ACTE Members Influence Global Focus

<B>ACTE Members Influence Global Focus</B>

By Megan Hjermstad

Ninety percent of the 650 ACTE members who responded to a membership survey cited networking and education as the primary reasons, and benchmarking as the third most compelling reason for joining the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. Consequently, ACTE made changes to the agenda for this year's global conference, being held in Amsterdam Oct. 22-24, that aim to meet members' expectations in these categories.

ACTE members in May received an e-mail notification that included a link to the membership survey posted on the ACTE Web site. The survey was designed to find out about the association's members, why they joined and what they expected to get out of the organization.

Based on recommendations from the survey, the association at ACTE Global will introduce a unique roundtable forum on Monday afternoon to provide an opportunity for members to network with their counterparts within the same industry. Travel managers and suppliers will be grouped according to industry type to discuss topics of common interest, brainstorm ideas and share best practices. It is the first time suppliers will be offered a venue at an ACTE conference to focus on common elements.

Also in response to survey suggestions, ACTE will offer a new education session, Introduction to Travel Management for Executives New to Travel, designed to provide insight for corporate travel managers new to the practice of travel management. "A lot are being recruited from purchasing areas and most can attest to this being a really strange new world for them," said ACTE manager of marketing and membership Kate Farrell. The Sunday afternoon session will be followed by the First-Time-Members Only reception and the formal conference opening.

ACTE also reduced the registration fee for this year's conference by $100, and did not schedule an event for Monday night. Most respondents didn't want to adhere to a schedule for a two-and-a-half day period, noted Farrell.

Meanwhile, ACTE in August put a new face on its Web site. "We wanted our members and non-members to know with a quick glance at the home page, without the need to navigate further, everything that was going on at ACTE," said Farrell.

The new site features a link to the TravelStat benchmarking product offered by TravelManagement.com (BTN, Aug. 14). ACTE members who subscribe to the TravelStat product earn $150 credit towards membership renewal, and are eligible for a drawing to win a one-time ACTE annual membership or conference registration, or a complimentary TravelStat subscription or subscription renewal.