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Education Sessions

ACTE's primary focus for all of its events is education. The 2009 Global Education Conference will offer attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest trends, standards, challenges, and opportunities in the business travel industry.

Session Tracks

The Finding the Savings sessions offer a clear focus on sharing the practices, tips and tools that yield savings for the corporate travel program.

The Innovator sessions are designed to provide inspiration for travel professionals to use new emerging concepts for travel program optimization and enhancement.

Have you already registered for the conference and just need to sign-up for sessions? Please click here.

Monday, 6 April 2009, 10:15 – 11:15

M101 Strategic Positioning in Difficult Times

This session focuses on evaluating the positioning that companies have to take in economic downturns. The new global environment that characterizes the business world of today has pointed out the importance of developing more proactive strategies. Downturns present interesting opportunities that involve an assessment of vulnerabilities in order to minimize their impact. Sources of competitive advantage require a clear and pressing understanding that the battlefield is supply chain vs. supply chain rather than company vs. company. Implications to the travel industry will be discussed.

Presenter:

Ricardo Ernst, Professor and Deputy Dean, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

M102 Ready Or Not Demand Management is Here

Has your senior management expressed an interest in exploring virtual technologies to reduce travel costs, decrease carbon emissions, or improve the work-life balance? Regardless of where your company falls on the demand management spectrum, changes are coming. Manage your progression by learning from companies who have successfully integrated tighter controls and virtual technology into their own travel and meetings’ programs:

  • Where to start
  • Challenges to consider
  • Virtual options
  • Realistic bottom-line results

Moderator:
Dan Maschoff, Travel & Entertainment Global Category Director, Accenture Procurement Solutions

Presenters:
Yves Galimidi, Global Travel Purchaser, IKEA
Jane E. Gardner, Senior Global Travel Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cindy Message, Director, Global Sourcing Travel, Agilent Technologies

M103 Beyond Green Are Your CSR Efforts Going Far Enough?

The “Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism” works to prevent the sexual exploitation of women and children at tourism destinations. Are your travelers or travel programs unknowingly contributing to this widespread problem? A partnership between ECPAT and the private sector is currently implemented in 23 countries by over 900 companies – including Accor Hotels and Carlson Companies. Session speakers will demonstrate the business impact of this issue for your organization and identify the measures you should take to comply with global standards.

Moderator:

Victoria M. Gutowski, CCTE, Sr. Manager, Travel & Food Services, USG Corporation

Presenters:
Amy O’Neill Richard, Senior Advisor to the Director, Office to Monitor & Combat Trafficking, U.S. Department of State
Carol Smolenski, Executive Director, ECPAT-USA

M104 Is It The Perfect Storm for the Marriage of Meetings & Travel?

Corporate belt-tightening is looking for the next notch and many companies are reducing costs and redundancies by combining transient travel and meetings under the same organizational control. This session will examine successful marriages of two significant spend areas as well as why some companies choose to keep them separate to discover:

  • Why companies pursue different strategies
  • Compelling business case for combining/not combining these two areas
  • What are the bottom-line results?

Moderator:
Mary Ann McNulty, Content Director, ProMedia.travel LLC

Presenters:
Christine Adams, Global Travel Manager, Georgia-Pacific LLC
Madlyn Caliri, Director, Global Procurement, Reed Elsevier, Inc.
Karen Vander Ploeg, Senior Manager, Corporate Travel & Meetings, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.

M105 Large Market Benchmarking Summit

For Buyers Only

BTN Editors will present original data surveying large market companies ($10 million to $40 million in U.S. booked air volume) to create relevant benchmarks and identify best travel program practices.

