For Immediate Release
11 October 2005

ACTE Partner With Spanish Business Travel Association For Its Madrid Event

Paris (October 11, 2005) -- Following a series of successful collaborations with fellow business travel organizations throughout Europe, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is preparing to hold its Executive Forum in Madrid, Spain in conjunction with the Asociación Española de Gestores de Viajes de Empresaen (AEGVE). The meeting, scheduled for November 22 in Madrid, will encourage discussions on a variety of topics that specifically affect the Spanish corporate travel market. The meeting will build on the educational topics covered during ACTE’s Annual Global Education Forum, scheduled for October 23-24 in London.

The Madrid Forum will feature a variety of educational programmes and discussions on trends affecting the Spanish Travel Market. The sessions have been tailored by Spanish industry experts for Spanish business travel professionals. An exclusive, corporate-only section will give delegates the opportunity to privately discuss the challenges involved with buying and managing travel, and will provide concrete solutions to these issues.

The key note address will invest igate why travel purchasing has become more complex in the face of stricter legal requirements and the expanding array of supplier offers. Delegates will discuss how procurement strategies now must take into account natural disasters as well as the threat of terrorism.

During the afternoon break-out session, travel managers will examine the impact of outsourcing and online self-booking, and the shift to web-based RFPs. This session will further explore new procurement methods and tools being employed by non-travel related firms, and discuss how to adopt best practices from those industries. A panel of industry experts will also engage members in a practical discussion about insurance contracts, enabling participants to learn about the legal aspects of insurance, including contract negotiations and how to plan for the unpredictable.

“As travel managers shift their resources to a global environment it is imperative that they stay abreast of the legal requirements and restrictions in various countries, and be aware of the challenges their clients face as they expand their operations abroad,” says Augusto Pardo, President of AEGVE. “Joining forces with ACTE to organise this joint forum is an important step toward helping corporate travel executives understand the challenges and responsibilities of serving a global client base.”

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is a not for profit association established by business travel managers in 1988 to provide meaningful education and networking opportunities. ACTE recognizes the interdependence between corporate travel purchasers and corporate travel suppliers and accords both sectors equal membership. ACTE's membership spans all sectors of business travel, from corporate buyers to agencies to suppliers. ACTE currently serves more than 2,500 executives in over 40 countries.

For more information, contact:
Stanislas Berteloot
Regional Director EMEA
Association of Corporate Travel Executives
Tel +33 1 60 19 39 07
Tel. + 33 6 80 40 40 56
E-mail: [email protected]

Augusto Pardo
AEGVE
President
+34 (609) 390 312
[email protected]