Carel Aucamp is global sourcing manager at Agrega, a joint venture between Anheuser-Busch InBev and British American Tobacco. Agrega purchases all commodities, including travel, for both companies across in 180 countries. Aucamp joined ACTE when he was still based in his native South Africa in 2008. “I joined ACTE for three reasons,” he says. “It is a truly international association with a footprint in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and North America; it offers well-researched and objective educational content; and finally, it aspires to improve the industry by constructively challenging the status quo.” He says ACTE has provided him with a
global network of market experts, travel champions and creative thinkers who he frequently calls upon to help improve his work. Aucamp concludes: “The sooner you get involved the faster you will reap benefit. ACTE is like a trampoline – the more you give, the higher you go.”
The supplier
Adam Knights is group sales and marketing director at ATPI. He says: “For suppliers, membership of an organisation like the ITM is an appealing option. Compared to an exhibition, the level of quality buyers attending the annual conference and quarterly forums is far greater in a more concentrated environment.” He continues: “Buyers tell me this allows
them to pick the wheat from chaff, and for those who don’t have other travel colleagues to share ideas with, the events that come with a membership allow them to meet with fellow buyers to discuss the challenges of the marketplace.” He adds: “Looking beyond these
mainstream activities, many of these organisations are getting better at developing niche offerings to specialist markets. A prime example of this is GBTA’s Oil and Gas Forum. We do a lot of work in that sector so we have found the group to be extremely useful in putting us in contact with the right people.”
The buyer
One senior travel buyer, who heads up the global travel programme for a leading UK company, did not want to be named, but was willing to offer his views on the different travel industry associations. He has been a member of ACTE but has left it and is now only a member of the ITM. “ACTE is strong in the US and in parts of
Europe, which is useful for companies like us with a global programme, but it’s a bit thin on the ground in France and Germany,” he says. “Also its content isn’t as strong as the ITM’s. The ITM has new leadership coming up with some good ideas like getting out into the regions. I know people in Manchester and Birmingham who find it very useful to have the ITM locally. “All these organisations have their
strengths and weaknesses,” he concludes. “It varies over time and you should join the one that best fits your needs at any given time. To work out what’s right for you I would recommend getting along to a few of their events and seeing where you get best value.”