Monday, Aug. 14
‘Leveling Up’ Mentoring: A WINiT Elevating Women’s Voices Workshop
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (CT)
With Christina Reichelt, Senior Director, Global Client Team, BCD Travel
Join this engaging and interactive workshop to determine your mentor “wish list,” identify actions to find the right mentor and discuss best practices for making the most of your mentor relationship. Attendees will leave this session with a strategic plan to pursue and maintain a mentor relationship that will help drive their career forward.
ESG – Sustainability and DEI – Is This Just Another Silent Confusion in Your Organization?
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
Sustainability, Planet and People, commonly known as ESG, are key topics in both our work and social life as well as the core focus of the GBTA Foundation. The GBTA DEI Committee and invited panelists from across the industry will discuss, showcase, share, and debate how ESG, Sustainability, and DEI is positioned in their organizations.
With Yvette Bryant, Senior Vice President, People & Culture
Unexpected Lessons that We’ve Learned from Travel Data
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
With John Trigg, Senior Director, Intelligence & Analytics, Advito and Ambra Christie, Vice President, Hotel Spend Management and Customer Success, BCD Travel
The numbers don’t lie – even for travel programs. Hear unexpected lessons learned from years of analyzing travel data across different industries. Walk through several real-life scenarios where the data told a story far different than expected. Learn to use first and third-party data to drive decision-making.
We Can’t Rely on Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Decarbonize the Industry
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
With Olivier Benoit, Senior Vice President, Advito
This session will dissect the key reasons why SAF cannot be solely relied on to decarbonize the airline industry. Panelists will break down the basics of SAF – from what it’s made of to how it works – and address some commonly held misconceptions. While SAF may not be a magic wand that will solve all the industry’s challenges today, it can play a role in a holistic sustainability strategy.
How to get the most out of a business travel convention
We asked some BCD Travel convention veterans how to make the most of a show experience. Their advice: make a plan, step outside your comfort zone, enjoy the festivities (but not too much) and rest.
Tuesday, Aug. 15
Air Distri-CONFUSION? Distribution Strategies for Today and the Future Landscape
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (CT)
With Phil Crofton, Senior Director, Sales, BCD Travel
Is your head spinning when it comes to airline distribution NDC? Direct Connect? This session will clarify what Air Distribution looks like in 2023. Join in as panelists uncover the different strategies being taken by airlines and hear from buyers, TMCs, GDS, and OBTs on how they are managing this.
Protecting the LGBTQ Mobile Workforce
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (CT)
With Kathy Bedell, Senior Vice President, Americas & Affiliate Program, BCD Travel and Christine Connolley, Senior Crisis Program Manager, Global Crisis Management, BCD Travel |
Supporting LGBTQ travelers is part of an organization’s duty of care. This presentation will help attendees understand the challenges that LGBTQ travelers face, and how to educate and prepare them in the legal and social nature of destinations prior to travel.
GBTA Ladders: Cultivating the Next Generation of Global Travel Leaders
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (CT)
With Ali Prejean Smith, Director, Marketing & Communications, BCD Travel
Are you looking for ways to elevate your career? Grow your global network? And drive real industry change? Join this session and learn how GBTA Ladders, a unique team-based mentorship program, can accelerate growth and development for you or members on your team. The program is designed to drive connection and collaboration across the industry and welcomes industry vets and rising stars alike. And once you’ve heard all about the program, you’ll get to experience it in action. Hear the Season 9 winning team present their take on the season theme, ‘Get inspired: Looking beyond travel to drive change.’
Gold Rush: The Art of Mining Your Payment Data
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
With Joe Froelich, Senior Director, Back Office, BCD Travel
Hear how you can capture quality data to advance expense reconciliation, improve policy adherence and inform strategic decision making. Review both profiled and non-profiled traveler journeys as well as in-channel and out of channel bookings. Discuss potential “breaks” in data and how you can expand the process, all with respect to data privacy requirements.
Can Women Really Have It All? Honest Discussion Among Leaders: A WINiT Power Panel
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
With Teri Miller, Executive Vice President, BCD Travel
This session will engage in honest discussion around topics such as the different challenges women face in different stages of their careers, issues around the structure of work, and what “having it all” really means in practice.
Looking Beyond Spend: How to Negotiate a Modern Air Program
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (CT)
With Matt Patterson, Senior Director, Client Relationship Management, Advito
This panel discussion will dive into different considerations that should be included in negotiations for a modern air program – from a supplier’s fleet efficiency and carbon footprint, to their pricing, inventory, and DE&I initiatives. Panelists will discuss how to harness the power predictive analytics to weigh these priorities and map out share shift scenarios, ensuring that travel managers understand true contract value and can determine which partners balance potential savings with realistic goals.
