hear our expert panel as they debate the workplace of the future and the role of the travel manager in supporting this transformation. Drawing on the insights from 300+ participants captured at the GBTA Europe Conference and GBTA APAC conferences on varied questions pertaining to work culture, the role of business travel, and travel managers in supporting these new work environments.

Moderator & Speakers:

Moderator: Catherine Logan, Regional Senior Vice President - EMEA & APAC – GBTA

Christian Dahl, EVP People & Culture at BCD and

Rosemary Maloney, Senior Director, Corporate Travel Freeman

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Globally, despite certain challenges, business travel spend has continued to grow in 2024. According to GBTA’s latest Business Travel Index forecast, business travel spend is expected to end 2024 above the $1.5 trillion mark – for the first time surpassing 2019 spend. As we head into 2025, what are the current headwinds and tailwinds business travel buyers, suppliers and economists are seeing within this sector?

In this podcast, Dallas-based GBTA Board Treasurer, Kevin Sullivan, is joined for a topical discussion with fellow Board members and an economic expert:

· Ben Park, Executive Director-Travel & Sustainability, Paraxel, GBTA Board of Directors European Region Director – Berlin, Germany

· Katharine Farrell, Sr. Manager – Sales Digital Marketing Communication, Delta Airlines, GBTA Board of Directors, Director-at-Large – Atlanta, GA, USA

· Jarrod Castle, Research Analyst, UBS – London, UK

The group will offer their unique buy, supply, and analyst insights around bigger picture areas for the business travel industry including:

· Category-level outlook and overall sentiment for business travel for the year ahead

· How economic factors have shaped – and will further shape – business travel budgets and travel decisions

· The impact of changing workforce and related travel for work dynamics

· The current and future role of sustainability in business travel considerations

· Top challenges and opportunities ahead for business travel and the industry in their region

Listen in for a comprehensive, around-the-world view on the current and future state of business travel.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Welcome to this episode of the GBTA Business of Travel brought to you by the Canadian Meetings & Events Committee with special guest Heather Reid, Founder and CEO of Planner Protect Inc and the Canadian authority on event contracts.

With over 30 years planning conferences and events for clients, Heather has helped hundreds of event organizers generate more than $9M in cash savings and avoided risk. Heather has dedicated much of her career into changing the education landscape for event professionals.

In this podcast we explore some of the common issues and roadblocks with event contracts, both on the buyer and supplier side. We look at security and risk issues and force majeure and termination clauses and how the focus on contract language has changed over the years, especially since coming out of the pandemic. In an industry where planners used to “own” everything about a meeting, Heather helps to identify and acknowledge the other key stakeholders that contribute to the event from the contracting process to the execution.

The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not constitute legal advice on behalf of GBTA.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

The Meetings & Events Committee (EMEA) brings you this podcast which showcases How Radisson Hotel Group is using AI to optimize venue sourcing for buyers and suppliers. In this episode, Verónica González, a member of the GBTA M&E Committee, and head of Hotel Distribution Account Management at Amadeus IT Group, talks with Mandy Stam from Radisson Hotel Group and key technology partners, to learn more about how Radisson Hotel Groups optimizes M&E RFP Response Time, Conversion Rate and Revenue Generation with the use of AI. They share expertise and insights regarding

• • M&E Demand trends.
• • Buyers’ behavior.
• • Suppliers’ challenges.
• • How suppliers are using AI to better serve buyers.
• • RPA and AI trials and errors.
• • Outcome expected.
• • Challenges faced & Lesson learned.
• • Keys to success: flexibility, partnership, innovation, etc.
• • Results achieved

Names:

• • Verónica González, a member of the M&E Committee, global head of Hospitality Distribution Account Management at Amadeus IT Group.
• • Mandy Stam, Senior Director Business Solutions, Radisson Hotel Group.
• • Felix Undeutsch, Co-Founder Hivr.ai.
• • Tony Marcelli, Director of Product Management at Cvent.
• • Gonzalo Fortuny, Partner at EY

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Not every Corporate needs to implement NDC immediately and many can wait for their TMC to enable NDC content. Given all the noise around NDC, is there a temptation to rush NDC content rather than question whether it is relevant at this time?

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Brought to you by the GBTA | Risk Committee - US.

The speakers are:

Valerie Ferraro, Manager, Program Operations

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Craig Collins, Vice President, Client Management - America's, CIBT;

Dr. Katherine O'Reilly, International SOS.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Brought to you by the GBTA European Accommodations & Payment Solutions Committees. In this episode, our focus is on delving into the ever-evolving payment sector, exploring both established and cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping the landscape of hospitality payments. Our aim is to initiate a dynamic conversation that not only highlights the opportunities these innovations bring but also addresses the challenges. To enrich our GBTA community, we've gathered a panel of industry leaders who will share valuable insights and expertise on this transformative journey within the payments realm.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License