The Business of Travel

With business traveler health and safety at the forefront now more than ever, medical assistance networks can play a critical role. David Sarafinas, Vice President, US Medical Assistance for Collinson Group joined Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention to discuss why a network is essential to providing medical assistance, the importance of relationships and vetting providers, and how network information is used. 

In this 4th installment of ‘It’s SME Again’ podcast series, we chat with Dewitt Jones, world renowned Nat Geo photographer and motivational speaker about how travel can enhance or detract from performance, and how there is more than one right answer in travel, and life. We have previously spoken with road warriors from professional baseball to film and television production to an Olympics Water Polo team. One of the common threads we have discovered is how travel is a key ingredient to success in the sports, media, and entertainment industries. Joining live from GBTA Convention 2022 in San Diego, hosts Amy Thiessen and Greg Bell have an insightful conversation with Dewitt Jones on how to celebrate what’s right in both life and travel. Dewitt Jones, in his twenty-year career with National Geographic, Dewitt Jones lived the vision of “celebrating what’s right with the world” and embraced an attitude that took him to new heights both in business and in life. He found that the creative tools he employed as a photographer had even deeper application when applied directly to his personal and professional growth.  Discover the beauty of being open to possibilities and reframing problems into opportunities. Using his own extraordinary photographs as illustrations, Dewitt weaves a visual tapestry of emotion and content. One that allows you to touch your own passion: to balance your head with your heart: and to come away inspired with your own creative potential. GBTA’s Sports, Media & Entertainment committee (SME) currently has 20 committee members from high-level positions within the travel community. Our buyers represent many of the leading sports, media and companies in the world, from professional sports teams and leagues, players associations, movie studios, film production companies, music labels, and so on. On the supplier side we also have top reps from the major travel companies from the airlines, lodging, ground transportation.  The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s largest professional association representing the $1.4 trillion business travel industry. Collectively, our members directly control more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually, and also represent every facet of the global travel industry marketplace. The goal of the SME podcast is to leave you with up-to-date insights and relevant, actionable guidance.  

Charlie Bacharach, Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Travel Leaders Corporate, part of Internova Travel Group, sits down with Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention to share his perspective on the latest business travel trends based on recent booking patterns, the biggest issues for corporate travel managers, and the role sustainability is playing in shaping the focus for corporate travel stakeholders. 

Meetings are back, but they’re not the same!  Join this podcast to learn how you can be prepared for the meetings of today, consider your options, plan ahead, be flexible, budget and most importantly educate your stakeholders and collaborate with your suppliers.

After navigating a global pandemic for well over two years, what’s your new normal? In a new podcast series – “Back and Better Than Ever” –  learn from incredible women coming together to discuss what “returning” means to them. In this episode, Kate Nichols, Founder of Go Jane, Go, a global community of 1,000+ women who travel for business, joins Shannon Jackson, Business Development Leader at Avis Budget Group Produced by GBTA WINiT’s Return to the Office & Return to the Road Committee, the “Back and Better Than Ever” podcast series explores unique views and voices from guests that have various ties to business travel. Hear the shared experiences that all business travelers have likely endured in some capacity – while gaining insight on how to continue to prevail together.

Townsend Bailey, head of Corporate Responsibility, Americas, and Soojin Yoon, Manager, Corporate Responsibility, both from IHG Hotels & Resorts joined Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention for a deep discussion on sustainability. Topics include how sustainability is evolving in the hospitality space, where IHG is focusing its efforts, the benefits of environmental sustainability, and how corporate travel managers can help influence change.

Delphine Milot, SVP of Sustainability at GBTA sits down with Florent Martin, CEO & Founder of Easy2call at GBTA Conference 2022 | Toronto podcast booth to discuss the needs of travel managers, and how Easy2call has managed to continue to provide 24-hour support and services in this current covid environment.

Kate King, Account Management Lead at International SOS joins Michael Sherrard, Managing Partner at Sherrard Kuzz, LLP | | Employment & Labour Lawyers at GBTA Conference 2022 | Toronto podcast booth to discuss Individual travel risk, duty of care, and providing per diems or stipends to employers.

Kristen Ahye, Director of Acquisition Integration at American Express Global Business Travel, sits down with Amy Simpson, VP and GM of Global Client Group at American Express Global Business Travel, to discuss the changes in deciding when its necessary to travel and how to maintain relationships with clients in a post-pandemic environment. This enlightening conversation provides insight into the past several years and explores what returning to the office and the road means to women in the modern workplace.

Mitch Malinsky, Head of Strategic Partnerships at PheedLoop Inc., sits down with GBTA’s head of Communications, Research and PR, Debbie Iannaci, at the GBTA Conference 2022 – Toronto Podcast Booth to share advice for event planners looking to plan events going forward in the aftermath of the global pandemic.