Ron Wagner President ACTE

Ron Wagner's Speech

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In a recent Roper Starch Survey participants were asked about the changes that will define the world by 2006. Regarding the future of the Internet they were asked which of the following statements was closest to the truth:

• The Internet is overrated. It won't change everything. We'll see incremental advances. Basically, what you see is what you're going to get. 7%

• The Internet is still in its infancy. We'll see enormous technological leaps. The Net will be more and more pervasive in our work and in our lives. 93%

Someone offered the comparison that "By the middle of the next decade, today's Internet will feel like the old black and white television without a remote."

So hang on, to your seats 'cause your going to need those cushions as a floatation device!

As Will Rogers said, "Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there"!

But this is not a new environment to you, the corporate travel professionals. After all we've been on a wild ride since 1978 when deregulation started in the airline industry.

We will most likely to continue to have our share of tough issues to deal with. Airline consolidations, potential labor disputes, crowded skies, data privacy and security, just to mention a few.

And then there's the natural belt tightening that comes with an economic downturn.

And just when we get the hang of online booking we are faced with a wireless revolution that has turned travelers into digital nomads demanding 24/7 communications and information.

Whether you are a travel manager, a supplier, a CEO, or a CFO, as Greeley said Sunday evening, it's going to be a long, hot summer and then some with all these issues ahead of us.

So what will it take to get through these tough times and what role can ACTE play in paving the way?

How do we prepare for what we know is coming and how do we deal with the unexpected?