Press Release
For Immediate Release
19 December 2007
ACTE Paris Executive Forum To Put Hidden Travel Costs in Perspective
-- Alexandria, Va. (Dec. 12, 2007) -- Business travel managers throughout France will have the opportunity to discuss the impact of sustainability and global warming, as well as the individual components that make up the total cost of a trip , and developments and cost of distribution at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives' forum in Paris, on 17 December 2007.
According to the association's President, Richard Crum, this forum will enable participants to put a cash value or cost amount on some of the more elusive components of the business trip process.
"That which can be measured can be controlled," Crum said. "This forum will show participants how to identify these hidden costs, evaluate the impact on their respective travel programs, and formulate strategies to minimize that impact."
In a keynote presentation titled, "The Green Issue," Yves Paccalet of Green Cross International will detail the realities of global warming, dispelling myth with fact and substituting practical analysis for emotional consensus.
The importance of this session cannot be understated, considering the number of new green taxes that are being targeted to business travel in Europe. Crum added that it is critical for travel managers to understand the potential source of new expenses, and to be able to more effectively dispute them.
The second session on the agenda is titled, "Focus On The Issue: Global Warming," and will offer a varied perspective on the topic amongst others from a corporate member who has successfully implemented environmental process from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has a major stake in the travel industry response to carbon offsetting and reduction.
Presenters include Marie Pierre Rogers, International Air Transport Association, Head of IATA Europe; Matthieu Tiberghien, Project Manager, Goodplanet.org; Isabelle Sannié, Chargeé de mission, ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency); Jean-François Magne, Travel Manager, SFR; and Catherine Moulin, CSR Manager, SFR.
The primary costs of business travel -- and the methods of their control -- are well-known to the practitioners of this profession. Yet it is the hidden costs, added on through myriad ways that erode a travel budget.
In the session titled, "What Goes Into The Total Cost Of A Trip," a panel of experts will
identify surcharges, taxes, and unanticipated expenses that drive up the cost of travel. They are: Lucien Isnard, Travel Manager, EDF; Abdelaziz Bougja, Travel Manager, Veolia Environment; and Serge Bacchus, Contract Manager, Supplies and Procurement, Unisy; with Erik van Winkel, Consultant, Edgar, Dunn & Company serving as the moderator.
The final presentation -- "The Cost of Distribution" -- will be a panel-type discussion on the GDS in general, current developments, its future, and its impact on the industry. This subject has been in the headlines constantly since July, and has become more important following a recent decision on new regulations in the EU. Participants in this session include: Jean Louis Richard, General Manager, Amadeus France; and François Bacchetta, Regional General Manager, easyjet.
ACTE's Paris Executive Forum will be held at the Pullman Paris Rive Gauche, 8-12 Rue Louis Armand, Paris, France. For registration information, please go to: www.acte.org.
ABOUT ACTE:
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level education programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from more than 50 countries representing the $200 billion travel business industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has offices in Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to http://www.acte.org/about/member_makeup.php.
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