The National Business Travel Association said nine other business travel groups will join it in hosting a European conference

, planned for Milan in May 2008. The participants include associations from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Iberian peninsula, the Netherlands and Sweden. Britain's Institute of Travel Management--a member of the Paragon Partnership that includes NBTA and several other business travel groups--was not listed as a Milan conference participant. ITM in July withdrew from an NBTA-sponsored event planned for this week in Londondue to "uncertainty surrounding NBTA's future plans for activities in Europe," according to ITM executive director Paul Tilstone.