The readers of The Beat have selected T2RL co-CEO Cory Garner to deliver the keynote address at The Beat Live, Distribution Disruption: Three Contenders, Three Pretenders And One Dirty Little Secret.
A former American Airlines distribution maverick, Garner will "cut through the buzzwords to learn whose strategies will reshape the distribution landscape," according to his winning pitch.
During the address, he wrote, "the fakes will be exposed for what they are, but with some free advice for how to reform."
And the "dirty little secret?" Well, Garner is keeping it close to the vest until he takes the stage at The Beat Live on Dec. 7 in New York City.
Several runners-up from our keynote pitch contest will be featured at the event, as well. Each will deliver a brief address on their chosen topic, followed by a raucous panel discussion led by Serko SVP of North America Tony D'Astolfo.
Participants, and their pitches, are:
- tClara founder Scott Gillespie (What If We're Managing Travel All Wrong?)
- EAB vice president of business solutions Steven Mandelbaum (Confessions Of A (Reformed) Travel Manager)
- Amadeus vice president of business development for corporations in the Americas Ken Pfaffmann (RIP To Legacy OBTs And Expense Reports. For Real This Time.)
- TripStax CEO Jack Ramsey (How Many Revolutionaries Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?)
- Acquis Consulting Group corporate travel practice lead Hansini Sharma (The Humpty Dumpty Effect: When Traveler Experience Fails, We All Come Tumbling Down)
Congratulations to our keynote winner and to the runners-up. Thanks to everyone who submitted a pitch and to all the subscribers who voted for their favorites.
Stay tuned on further agenda information for The Beat Live, taking place at the Sofitel New York on Dec. 7. Register here to catch our early-bird rate before it flies away on Oct. 14.