Press Release

For Immediate Release
9 April 2007

ACTE Debates Changing Travel Trends at Inaugural Middle East Executive Forum

Dubai, UAE --

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) recently held its first Middle East/Gulf Region Executive Forum in Dubai on 2 April.  The half-day forum, titled ‘Changing Trends- the Road Ahead’, was attended by 109 delegates from 49 organizations that included corporate travel buyers, destination management companies, travel companies, hotels and the airline industry. 

The forum received positive feedback from all attendees with most delegates expressing interest in attending the next ACTE event in Dubai scheduled for 3 December 2007. “I found the panel session on Airline Commissions very interesting and relevant, and was also encouraged to see that other companies are going through the same processes as we are, with respect to the Hotel Policy Session. This was very useful for benchmarking purposes. I look forward to seeing more Educational Forums from ACTE in the future,” says Sunny Ramadas is senior procurement specialist at FedEx.

The forum’s opening session focused on airline commission and the impact on the corporate buyer with panel participants from Virgin Atlantic, Etihad Airways, British Airways and Emirates Airline.  Other discussion topics were hotel purchase, corporate credit cards and the changing trends of the travel industry in the Middle East.

During the forum ACTE also announced its partnership with the Business Travel Show to develop educational sessions for their event to be held in Dubai, 29 – 30 October 2007. Commenting on the partnership between ACTE and the upcoming Business Travel Show, Sally Pugmire, Event Director, Centaur Exhibitions, the organizers for the event said “The Business Travel Show is proud to carry forward its association with ACTE into the Middle East market. We are confident ACTE’s participation in the our very first Middle East-based show in the Middle East will be beneficial to attendees and the industry as a whole.”

“I am delighted that the first ACTE Middle East event in Dubai was so well-received by the industry.  I was very impressed with the passion that the market shows for education and I am really looking forward to building on our progress at the Business Travel Show Dubai in October and ACTE session in December” said Jo Lloyd, Regional Director, ACTE EMEA. “What emerged from our event is that there are a number of corporate travel issues that are exclusive to the region and ACTE is looking forward to working with the industry in the Middle East to provide a common voice and a neutral platform to discuss these issues.”

For more information contact:

Jo-Anne Lloyd
Regional Director, EMEA
T: 44-2089324038

For more information, contact:
Debbie Flynn
CEO
Brighter Group
The Pod, London's Vertical Gateway
Bridges Wharf, Battersea
London SW11 3BE England
T: 020 7326 9880
F: 020 7326 9890
E: [email protected]
W: www.brightergroup.com