GBTA CONFERENCE


WORDS MOLLY DYSON IN MUNICH


MOVING WITH THE TIMES


‘Evolve’ was the theme of the GBTA Conference 2019 Munich, in partnership with VDR. Sustainability, technology and other future challenges were also on the agenda


THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE started off with a centre stage keynote address from Baroness Manningham-Buller, the former director-general of MI5, who warned attendees of the dangers of thinking “leadership follows a pattern”, saying she once thought she couldn’t rise to the level she did because she didn’t have the same personality as her predecessors. Following the insightful talk, there were industry sessions, which took place at the Messe Munchen Conference Center. The Aviation Hour featured an interview with Randy J Tinseth, vice-president of commer- cial marketing at Boeing, and Richard Tams, director of Tailwind Advisory, who acted as moderator. Tinseth gave an update on the 737 Max, saying the company had “learned lessons” from the two crashes in 2018 and


Bavarian hospitality at the Big Night Out


2019, and it was still confident the aircraft would return to the skies soon.


A later Big Idea session focused on how the business travel ecosystem can be more sustainable, and asked attendees to break into groups to think about the issue from the viewpoint of various stakeholders – airlines, hotels, buyers and travellers. The consensus was each part of the industry must work together to reduce the environ- mental impact of travel, from reducing carbon emissions to eliminating single-use plastics. During a break-out session on AI in sourcing, one buyer said her company wasn’t specifically using AI technology for its travel programme; her department is looking at adapting systems used by other areas of the business. She added: “It can be difficult to find a small entry point for im- plementing AI in travel… However, I can see a lot of change in the way buyers work, so it’s on the radar.” The closing programme featured a presentation by Svend Leirvaag, vice-president industry affairs at Amadeus, who


systems used by other ss. She added: “It can be mall entry point for im-


ange in the wa on the r


r tion


said many companiesies seem to be trying to simplify business travel without truly understanding the complexity of the industry. “But at


32 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020


the end of the day the fundamentals don’t change; buyers will always try to find the best value for money, and that’s why competition is so key for this sector.”


The conference also featured an Expo area (pictured above) with more than 50 exhibitors, while the Knowledge Bazaar enabled travel buyers to get up-to-date information on the latest trends and industry developments. The next GBTA Conference, in partnership with VDR, takes place 3-5 November in Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt


Editor’s note: The GBTA and sponsors provided travel and accommodation for this media event. Complete editorial control, including the decision to cover this news, was at the discretion of the BBT editorial team.


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Randy J Tinseth of Boeing, left, and moderator Richard Tams buyingbusinesstravel.com


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