Save The Date: The Beat Live Sept. 10-12, 2012 in Nashville. Look for more info soon...
I read with interest your "Buyer's Table"
discussion among travel management specialists about travel management companies and also about global distribution systems. Data management is obviously a challenge but I doubt that any TMC can do a superior job than a well-organized corporate travel manager.
In my
last blog post, I bemoaned the apparent "issue burnout" around 'Direct Connect-Ancillary Services' that I saw at The Beat Live. To me this is a critical issue because it underscores our industry's need for technology innovation and financial transparency in the distribution chain.
The Beat
Live wrapped up almost two weeks ago. It was a great forum as always, and anyone who hasn't attended should, because you won't find another venue with so much candor on display. One thing that still bothers me, though, was that it became de rigeur to mention how tired 'we' all are of direct connect discussions.
Attendees to last week's fourth annual edition of The Beat
Live should click below to download slides. Those who did not attend certainly missed an action-packed event. At least,
it was for Jay Campbell. Click here to see him jump from 108 stories at the Vegas Stratosphere. Here's
another look.
And here is some content from the conference...
Steve Reynolds keynote
Slides by Solutionz' Group's Chicke Fitzgerald
Slides accompanying interview of ARC's Mike Premo
Presentation of Amadeus EVP Philippe Chérèque
Slides of 'The Views' and 'The D'Astolfo Group'
Please note, the original 'Short's Travel Management' slide shown at the conference contained a typo; the corrected version is here.
Slides accompanying TMC panel
I have just been reading the
agenda and speaker list and boy what a blast I would have if I were there! No folks, this is not an advertorial for this event, more a recognition that at last somebody in the travel world is getting together some smart guys to air critical issues. I hope they do not let us and themselves down by blowing the opportunity to sidetrack posturing and 'company speak' to thrash out some alternative arguments.
To a large degree, the latest distribution debates are about controlling relationships with travelers. But what about the people who pay the bills in the end? They're not invited to the table to discuss airline-GDS economics, they're left out of the loop on direct supplier-to-traveler marketing, and they're often not privy to incentive deals among their suppliers. Corporate travel buyers are not paranoid, but the strategic ones are asking hard questions.
Join us at The Beat
Live Sept. 19-21 to hear from four veteran travel buyers who don't roll over, who speak their minds and who are open to new models for improving traveler service and keeping a lid on costs. Seated at The Buyers' Table will be HP's
Maria Chevalier,
Steven Mandelbaum of The Advisory Board Company, US Foodservice's
Jennifer Steinke and Oracle's
Rita Visser.
Register for The Beat
Live today.
http://www.thebeat.travel/live
Our agenda also includes a speech by Amadeus EVP for Commercial
Philippe Chérèque, an interview of Carlson Wagonlit Travel President for Suppliers, Products and Technology
Andrew Winterton and 'Hot Seat' quizzing of Concur Chairman and CEO
Steve Singh.
Check out our full agenda here:
http://www.thebeat.travel/live
See you in Vegas!
