GBTA Advisory Board - Call for Applications

REMINDER: Call for applications – closes 30 November

Would you like to help lead GBTA in Europe? We are recruiting three new members for the GBTA Europe Advisory Board.

The GBTA Europe Advisory Board provides strategic guidance and support to GBTA’s activities and development in the region. The Board strives to represent the European membership base and includes the following:

Thank You for Making This Year a Success!

GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2023 – Hamburg

At the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2023 – Hamburg, we welcomed almost 1,100 business travel industry professionals from 29 countries, including 275 travel buyers. The event featured 61 new and returning exhibiting companies, with more than eight hours of Expo Hall time and plenty of networking time for delegates to connect. Education also remained at the forefront with over 90 speakers and 26 sessions for an incredibly jam-packed few days.

Putting a Spotlight on Sustainability

GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2023 – Hamburg opened with a spotlight on business travel’s greener future with three hours dedicated to sustainability speakers, panels and sessions.

The “State of Sustainability in Business Travel” panel featured industry leaders from the aviation, accommodation, and ground transportation sectors discussing related progress, initiatives, and challenges, followed by a session looking at “Airports of Tomorrow”, exploring the vital role of airports related to clean fuel, decarbonisation and multimodal connectivity.

Attendees also benefitted from five sustainability-related educational sessions and a Think Tank peer-to-peer interactive workshop on climate action.

Transformation and Inspiration Featured on the Main Stage

In his keynote session, music veteran, Ric Salmon showcased parallels between the evolution of the music and business travel industries, bringing a unique perspective on how technology, changing consumer behaviour, and evolving business models can reshape an entire industry.

The inspirational keynote, “Everybody’s Got a Dream” by Pär Johansson was a thought provoking and moving session, challenging all to embrace a more inclusive society for a kinder, richer world.

The event’s closing keynote, “Finding the Balance Between Corporate Needs & Traveller Expectations” with industry thought leaders, explored technology, climate change, shifts in work models and the rise of the “purposeful traveller”, and how corporations can support the evolved business travel landscape.

The Place for Industry Research, News and Insights

• GBTA unveiled the business travel regional forecast for Europe from the 2023 Business Travel Index ™ Outlook global report made possible through collaboration with Visa. European business travel is poised to steadily increase to reach $314 billion USD in 2024 (or 94% of pre-pandemic levels) and surpass 2019 spending levels by 2025, reaching $414.9 billion. Key drivers include pent-up demand, hybrid work models, the return of travel and meetings, and more stable economic conditions. Additionally, in a GBTA survey 1,176 business travellers estimate $888 is their average spend per business trip.
• The GBTA Broadcast Studio once again hosted 30+ video interviews over the course of the conference featuring top industry influencers and executives from leading companies in business travel. Additionally, the Media Cocktail event on 15 November, attracted a dozen suppliers announcing their breaking news and industry firsts to journalists. Read all the Supplier media announcements here.

Honoring the Contributions of GBTA Volunteers in Europe

Flavio Ghiringhelli from Emirates was the recipient of this year’s Luoma Award, established in 2011 to recognise volunteers who support the development of GBTA and its local market partners in Europe.

A Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 was presented to Hans-Ingo Biehl, former Executive Director, VDR.

We look forward to seeing you next year at the GBTA + VDR Conference 2024 in Partnership with the Nordic Business Travel Associations | Copenhagen, Denmark, 4 – 6 November.

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GBTA Europe Advocacy Newsletter:
November 2023

Welcome to the November edition of the GBTA Europe Advocacy Newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what’s happening in relation to business travel in Brussels, and how GBTA is advocating on your behalf.