Press Release
For Immediate Release
11 July 2005
ACTE and ITM To Pursue Mutual Cooperation Over Merger
Alexandria & London -- The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) have mutually agreed to set aside a formal merger agreement in favour of increased mutual co-operation.
Both boards have collectively concluded that the operational challenges to be overcome in bringing the two organisations together makes an alliance more appropriate to the immediate needs of their respective members. Consequently the spirit of collaboration established during the merger discussions will now be extended into a partnership focusing on specific industry issues and objectives such as security, IATA reform, privacy, and airborne disease containment, to provide the business travel community with a single voice on key issues both domestically and internationally.
"Rather than rush through a complicated period of transition simply to meet an arbitrary merger agreement date, we've decided to pursue mutual objectives as two separate organisations," said ACTE President Greeley Koch.
ITM chairman Tom Stone said: "The ITM and ACTE boards have mutually agreed to set aside the merger for the foreseeable future. This new cooperation agreement will allow ITM to fulfill its members' educational, networking and career development needs even more effectively, and will increase ACTE's profile in the UK, without affecting either organisation's core values."
Both associations will actively support each other by sharing expertise, research, speakers for industry events and other member benefits including reduced rates for attending educational programmes, access to local research and communications.
"ACTE is delighted to extend the special ACTE member rate to members of ITM wishing to attend our Global Conference, set for 23 October 2005 in London" said Koch.
Stone commented that "Both ITM and ACTE look forward to introducing additional benefits to both organisation's members in the very near future."
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 30 countries.
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