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What education and training opportunities are available for travel buyers in 2016?


THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUYERS to hone their travel management and procurement skills has been growing in recent years. This reflects a perception in the industry that the pace of change


in several key areas – such as distribution, technology, risk man- agement and the potential of data capabilities – has quickened. Also, employers are increasingly looking to improve employee engagement and retention by investing in skills development, according to Chris Pouney of consultancy Nina & Pinta. But he also points out “a fundamental difference between industry education


and training – and both are required”. Education is about keeping abreast of industry developments and peer networking, while training is a more formal form of professional development that should carry independent accreditation, he says. Both are high on the agenda for the major business travel associations, which have extensive programmes that feature a combination of conferences, workshops, seminars, online training and formal certificated courses for buyers. Here is a guide to some of the main opportunities available during 2016.


THE BBT FORUMS, WHICH ARE NOW HELD IN BOTH LONDON AND DUBLIN, have become highly popular events for buyers in the busy business travel calendar. The concept of the forums, which


are supported by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), is to allow senior travel buyers to come together to discuss common challenges and strategies to improve the running of their travel programmes. Numbers are limited to around 80 participants at each forum, with buyers making up around 50 per cent of all attendees. Buying Business Travel editor Paul Revel says that extensive


114 BBT JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016


buyer feedback from each event helps shape content for subsequent forums. “We don’t have formal presentations and no-one uses Power Point,” he says. “It’s all about open dialogue – because we have ‘Chatham House Rules’, it allows buyers to be more candid about the issues and chal- lenges they face, as well as talking about successful solutions they’ve implemented within their organisations.” One buyer, who has attended several forums, says: “You don’t have someone lecturing from a podium – it’s about the opportunity for everyone to share and contribute to the whole conversation.”


The next event will be held in Dublin on


February 9, followed by forums in London on May 19 and October 7. BBT also partners with key educational


events throughout the year, including many of those listed in this feature, plus other events such as the Serviced Apartment Summit on July 12-13 in London. New for 2016 will be a collaboration between corporate hotel booking special- ist HRS, BBT and ITM – a hotel forum launching in June that will feature expert speakers, seminars and debates on opti- mising your accommodation programme.


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