Business Travel: Past, Present and Future

ACTE – BATM Member Only Event
January 20th, 2006

Jolly Hotel Du Grand Sablon
2-4, Rue Bodenbroeck
1000 Bruxelles, Belgium


Dear BATM/ACTE member,

Come start off your New Year with and educational forum. The global reach of ACTE and the local strength of BATM will offer you thought provoking discussion and quality networking to start off your New Year visiting the Past, Present and Future of the Business Travel industry.

Learn about the ever changing role and development of the airline industry. We will find out first hand from Etienne de Nil, VP Commercial Benelux SNBA, what were the common objectives of SNBA-Virgin and were they achieved when they merged under SN Airholding, October 2004. Was this a good decision for the health of the Belgian Airline Industry and what does this mean for the Corporate?

Following Etienne de Nil, we will delve into the present issue of commissioning Travel Management Companies. It has now been a year since the airlines in Belgium have stopped commissioning. How has this new business model affected the corporate customer travel management fees and will the model change even more with credit card fees being charged in the future? Luc Wellens, President of BTO (Belgian Travel Organization) will answer these questions and give us an update on the airline commissions in Europe and Belgium.

The day will wind down with the future of Corporate Deals vs. Spot Buying. Today, with discounted public fares, deals are not so clear cut. We will find out what should corporates do to prepare themselves for the distribution revolution to what is the contract model of the future and more. Richard Plummer, Senior Consultant at “The Corporate Travel Partnership” will answer all these questions and document his talk with case-studies during the session.



  Agenda

13:00 - 14:30

 Registration, welcome drink & Lunch

14.30 - 14.40 A word of welcome by Alessandro Bologna, Director of sales Europe, Jolly Hotels
14.40 - 14.50 A word of Welcome by Nora Buysschaert, President BATM
14.50 - 15.00 An update from ACTE by Nadine Dewart, ACTE President Elect

15.00 - 15.20SN Airholding: Is it good for the Belgian Airline Industry ?

In October 2004 Virgin Express SA/NV and SN Brussels Airlines agreed to operate under common ownership of SN Airholding.

  • What were the common objectives of SNBA-Virgin and were they achieved ?
  • Was joining forces good for the health of the Belgian Airline Industry ?
  • What does this mean for the Corporate ?
  • What has changed in their business since the collaboration and how do they position themselves on the Belgian market place?

Speaker: Etienne de Nil, VP Commercial Benelux SNBA
15.30 - 16.00Zero Commission: One Year On!

It has now been a year since the airlines in Belgium have stopped commissioning Travel Management Companies. Travel Management Companies have had to re-invent their business model and have started charging corporate clients with fees for the services they provide. How has this new business model affected the corporate customer travel management fees?  Will the model change even more with credit card fees being charged in the future? 

Speaker: Luc Wellens, President of BTO (Belgian Travel Organization) will answer these questions and give us an update on the airline commissions in Europe and Belgium
16.00 - 16.15 Coffee Break
16.15 - 17.30

Corporate Deals VS. Spot Buying


Five years ago negotiating fares with preferred airlines was the best option for Corporates to efficiently manage a travel programme and reduce costs. Today, with discounted public fares, it is no longer so clear cut. Moreover, finding the best fares on the market is becoming one of the corporates biggest challenges as travel distribution channels and selling models fragment at a difficult to follow rate.

  • What should corporates do to prepare themselves for the distribution revolution?
  • How to get the best prices?
  • Is spot buying a cost effective method?
  • Is it possible to take advantage of spot buying while tracking  travel spend and how to do it?
  • Is spot buying  an alternative to a managed travel programme?  If yes, then how can corporates  justify this to their  board ?
  • What are the different deal options?
  • What is the contract model of the future?

Speaker: Richard Plummer, Senior Consultant at “The Corporate Travel Partnership” will answer all these questions and document his talk with case-studies during the session.

Panel session : “Corporate Deals versus Spot Buying” 
Panelists:

  • Richard Plummer, Senior Consultant at “The Corporate Travel Partnership”
  • Etienne de Nil, VP Commercial Benelux, SNBA
  • Michèle Dauwe, American Express Managing Director, Benelux
  • Emmanuel Vercruysse, Travel Procurement EMEA, Chaux Dumont Wautier

Moderator: Bart Bellers, Manager E-Commerce solutions, Amadeus Benelux
17.30 - 17.45 Closing remarks and Wrap-up speech by Nora Buysschaert
17.45 Cocktail sponsored by the Jolly Hotel du Grand Sablon
  Forum Location, Accommodations and Driving Directions

Jolly Hotel Du Grand Sablon
2-4, Rue Bodenbroeck
1000 Bruxelles
Tel. : 00 32 (0)2 5181100
Fax.: 00 32 (0)2 5126766
Website : www.jollyhotels.com

This hotel is offering a room rate of 100 € for a maximum of 10 rooms.

 
  ACTE Education

For information about this or other ACTE Educational Forums, please contact:
ACTE education department at 1-703-683-5322
Megan Lenfant at +33 1 47 68 16 54 or [email protected]

 


    

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