Lead Facilitator:
Chris Davis, Executive Managing Editor, Business Travel News

Facilitator:
Michael Baker, Hotel Editor, Business Travel News
Jay Boehmer, Airline Editor, Business Travel News
Seth Harris, Travel Management Editor, Business Travel News

Monday, 6 April 2009, 11:45 - 12:45

M201 Earning Your Place At the Executive Table

Given the current economics and increasing scrutiny on corporate travel spend, are travel management positions in jeopardy? Or is this your opportunity to increase your visibility with senior management? Through discussion led by Georgetown University’s Ricardo Ernst, travel managers will offer their own experience in securing a seat at the Executive Table and share their perspectives on:

  • What is valuable to your CFO
  • Overcoming obstacles to forge relationships with the C-suite
  • Results of an established relationship.
  • Securing a long term position through ongoing communication

Moderator:
Ricardo Ernst, Professor and Deputy Dean, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

Panelists:
Susan Lichtenstein, Director of Finance, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Debra Reid, US Travel Services Manager, Shell Oil Company
Richard Wooten, Director, Global Travel & Meeting Suppor, Lockheed Martin

M202 Six of Sigma, Half Dozen of Another

This session will highlight the savings and efficiencies that the rigors of a Six Sigma analysis can yield for the travel program. You will learn how quantifiable inquiry without a black belt or any Six Sigma experience can expose patterns and gaps that identify savings opportunities for your travel program.

Moderator:
Mark Walton, Principal, Consulting Strategies, LLC

Presenters:
Will Anderson, Deputy Director, Travel Services, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
Donna Kelliher, Director of Travel & Corporate Services, Dominion

M203 Rejuvenate Your Hotel Program Using Technology & Best Practices

Case studies presented by two leading Travel Managers will focus on the technology each uses to measure their hotel program performance by:

  • Establishing internal and industry benchmarks
  • Measuring hotel compliance
  • Calculating program savings

Moderator:
Nicole Hackett, Managing Director, Sales & Marketing, Hotel Sourcing Alliance (HSA)

Presenter:
Erin Barth, Vice President Global Travel, JPMorgan Chase

Kimberly Wolfe, Global Supplier Relations, Accenture / Global Travel & Events

M204 Engineering the Technology for Your Strategic Meetings Management Program

Tools that support the SMM program are a critical “must have” to embark on a strategic meetings course. This session will examine:

  • Off-the-shelf versus proprietary products
  • Integration into other corporate systems
  • Language and currency considerations

Moderator:
Murat Dogruer, Director, Global Product Management & Marketing, American Express Corporate Services

Presenter:
Shawn Radek, Smart Meetings Program Manager, Deutsche Bank
Mary Sharp, Senior Manager, International Corporate Travel, Wal-Mart

M205 Procurement Practitioners

A panel of travel procurement executives will offer commentary on original new BTN research, compare it to data collected in the past two years, and offer individual perspectives on:

  • Demand Management
  • Outsourcing vs Insourcing
  • Scorecards

Moderator:
David Meyer, Editor-In-Chief, Business Travel News

Panelists:

Ann Hannon, Senior Manager, Corporate Travel & Meetings, Raymond James Financial
Frank Schnur, Vice President, Advisory Services, American Express Business Travel
Cyndi Teufel, Sourcing Manager for Travel & Card Products, Merck & Co.

Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 11:15 - 12:15

T101 From Strategy to Execution: The Missing Link for Superior Sustainable Performance

This session focuses on translating strategies into operational execution. A clear understanding of transparency of goals, scope, incentives, and responsibilities is required beyond purely financial metrics. Starting with the challenges of a good forecast and how it translates into budgets, attendees will hear how to accomplish organizational integration: communication, sharing and coordination, incentive alignment, and most importantly, the need of extended performance measures that link financial performance with operational execution. Implications for the travel industry will be discussed.

Moderator:
Ricardo Ernst, Professor and Deputy Dean, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

T102 Social Networking…U cn do it!

