CONTACT: Caleb Tiller | 703-684-0836 Ext. 138
Alexandria, VA (February 16, 2005) -- The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today launched the next installment in a series of resources on Strategic Meetings Management Programs (SMMPs). Building a Meeting Policy in Support of Your Strategic Meetings Management Program is offered by the NBTA Groups & Meetings Committee to help travel managers involved in designing and implementing SMMPs create the meetings policies that serve as the foundation for such a program.
“This support paper builds on the ‘Framework for Success’ series with information specific to the formulation of policy,” said Groups & Meetings Committee Co-Chair Maddy Caliri, C.P.M.; Procurement Manager, Global Hotel, Meetings and Events, AT&T. “The first ‘Framework for Success’ paper mapped out the concept and benefits of a Strategic Meetings Management Program based on sound policy. This new policy paper helps readers think through the nuts and bolts of creating the policy foundation for an SMMP.”
“Travel managers have long understood the value they bring to their companies through a company-wide approach to managing individual business travel,” added Co-Chair Kari Knoll Kesler; Global Manager, Meetings & Events, Honeywell, Inc. “As they are increasingly asked to expand that expertise to create strategic approaches to meetings management, we are committed to providing tools that will help them accomplish their goals.”
The NBTA Groups & Meetings Committee was formed in July 2003 in response to NBTA member needs. At the time, travel managers were increasingly expected to be involved in corporate meetings programs. In March 2004, the Committee issued Building a Strategic Meetings Management Program, a white paper designed for travel managers who have responsibility for the development or ongoing management of Strategic Meetings Management Programs within their companies. That paper was followed in August 2004 with Critical Meetings Components: Hotel and Air, a paper on sourcing the air and hotel components of an SMMP. These papers have been enthusiastically received in the corporate travel and meetings industries.
The whole Framework for Success: Strategic Meetings Management Programs series can be found on the NBTA website; some elements are available to NBTA members only. Members of the media interested in copies of the papers can contact Caleb Tiller at ctiller@nbta.org or 703-681-0836 ext. 138.
With continued indications that NBTA Direct (travel manager) Members benefit from meetings-related resources, NBTA recently extended its partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI). That partnership and the work of the Groups & Meetings Committee provide NBTA members with the tools they need to successfully tackle the challenge of increased involvement in their companies’ meeting programs.
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.
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