The Association of Corporate Travel Executive’s (ACTE) is gearing up for its forum in Helsinki, on 25 September 2006. Titled Overcoming Emerging New Strategies and Markets in this Ever Changing Business, the day-long agenda will focus on pricing strategies in the hotel sector, optimizing hotel spend through a travel management company, e-technology for travel sourcing, a corporate perspective on finance, and expanding business travel in China.

“ACTE’s approach to education is an inverted pyramid that starts with the broad view and tapers down to a specialized application of data,” said Executive Director Susan Gurley. “The Helsinki forum starts with a core of proven best practices, and explores their specialized application in the Nordic region.”

The program will open with a presentation on coping with yield management as this principal has evolved in the hotel industry. Insight from Michael Madison, Director of Strategic Alliances, Hotelzon, and others, will cover issues like dynamic pricing, LRA acceptance, and negotiations. This session—Best Practices for Managing New Pricing Strategies in the Hotel Sector—will outline the new measure of success for a hotel program.

It will be followed by a spirited dialogue titled, “What’s the Best Advice A TMC Can Offer Its Nordic Clients to Optimize Hotel Spend and Facilitate Processes?” Experts Mika Kiljunen, Managing Director, Kaleva Travel Invest Oy, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Partner and Soeren Bak Andersen, Project Manager, BCD Travel will each present their best techniques for controlling hotel spends. Attendees will have the opportunity to get details on offered advice during the Question & Answer part of the session.

The session, “e-Technology for Strategic Travel Sourcing ” will explore various electronic means of enhancing the procurement process through actual cases studies presented by a panel of authorities, led by Andres Lundquist, Senior Manager, IBX Source Practice. Catherine Lundberg, Consultant, CMM Consulting will moderate a session—Nordic Business Travel Barometer Roundtable—that compares the perspective of corporate finance executives with that and business travel managers. Her presentation will draw heavily on a joint survey conducted by ACTE and Business Week.

The final session will outline the steps for successfully increasing your company’s travel options in China.

“The Helsinki executive forum is a prelude to ACTE’s Global Education Conference in Barcelona,” said Gurley. “Issues raised fort the first time in Helsinki will be the subject of an ongoing focus—and resolution, if possible, the following month.”

ACTE’s Helsinki Executive Forum will convene on 25 September 2006, at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Mannerheimintie 50, 00260 Helsinki, Finland, +358 9 2521 0000. To register, go to www.acte.org.
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