Remarks of Nancy Holtzman, ACTE Executive Director
Presented To The ACTE Regional Forum -- Washington, D.C. June 19, 2003
My name is Nancy Holtzman and I have the distinction of serving as the Association of Corporate Travel Executives' Executive Director.
It would appear that I'm standing here alone this morning... But let me assure you... Behind me is the experience, the expertise, and the benefits of representing an international organization with more than 2000 members in 36 countries.
With their backing, I feel confident in discussing the future of the business travel management profession.
This year's headlines have not been kind to the travel industry. There is no need for me to repeat them. Besides, headlines have a habit of repeating themselves. In the last few months, I've read a number of articles -- pulled from newspaper and magazine archives -- quoting disaster for the business travel management industry for any number of reasons. Going back to 1979, there were recessions, a movement to license travel managers, automation allegedly capable of replacing travel managers, fare increases, and industrywide moves to negate negotiated contracts -- all timed to make the headlines at the worst conceivable moment.
I came across the obituary of the travel management function at least three times in these archives. Subsequent history has shown that reporting the death of our profession has been somewhat premature in every case. The patient invariably gets up and hits the ground running.
Now I'm not telling you that I expect our industry to miraculously return to the gold rush days of the late Nineties. I'm not even sure that would be a good idea, as the heyday excesses of that time have contributed to the dilemma we're in today. But the demise of the business travel industry is far from close. The growth of discount carriers in this country is a clear indication that new markets do exist under the pall of the current economic climate.
There are other indicators as well.
The recent ACTE/Runzheimer Annual Spending Forecast -- which came out at the Las Vegas Conference -- accurately predicted the industry gains recently reported in the headlines. Now while these gains are slight - and extremely fragile -- ACTE's leadership believes we're past the turning point.
But I'm not here today to push assurances of our industry's future. I'm selling an insurance policy for your future... A good policy to follow in the days ahead is not to trust the future of your profession to the government, to the industry, nor to fellow colleagues who volunteer while you sit on the sidelines. I respectfully suggest is that you take control of your own future.
Read everything. Listen to everything. Question everything. Then ACTE. Challenge conventional wisdom. Propose solutions. Make industry and government accountable to you.
How? By using this association as an amplifier of your opinion, your recommendations, and your spending authority. Opposition and applause are still the best indicators of grassroots trends. And spread the word around. If you don't have the word, than don't hesitate to pass your questions around instead.
Last year, ACTE released a study on the changing role of the business travel manager. We're following through by changing the role of the business travel management association.
Like government, our industry has become susceptible to the crushing pressure of outside influences. These include security concerns, CRS legislation, privacy issues, the integration and strategic importance of travel alternative technology, and the dilemma of the airlines. ACTE is moving forward in a number of these areas to ensure that future change is for the long-term better, and not just for immediate crisis resolution.
ACTE is striving to be your professional insurance policy for the future... To be your company's assurance provider of a business travel program designed to make corporate objectives a reality... And the industry's best vehicle for issue resolution.
By attending forums like these, by participating in our global conferences, by responding to our surveys, and by sending me back to ACTE's board with your insight, we can guarantee our industry has a future.
We'll write our own headlines.
I'd like to thank you for coming today. Please feel free to share your views on the direction this association should take, programs you'd like to see, or issues you feel we should be addressing.
Thank you.
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