GTMC and ITM to host joint travel distribution forum
Travel agents and corporate buyers will come together to host a joint forum at the Travel Distribution Summit 2008.
Representatives from the Guild of Travel Management Companies and the Institute of Travel Management will co-host a forum entitled ‘The Buyers Right Arm’, from 9.30 – 13.00 on May 21 at the Summit, being held at the Business Design Centre, London
The move follows a pledge by the GTMC’s new chairman Maurice Veronique to forge closer links with corporate buyers.
The forum will focus on two aspects of travel management – the financial relationship between buyer and TMC and identifying where training and greater skills are needed to benefit the corporate travel industry.
The first session ‘Remuneration Conundrum’ will see representatives from the TMC, supplier and corporate communities discuss the continuing shift of the TMC from suppliers’ agent to buyers’ agent and the remuneration changes which have already occurred.
The second session ‘Raising the Skills Game’ will involve a panel of buyers and TMCs discussing the scale of investment needed, the benefit to all and the barriers to achieving relevant training as corporate demands for expertise increase.
Speakers secured to date for the forum include Robert Daykin, partner – Corporate Travel Partnership; Mark Gallen, director – MG Training; Mike Platt, group industry affairs director – HRG; Caroline Strachan, international travel manager – Yahoo and chairman – ITM.
GTMC and ITM members can attend the event free of charge otherwise places cost £49 VAT per person.
To reserve a place at the event please visit www.itm.org.uk
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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