July 22-25 Global Business Travel Association convention, Boston Convention Centre, Massachusetts www.gbta.org
I WAS OVERWHELMED by the number of emails I received about my appointment as CEO of the ITM. So many people hold the ITM in such high regard and it emphasised the weight of responsibility this role carries. In my first two months I’ve spent a lot of time listening to feedback from members and non-members alike. I’ve learned what people hope I will do and what people are afraid I won’t do. I’ve heard about the challenges the ITM has faced, and seen how huge strides have been made. Now we are entering a new era and one that, from an economic point of view, has never been so
2012 ITM update
New year, new resolution
you would be prepared to share your experience of managing a travel programme, please get in touch with me directly at simone.buckley@itm.org.uk We have a few surprises in store, too, and our aim is to make sure we deliver a memorable experience for everyone on both a professional and social level (I can’t say any more than that because I’m sworn to secrecy...). Because we are in such unstable times we have purposely left some room in the conference agenda to include the latest hot topics nearer the time – we can’t say what’s going to impact us in January, let alone May, so we have allowed some space for flexible content. That means it will be fresh and appropriate at the time. The conference is being
“I’ve heard about the challenges the ITM has faced, and seen how huge strides have been made”
unsure or unstable. It strikes me that the value the ITM brings will be of even greater importance over the next few years, but the financial support that we will require from our community will be tougher to come by – we will need to demonstrate hardline return on investment even more than before. With that in mind, I am really excited about the plans and changes already underway here at the ITM. In my first few weeks I have been involved with the ITM conference planning committee, which has really listened to member feedback in terms of creating content and format. We have developed more interactive sessions and more practical learning experiences, along with a more structured approach to sharing travel-programme management best practices.
On that note, if you are a travel buyer, ITM member or not, and
held in Manchester from May 21 to 23. There are many other plans for 2012, including a one-day forum on March 22 in London, local regional events and an improved website. I am passionate about working with industry suppliers to make sure we bring their newest and greatest products to our members first, and you will see this reflected in the plans we have for 2012. For me, it is still early days and it is an opportune time to improve what works well, change what doesn’t and innovate to make sure we take the next huge strides that will bring great value to all of our members. n Find out more about ITM at www