The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) announced a partnership last month with EIBTM (www.eibtm.com), the leading event for the meetings, incentives, events and business travel industry, held from November 27-29 in Barcelona, Fira, Gran Via.  As part of the strategic partnership, ACTE will provide the following programme of four education sessions to extend the show profile beyond the meetings and events industry to incorporate the world of business travel.

Moderated by ACTE Board of Directors member Albert Pozo, VP Global Customer & IT Services for Amadeus, Tuesday’s Education Program will highlight “Travel Technologies:  Now and the Future.”  Featuring speakers Dean Forbes, Chief Executive Officer of KDS, and Glenn Wastyn, President & CEO of Global Videoconferencing Network NV, this session will explore what technologies and tools are shaping today’s marketplace and the future of the MICE and Travel industries.  Through a thoughtful discussion, attendees will learn about mobile, videoconferencing and other evolving technology trends and where they intersect with existing business models.

Also moderated by Pozo, “Marriage of Meetings and Business Travel Buying” will explain that more and more companies are leveraging the procurement synergies for Meetings and Business Travel.  Experts Antonio Perea, Compras y ContratacionesGenerales, Cepsa, and LottenTegstamWelinder, Concept Owner Meetings/Regional Manager, Group Meetings & Travel for IKEA Group, will bring two points of view on how the two areas are managed within their respective companies.  This session will allow attendees to discover how a structured approach to buying travel and meetings can easily save time, money and effort.

Wednesday, 28 November will introduce two brand new ACTE sessions.  Rana Walker, Social Media Evangelist and Industry Consultant for ACTE Special Projects, will lead “Social Media in MICE and Business Travel.”  This session will focus on social media as an evolving communication tool that is changing how we interact and who we interact with, in real time and with greater reach and efficiency.  Walker will offer insight into how MICE & Travel are leveraging social media by using the web 2.0 platforms to better engage with event attendees and travellers, before, during and after an event or trip.

Additionally, Wednesday’s schedule will also play host to “Business Travel Trends” which will be moderated by Paul Revel, Editor of Buying Business Travel and feature Claudia Unger, Director of Research and Intelligence at BCD Travel, and Ute Asmus, Global Research Manager at AirPlus.

“We are excited to partner with EIBTM, especially in celebrating their 25th year, as they seek to provide richer educational content for the business travel industry,” said ACTE’s Executive Director Ron DiLeo.  “We have worked to put together a program that will provide insights into the future of the business travel world as it relates to meetings and events.  ACTE’s mission has always been to drive advancement and we are thrilled to be offering tools to do just that at EIBTM.”