Registration Leading Last Year’s Record-Setting Pace
Caleb Tiller , +1 703-684-0836, ext. 138
Alexandria, VA and Boston, MA (April 19, 2007) -- The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today unveiled its slate of speakers for General Sessions at the 2007 NBTA International Convention & Exposition, to be held July 22-25 in Boston. The lineup includes a new format for Monday, which will bring together three industry experts for the Industry Legends Panel.
The 2007 NBTA Convention keynote speakers will be:
Monday General Session (sponsored by Sponsored by Sabre Travel Network,
GetThere & Travelocity Business) -- Industry Legends Panel featuring:
- Gordon M. Bethune, Chair of Aloha Airgroup, and former Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines
- Robert L. Crandall, former Chairman and CEO of American Airlines
- Peter Greenberg, Moderator & Emmy Award-Winning Travel Journalist
Tuesday General Session (sponsored by Orbitz Worldwide by Travelport) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell
Wednesday General Session (sponsored by Expedia Corporate Travel) -- Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin
NBTA President & CEO, Suzanne Fletcher, commented, “The NBTA International Convention & Exposition is widely recognized as the premier event in the corporate travel industry and has presented a number of the world’s most recognizable personalities as featured speakers. We are pleased this year to welcome leading figures from the travel industry, world politics, academia, and media to share their unique perspectives with NBTA Convention attendees.”
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| Bethune |
Crandall |
Greenberg |
Goodwin |
Powell |
Registration for the 2007 NBTA Convention is ahead of where it was this number of weeks in advance of last year’s convention, which turned out to be a banner year for attendance. At 1,026, the number of registrants to date is 161 percent greater than last year, with the number of Direct, or travel buyer, registrations to date leading last year’s number by 61 percent.
NBTA Convention Speaker Information
Bethune earned worldwide acclaim at Continental Airlines for spearheading one of the most dramatic corporate turnarounds in history. When he joined the troubled carrier as President and COO in February 1994, Continental consistently ranked last in every measurable performance metric, including on-time performance, customer complaints and mishandled baggage. Bethune quickly assumed the role of CEO in November 1994, and was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in September 1996. His effort to rescue the financially troubled carrier from a seemingly irreversible tailspin, as chronicled in his best-selling business novel From Worst to First, has made him a legend in commercial aviation.
Crandall, former Chairman and CEO of AMR Corporation and American Airlines, was labeled by the Wall Street Journal as “the man who changed the way the world flies.” During his 25-year tenure at American Airlines, Crandall led the Company to making various innovations that revolutionized the travel industry. In 1973, he headed a project to modernize American’s SABRE computer reservations system, thus laying the groundwork for what eventually became The SABRE Group, a leading provider of computing and communications services for airlines throughout the world. In 1975, Crandall created Super Saver fares, which introduced the concept of deep discounts for advance-purchase tickets. Subsequently, he led the development of the industry’s first yield management system, a revenue-maximizing approach now used throughout the airline industry. In 1980, he created AAdvantage, the industry’s first frequent flyer program.
Greenberg is one of the world’s most preeminent travel journalists. He has covered literally thousands of stories in hundreds of locations across the globe in his many roles, including: travel editor for NBC, MSNBC and CNBC; best-selling author; radio host of a program syndicated nationally and broadcast on XM Satellite; contributing editor for America Online and Men’s Health; and regular contributor to Forbes and The New Yorker. His projects include a New York Times’ best-selling book series, The Travel Detective, the Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio show (aired on 128 radio stations nationwide), and dozens of TV programs, including Secrets of The Black Box. He is a regular on NBC’s Today show.
General Powell became the 65th Secretary of State of the United States on January 20, 2001. As he stated at his confirmation hearing, the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy during his tenure was that "America stands ready to help any country that wishes to join the democratic world." General Powell brought extensive experience with him to his office. Before becoming Secretary of State, he served as a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan. He also served 35 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989 – 1993). During this time he oversaw 28 crises, including the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Goodwin, a world-renowned historian, has been reporting on politics and baseball for over two decades. Her most recent book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, reached number one on the New York Times Best-Seller List, and Steven Spielberg is developing it into a feature-length film. She is a commentator for NBC and a consultant and on-air personality for PBS documentaries on Lyndon B. Johnson, the Kennedy Family, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ken Burns’ The History of Baseball. Goodwin’s books Lyndon Johnson & The American Dream, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, and No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The American Home Front During World War II, were all New York Times Best-Sellers. She has won numerous literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1995.
About NBTA Annual International Convention & Exposition
The NBTA International Convention & Exposition, now entering its 39th year, will be hosted July 22-25 in Boston. The event is expected to attract more than 1,300 corporate travel buyers and representatives from more than 400 exhibiting suppliers. With a tradeshow spanning nearly 110,000 square feet of Boston Convention Center and more than 40 cutting-edge education sessions, the NBTA Convention is widely recognized as the must attend event for travel buyers, suppliers, industry leaders and business travel journalists.
About NBTA
The National Business Travel Association is the source for critical information on the business travel industry. For nearly 40 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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