Business Travelers Will Continue Cutting Costs Through 2009
While travel prices are likely to increase this year, the travel industry will experience sluggish growth, according to the National Business Travel Association’s 2009 Business Travel Overview & Cost Forecast.
“This year we saw a slowdown in the growth of business travel from the rate of growth we saw in 2004 through 2007. In 2009, we’ll see a continuation of that slowdown in growth,” says NBTA President and CEO Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP. “The expansion of the trend is the result of measures [that] travel managers are implementing to contain travel costs during an economic downturn. The measures vary widely from company to company. In some companies, we’re already seeing major cutbacks in travel, while other companies have higher travel budgets in place for 2009. Across the board, we can expect to see some changes in the way travel is managed to further maximize value.”
The bottom line for meeting planners: Travel dollars will be fewer and farther between than they were in 2008, so make sure your meeting is worth the cost to get to it – and show potential attendees why it will be.
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Filling Event Seats in a Recession
As the airline industry combusts and most potential attendees slash their budgets for travel and meetings, building event attendance has become an even greater challenge. But according to many expert planners, there are still plenty of ways to fill general session seats and hotel room beds; you just may have to get a little creative. A recent EXPO article offered a number of tips for planners to keep building attendance during the current economic downturn. Some of the ideas include:
- Consider offering a charter bus, train or aircraft to your meeting, allowing attendees to avoid the scramble for commercial airline seats and the skyrocketing prices of commercial airfare.
- Make yours a “must-attend” event by providing value through pertinent content and opportunities that can’t be obtained elsewhere.
- Consider new ways of marketing your event. For her 2008 show, Karen Howe, Executive Director of Conventions & Meetings with the National Safety Council, added telemarketing to her marketing mix. “Registration was behind, but once we got the telemarketers on the phone, we saw the gap close,” she says.
- Don’t send out a one-size-fits-all brochure; instead, personalize your communications, sending targeted messages selected to resonate with individual attendees.
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TIA + TBR = USTA
The Travel Industry Association (TIA) has merged with the Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) to form the U.S. Travel Association. Roger Dow, who served as TIA president and CEO, will continue to serve in the same capacity for the newly formed organization. According to Dow, travel supports nearly 18 million U.S. jobs that cannot be outsourced and contributes more than $100 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.
With the U.S. Travel Association, “America’s travel community has created an organization that matches the power and scope of America’s travel economy,” says Dow. The new organization represents leaders from nearly all major travel-related companies, state travel and tourism offices, dozens of the top U.S. convention and visitors bureaus and nearly all the major travel associations. The USTA will serve as the leading advocate for increasing travel to and within the United States and provide its members with valuable research, events and marketing.
“At this time of economic downturn, it is more important than ever for our industry to speak with one voice about how travel is a critical tool for creating jobs and stimulating economic activity in all 50 states,” says Jonathan M. Tisch, former Chairman of TBR and Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. For more information, go to: http://www.tia.org.
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ACTE Conference Announces Keynoters
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) recently announced that James C. May, President and CEO of the Air Transport Association (ATA), will be a keynote speaker for the association’s Global Education Conference, slated for April 5-7 in Washington, DC. Other keynote speakers at the event include Juan Enriquez, one of the world’s leading authorities on the dynamics of the economic and political impacts of the life sciences, and Polly LaBarre, author of the best-seller, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win, and former Editor of Fast Company magazine.
“With an international economy in flux and a new leader about to take the reins of one of the world’s largest consumer market, the timing and content of ACTE’s Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C. couldn’t be more significant,” says outgoing ACTE President Richard Crum. “The future of the business travel industry is closely tied to the fate of the airlines, through the cost of travel and the frequency of service. This invariably addresses congestion, the air traffic control system and government security program costs imposed on the carriers."
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE’s membership consists of senior travel industry executives from 82 countries, and the organization has representation in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. For more information on ACTE, go to: http://www.acte.org.
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Hottest Menu Trends for 2009
A survey of more than 1,600 American Culinary Federation (ACF) member chefs shows locally grown produce, bite-size desserts and organics as top trends, while a new National Restaurant Association (NRA) survey of more than 1,600 professional chefs reveals that nutrition and philosophy-driven food choices will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2009.
“Creativity has always been a hallmark of professional chefs, [and] today’s marketplace offers more options than ever before,” says Dawn Sweeney, NRA President and CEO. “As the wider trend of health continues to grow, the trend of choosing certain foods to follow one’s personal philosophy has also gained momentum in the culinary world.”
“Our members are restaurant owners, culinary educators and executive chefs at restaurants, hotels and country clubs, and they experience first-hand the latest trends,” notes ACF National President John Kinsella. “In 2009, we’ll see healthier menu options with an emphasis on produce and fruit, smaller dishes and fish, and an increase in the use of local and sustainable ingredients. Going green will no longer be an alternative, as it will affect everything we do in our industry, from the use of induction cooking to finding new and exciting local food sources.”
Nutrition/health as a culinary theme is ranked number 11 in the ACF survey, underscoring the growing trends of consumer interest in healthful living. Among the top 20 items, nutritionally balanced children’s dishes and side items, produce and fruit items, smaller dishes, fish and gluten-free/allergy-conscious meals illustrate that restaurant menus will continue to expand options for health-conscious diners.
Several of the top 20 trendy items are related to the emerging trend of philosophy-driven food choices, including local sourcing, organics, artisanal items, sustainable seafood and free-range pork/poultry. Locally grown produce – rated the number-one trend on restaurant menus in 2009 – has grown tremendously in popularity for a variety of reasons. The idea of farm-fresh fruit and vegetables and minimal transportation are appealing to many, and sourcing locally is also tied to supporting local communities and businesses. Food and beverage items produced by small, artisan businesses also hold appeal, as do animal welfare and environmental concerns.
The hottest trends in culinary themes include nutrition/health, gluten-free/allergy-conscious, food-alcohol pairings, umami (known as “the fifth taste”) and the slow food movement. In the preparation techniques category, braising tops the list, followed by smoking and sous vide. For more information on these trends, go to: http://www.acfchefs.org.
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