Associations for Meetings Industry and Corporate Travel Industry to Collaborate on Education and Position Papers
CONTACTS:
Caleb Tiller, NBTA | 703-684-0836 Ext. 138
Kelly Schulz, MPI | 972-702-3033
Dallas, TX (January 28, 2005) -- The executive committees of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) met during MPI’s 2005 Professional Education Conference-North America (PEC-NA) to renew the associations’ partnership and discuss future collaboration that will benefit NBTA and MPI members.
MPI and NBTA have common goals of providing member value and ensuring that organizations effectively use face-to-face meetings and business travel to achieve key organizational goals. To meet those goals, the initiative will include partnering on education, such as presenting at each other’s events and opportunities for NBTA and MPI members to attend events held by the other group, as well as collaboration on industry position papers, as appropriate.
According to Colin Rorrie, Jr., PhD, CAE, “Our partnership with NBTA is an example of what I call, ‘the power of the partnership’ and collaborating with our peers for the good of the industry. As meeting professionals and corporate travel professionals work more closely together within many organizations, it makes sense for us to provide education and position papers that will benefit all constituents of MPI and NBTA.”
NBTA President & CEO, Carol A. Devine, CCTE, said, “This is a win-win partnership for NBTA and MPI. NBTA research shows that the vast majority of travel managers are already involved in some way in meetings within their companies. As the strategic meetings management concept grows, the collaboration between meeting planers and travel managers will only increase. By working together, NBTA and MPI can provide resources to empower both groups of constituents to benefit from each other’s expertise.”
Future collaboration also may include joint research projects. The original agreement was signed in August 2003 to encourage cooperation and networking in the meetings and corporate travel industry and enhance the shared synergies between these leading trade associations.
About NBTA
The National Business Travel Association is the source for critical information on the business travel industry. For more than 35 years, NBTA has dedicated itself to the professional development of its members through advocacy, education and training, and networking opportunities. NBTA represents over 2,500 corporate travel managers and travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than $170 billion of expenditures within the business travel industry.
About MPI
Established in 1972, Meeting Professionals International (MPI; www.mpiweb.org) is the largest association for the meetings profession with more than 19,000 members in 66 chapters and clubs. As the global authority and resource for the $102.3 billion meetings and event industry, MPI empowers meeting professionals to increase their strategic organizational value through education and networking opportunities. Its strategic plan, Pathways to Excellence, is designed to elevate the role of meetings in business via: creating professional development levels to evolve member careers to positions of strategic understanding and influence; influencing executives about the value of meetings; and intensifying supplier business opportunities.
###