WORDS MOLLY DYSON IN AMSTERDAM
ACTE GLOBAL SUMMIT
LEARNING TOGETHER
Delegates gathered in Amsterdam for the annual ACTE Global Summit, where travel distribution was debated at several education sessions
THE RECENT ACTE GLOBAL SUMMIT at Amsterdam’s Postillion Hotel & Convention Centre got off to a lively start with a panel discussion on the accommodation distribution landscape, chaired by Festive Road managing partner Paul Tilstone, in which the speakers seemed to be divided. Tilstone pointed out that companies the panellists work for would not exist if corporates always had access to the hotel rates they had agreed with chains or properties. HRS’s Jason Long agreed, and said that 20 per cent of loaded rates are wrong and should be filtered out, while BCD Travel’s Laura Kusto said: “You should only be negotiating static rates if you’ve got a lot of leverage… if you try to negotiate in your
Opening plenary session
secondary and tertiary markets, are the rates going to be as competitive as they are for a company that is a primary spender in that market? No.” However, Tripbam’s Peter Grover disagreed, advising buyers to “negotiate strong discounts with 80 per cent of the properties you’re going to use… then make sure you’re getting that rate every time a traveller books”. Later on, a break-out session saw buyers and suppliers clash on the topic of NDC, with one travel manager saying that he truly believed in the value of the new distribution standard. “But,” he said, “airlines have to stop telling us they’re doing it for us. We need more collaboration, otherwise it will be a mess for another ten years.” Another buyer agreed, adding that “airline account representatives are not informed enough to discuss NDC on the level that we need, so airlines need to do some more internal education to help us”.
LOOKING AHEAD During the three-day event, attendees were also introduced to an initiative being introduced by ACTE for 2020 – the One 2 Watch programme, which will debut at the New York City Global Summit on 26 April. It will give 12 start-ups less than five years old the chance to present their product or service live on stage, with a winner chosen by a combination of a judging panel and
buyingbusinesstravel.com
Buyers met suppliers in the InterACTE space
audience votes. The programme will be replicated at the EMEA and Asia Pacific summits throughout the year. Delegates were also treated to a “Dutch treat” at Amsterdam’s Maritime Museum with music, entertainment and traditional food and drinks. In addition, buyers were able to meet with suppliers at the InterACTE exhibition area. The next Global Summit in Europe will take place in Madrid on 21-23 October
2020
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