Press Release

For Immediate Release
10 May 2010

ACTE Announces Keynote Speaker for Asia-Pacific Education Conference

Singapore --

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) announced today that  Kenny Coyle, renown writer, editor, and commentator on the meetings market in Asia, will be one of the keynote speakers at the group’s Asia-Pacific Education Conference, to be held in Singapore, 25-26 August 2010. Coyle will present a general session titled, “Meetings in Asia: Value Versus Price.” A well-established veteran in the meetings/marketing sector, Coyle is known for a multi-perspective approach in his comprehensive analysis of developments in this volatile segment of the business travel industry.

“The future of business meetings and professional conferences is still an issue of concern for global business travel community in general and ACTE’s member companies in particular,” said Meredith Smith, ACTE Asia-Pacific Board Member/Travel Manager – APJ, Merck Global Travel Services. “While Kenny Coyle’s presentation is intended to answer a lot of standing questions, it is expected that he will also ask the sensitive ones ones that linger in the  background.”

Coyle is the editor of Mix, the Asia-Pacific region’s only publication wholly dedicated to meetings and travel incentives, and a contributing editor for Business Traveller Asia-Pacific. He is also a ranking content editor for the International Medical Travel Journal, the world's first magazine covering the medical travel industry. Previously, Coyle wrote for a number of business titles in the United Kingdom, such as Marketing, Campaign, Press Gazette, Journalists’ Week and Media Week. Many of his articles on corporate travel and the regional meetings industry have been translated and published in Panacea Publishing’s Chinese-language sister title Business Traveller China.

Coyle’s General Session — Meetings in Asia: Value versus Price — will examine the relationship-building equation, among other key elements of the meetings sector, in an attempt to determine if corporate objectives to obtain the lowest possible cost might  be jeopardizing a more valuable asset.

“It cannot be denied that tighter budgets mean that corporate travel managers and meeting planners are under greater pressure than ever to show a return on investment,” said Coyle. “And while meeting buyers are in a strong position to negotiate with suppliers on price, they may be overlooking a much greater opportunity.” The speaker will detail that opportunity, and present a number of effective strategies for moving forward. The presentation will also focus on ways in which creative and rewarding events be reconciled with the trend toward no-frills meetings. A portion of the session will be dedicated to technology and potential alternatives to traditional meetings, such as through video and virtual conferencing. It will also touch on the role of social media sites, like Facebook, in the business meetings process.

The general sessions of ACTE’s Asia-Pacific Education Conference will be complimented by twelve, highly informative education sessions focusing on Travel Procurement and Sourcing, Travel and Communication Technologies, and Strategic Corporate Travel Management — each with a special regional focus.

With a setting as dramatic as the event’s content, the conference will be held at the new Marina Bay Sands hotel, opening this week in Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands, a stunning architectural statement, offering over 2,500 distinctly appointed rooms; twenty-six restaurants and brand-new meeting facilities, with state-of-the-art support systems, will make this one of the most memorable and effective, venues for ACTE’s Conference.

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