Now is the time for travel managers and suppliers to embrace the opportunities social networking provides to optimize communication within the business travel triad—travel manager, travel supplier, and traveler. Boundless opportunities emerge when travelers stay connected through blogs, forums, and other formats that provide real-time feedback for improving travel services. Expect to learn:

  • How to get started
  • Need for monitoring & immediate response
  • Traveler education & policy compliance opportunities

Moderator:
Herve Sedky, Vice President & General Manager, Global Advisory & Meeting Solutions, American Express Company

Presenters:
Susan Lichtenstein, Director of Finance, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Rana Walker, Public Relations Marketing Manager, AirPlus International

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T103 Finding the Green by Greening Your Travel Program

Realizing and documenting cost savings may take priority for 2009, but if your senior leadership understands sustainability, then travel management will be the focus. This session will examine the intersection of a green travel program and realistic cost savings available in the current environment.

  • What are 10 green initiatives you can start today that will lead to bottom line savings?
  • What metrics can you use to demonstrate ROI to senior management?
  • Who is calculating emissions-reduction and what tools are they using?

Moderator:
Mary Ellen George, General Manager, Advito

Presenters:
Bruce Finch, Director, Global Travel and Workplace Sustainability Programs, Autodesk, Inc.
Kimberly Lewis, VP Conference and Events, U.S. Green Building Council
Suzanne Neufang, Vice President, Corporate Market Strategy & Solutions, GetThere, Sabre Travel Network

T104 The Macro-Economic Forecast for ASPAC

How will the fallout from the global financial turndown affect ASPAC? Will the financial upheaval be a game changer that will irreparably stunt the region’s meteoric growth? Explore the macro future-view of ASPAC from the perspectives of key stakeholders in the region’s business travel industry.

Moderator:
Meredith Smith, Travel Manager - APJ, Merck Global Travel Services

Presenters:
Ed Conroy, Director of Sales, Eastern Region, Japan Airlines
Chris Kroeger, Senior Vice President, Sabre Travel Network
Stephen Wong, Vice President Sales, Americas, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.

If you are interested in this session, you might also be interested in attending the ACTE Asia-Pacific Education Conference, 12-13 August 2009 in Singapore

T105 Shifting Currents In The Air

A panel of corporate travel buyers, airline and travel management company executives will provide insight and analysis on airline pricing, capacity and demand. This interactive session will equip corporate travel buyers with negotiating strategies to face the changing aviation marketplace.

Moderator:
Jay Boehmer, Senior Editor, Airlines, Business Travel News

Presenters:
Thomas Barrett, Strategic Sourcing Director, Human Resources, Ingersoll Rand
Cindy Heston, Manager of Strategic Sourcing for Travel, Wellpoint
Michael Koetting, Executive Vice President, Global Supplier Management, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Frank Morogiello, Vice President, Global Sales, American Airlines, Inc.
Daniel Pirnat, Vice President & General Manager, TRX and Travel Analytics

T106 Ask the Analysts: The Economic Outlook of the Business Travel Industry

Compliments of:

Business travel demand is down, but what does that mean for your managed travel program? Will the heated discussions surrounding TARP spending force revisions to corporate travel policies? What long-term changes are in store for the industry? Join this interactive forum to discuss the softening demand, travel suppliers' response, the impact on services and pricing, and more. Bring your tough questions and walk away with practical, recessionary advice to address critical issues and developments in the air, hotel and GDS industries.

Moderator:
Wendy Aird, Vice President, Egencia

Presenters:
Brian Hace, Vice President, Client Services North America, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
John Heimlich, Vice President and Chief Economist, Air Transport Association of America
Michael McNamara, Vice President, MasterCard Advisors

Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 12:30 – 15:00

T205 BTN’s 11th Annual Corporate Travel 100 Benchmarking Summit

By Invitation Only

BTN Editor-in-Chief David Meyer will facilitate this off-the-record session, which is open to travel buyers from companies that spend more than $40 million in U.S. booked airline volume annually and participate in the benchmarking exercise. Only attendees will receive a report drawn from preliminary findings.

Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 14:00 - 15:00

T201 What Language Do You Speak? Global or Multi-national?

Compliments of:

Just because your company has an office in London, Dubai and New York does not make your organization global. Chances are, your systems and processes are still operating through international silos. This session will highlight the challenges and opportunities of integrating your enterprise travel programs under one structure - with one team and one portfolio of vendor contracts.

Moderator:
Ricardo Ernst, Professor and Deputy Dean, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

Presenters:
Mary Bastrentaz, Senior Director Global Travel & Events, Accenture
Cynthia Crooks-Garcia, Vice President, Worldwide Procurement & Travel, PAREXEL International
Mark Evans, Senior Director Global Travel & Auto, Microsoft
Mary Sharp, Senior Manager, International Corporate Travel, Wal-Mart
Pascal Struyve, Global Travel, Fleet & Meeting Services Director, Ingersoll Rand Enterprise Services

T202 PowerPoint Free Zone: Become a Better Partner

This audience-driven session will offer the opportunity for a dynamic exploration of the partnership conundrum—expecting fully committed partners while refraining from fully committing yourself. Discussion topics to launch this “no panels, no speakers, no PowerPoint” session include:

  • Overcome the reluctance to share information
  • Increase transparency in business partnerships
  • Realign misaligned agreements

Attendees can optimize the value of this session by guiding the conversation to partnership topics of their own interest.

Discover the benefits of this proven approach to learning. Limited enrollment.

Lead Facilitators:
Kerin McKinnon, Executive Vice President, Global Business Development, Atlas Travel
George Odom, Senior Director, Business Development, Advito

T203 Seize the Moment - Strategic Planning and Contracting

Both buyers and vendors are reviewing contract performance these days, with both sides analyzing the value each contract provides to their respective organizations. From the buyer perspective, contract assessments are a fundamental building block to a successful program. In these trying economic times, there is increased pressure to provide evidence and data that supports the value of each vendor contract to the travel program. With that in mind, this session will examine:

  • Best practices processes for evaluating vendor contracts
  • Commonly used metrics and dashboard approaches
  • Techniques for analyzing contract performance

Join our panel of buyers as they discuss their thoughts around strategic contracting as a building block to future success. Buyers will find this session a useful benchmarking opportunity while vendors will have a chance to go behind the scenes and into the minds of top contract buyers.

Moderator:
Bindu Bhatia, Senior Client Executive, Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Presenter:
Jane E. Gardner, Senior Global Travel Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Donna Kelliher, Director of Travel and Corporate Services, Dominion

T204 Survey of ASPAC’s Unique Landscape for Managed Travel

The diversity of business and cultural norms in ASPAC prove challenging for any travel program intent on consolidating travel management in the region. Spend controls provided by policy, technology, and payment solutions may be rendered useless by cultural or regulatory issues in the region. This session will examine the effectiveness of management controls for the travel program with a focus on:

  • Vendor participation in GDS
  • Policy compliance
  • Acceptance of payment solutions

Presenter:
Peter Krause, Director of Travel Alliances, Concur

If you are interested in this session, you might also be interested in attending the ACTE Asia-Pacific Education Conference, 12-13 August 2009 in Singapore

T206 Delivering Powerful Presentations

In these times when budgets are tight and organizations are taking a careful look at every dollar spent, it is more important than ever that the presentations we give to potential customers or senior management be well designed and of great value. You just can’t afford to waste people’s time or be ineffective in selling your ideas or concepts. In this session you will be given tools to help you deliver a powerful and compelling message that will get you results.

Learner Outcomes

  • Understanding what you say is not nearly as important as how it is said
  • Learning the latest techniques for the actual delivery of a compelling presentation
  • Delivering your key ideas to capture attention and enable you to stand out from your competitors

Presenter:
Gregg H. Talley, CAE, President & CEO, Talley Management Group, Inc.