Press Release
For Immediate Release
24 January 2005
Business Travel Experts Send Corporations To The Bench in Calgary
Calgary -- - Corporations in greater Calgary will be given a tool to more accurately measure their bottom-lines in increments of productivity, profitability and return on investment where business travel is concerned, on 3 February 2005. This already well-subscried event, will bring together business travel professionals to a "PowerTalk" developed by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives for a high-level program on the technique of benchmarking at the Calgary Marriott hotel, at 10:30 am.
"This is a relatively new technique in Canada," said Garth Jopling, former ACTE president and travel manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Toronto. "Yet it's a critical process for measuring the efficiency of a travel program and documenting its impact on the bottom-line." Jopling also pointed out that benchmarking is a professional growth skill that can be applied to every corporate function. This is especially important to executives on the director level, whose corporate influence often extends beyond the travel management function. "Benchmarking results are among the most important data a travel management executive can submit to a CFO," said Jopling. "And it it ranks among the top skills of the most sought after travel managers."
The essentials of the benchmarking process will be presented by Jim Lee, former director of Global Travel Services for global giant Honeywell and respected veteran of the business travel industry. Lee is a recognized travel industry expert in helping Fortune 500 companies identify and implement process improvement opportunities in travel management.
Lee's expertise will detail the multi-step benchmarking process, offer options on what can be benchmarked and leave attendees empowered to develop their own benchmarking project. Lee will also illustrate in the bottom line results environment that exist in most Canadian corporations today, how benchmarking can document the travel program's contribution to the strategic goals of the corporation.
While the candid nature of ACTE's PowerTalk presentations are generally limited to travel management executives, accredited members of the press are invited to attend. Business reporters and travel writers seeking an ACTE press membership will be granted follow-up interviews, hardcopies of ACTE studies, and the opportunity to poll association members on critical travel issues.
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives was founded in 1988 as the education and research resource for the global travel management industry. With 2500 members in 37 countries, ACTE is recognized for its studies, surveys, statistics, and industry stances (passenger safety, airline security, airfare rationalization, service issues, government action).
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