Travel Professionals Participate in CTE, Focus Group Sea Onboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas
Caleb Tiller , 703-684-0836, ext. 138
Courtney Leigh Beisel , 703-684-0836, ext. 133
Alexandria, VA (May 22, 2006) -- The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the leading provider of education for travel managers and suppliers, hosted more than 70 guests this weekend onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Freedom of the Seas, many of which participated in the association’s Fundamentals of Business Travel Management course and a focus group for the NBTA Foundation. The Fundamentals of Business Travel Management is specifically designed for professionals new to the discipline or those interested in learning more about corporate travel management. The focus group concentrated on gathering user input to guide future enhancements to the NBTA Foundation Managed Travel Index & Benchmarking Tool.
Nancy White, an administrative assistant for Weyerhaeuser, commented, “Attending NBTA’s Fundamentals of Business Travel Management was a very worthwhile experience for me because it offered me the opportunity to learn more about the strategic role corporate travel departments play in an organization’s daily operations. It also gave me the chance to network with various segments of the travel industry, including procurement professionals, meeting planners and travel agents.”
She continued, “Courses like the Fundamentals of Business Travel Management not only allow travel managers to maintain quality standards in the industry, but to also stay ahead of the growing changes and needs of our travelers. The exchange of these ideas gives us the tools to proactively address these changes so that we can offer the best quality to the industry."
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| Carol Ann Salcito and Bill Connors address attendees of the Fundamentals of Business Travel Management course this past weekend onboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. |
Material covered in the Fundamentals of Business Travel Management focuses on maximizing cost containment strategies, improving productivity, creating a managed travel culture within a company, ensuring traveler safety and security, developing travel policies and calculating the return on investment for a managed travel program. Upon successful completion of the coursework and exam associated with the Fundamentals of Business Travel Management, participants will receive a certificate and designation as a Corporate Travel Executive (CTE). Today’s session is led by Carol Ann Salcito, President and Owner of Management Alternatives, Inc., a leading travel management consulting firm.
The focus group served as a forum to gather user input regarding the NBTA Foundation Managed Travel Index & Benchmarking Tool. Travel managers participating in the discussion explored ways to use the tools to develop best practices and other resources for corporate travel managers. The group also reviewed the air and hotel information currently offered through the tools and potential data that could be added to future versions. Participants also met with Royal Caribbean President Adam Goldstein while onboard. The NBTA Foundation will release the latest version of the tools at the NBTA International Convention & Exposition, July 16-19 in Chicago.
NBTA Executive Director and COO Bill Connors, CTC, remarked, “Royal Caribbean was our first cruise line Allied member. They have been on the cutting edge in the cruise line industry in terms of wanting to engage with corporate travel manager and planners, and were eager to partner with Royal Caribbean to host the CTE course and NBTA Foundation focus group. Their new ships are clearly designed with group and conference business in mind. Freedom of the Seas served as a terrific venue for our meetings.”
Freedom of the Seas holds more than 4,000 people and features ample meeting and conference space, themed restaurants, casino and spa facilities. The cruise for Fundamentals of Business Travel Management, part of a series of inaugural voyages for the ship, sailed from Boston.
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 2,700 corporate and government travel managers and travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than $170 billion of expenditures within the business travel industry. For more on NBTA, visit www.nbta.org.
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