The Georgia Business Travel Association plans to end its
"exclusive affiliation" with the Global Business Travel Association
in favor of partnerships with multiple associations, universities and other
organizations, according to an email to chapter members from chapter president
Haley Johnson. The email was obtained by Business Travel News, posted to the
chapter's website and confirmed by a source close to the GeorgiaBTA board who
asked not to be identified.
The decision was prompted by GBTA's Chapter of the Future project that would require the chapter to agree to financial commitments, an
exclusive affiliation and migration to a new technology platform to be used by
GBTA and all local chapters. Following concerns conveyed by some chapters, GBTA
delayed the CoF timeline and named a task force to "refine plans"
approved by the board.
Rather than wait for the revisions, Georgia GBTA chapter
officers this week provided GBTA with a 45-day notice of its decision to drop
its affiliation. "We felt the only way to clarify our definitive position
was to drop our affiliation," the source said.
"We don't want an exclusive relationship with
anyone," the source added. "Our goal has always been to bring value
to our members, and we feel we can bring more value by opening up ourselves to
multiple opportunities, not just GBTA." For example, the chapter
identified as potential content or education partners the Georgia State University
School of Hospitality, Association of Corporate Travel Executives, Institute
for Supply Management, Meeting Professionals International and Business Travel
News.
Johnson, who also works for United Airlines, wrote,
"The new structure will enable GeorgiaBTA to collaborate with leading
content developers across our industry. Building collaborative partnerships
with multiple sources will help us produce richer and more robust sessions that
will bring more value to GeorgiaBTA members and their companies."
The local association is open to "having GBTA as part
of our content, just without the exclusivity," the source told BTN. In its
CoF documents, GBTA stated that its executives "had to approve any other
affiliation" that a local chapter might consider. "We'll still review
whatever the task force sends back," the source added.
As it considered GBTA's CoF requirements, the GeorgiaBTA
board realized that the $5,000 to $10,000 in continuing education scholarships
that it had annually provided to members to obtain GBTA certifications or
attend programs could be used to benefit members who applied for programs,
courses or certifications from other associations or universities, such as
GSU's hospitality school.
The GBTA requirement to migrate to the StarChapter
technology platform also posed a problem for the Georgia chapter, the source
said. At GBTA's suggestion several years ago, the Georgia chapter "signed
a five-year agreement with Cvent," valid for another year or so. In
addition to that pre-existing contract, some within the chapter were uneasy
about moving to a platform that would allow GBTA to market to its members.
Founded in 1979, the 140-member GeorgiaBTA chapter in 2010
sold its Internet domain to GBTA to facilitate the global organization's
rebranding from the National Business Travel Association. The chapter turned to
the attorney who assisted with that domain sale for advice on its new
independent framework. "We don't even have to change our name," the
source claimed.
The chapter had to inform the Internal Revenue Service of
its plans to file for tax-exempt status instead of relying on GBTA's
designation. "It wasn't that complicated," the source said.
"If they still want to partner with us, we're open to
it," the source continued. "We feel like there are so many chapters
out there who are in limbo. We wanted to clearly state why we took this step
and what we see as our path."
According to a prepared response attributed to Global
Business Travel Association president Jim McMullan, "GBTA and local chapters
across the country are working with a recently appointed task force that is in
the process of further developing and refining the original Chapter of the
Future plan. That plan called for much-needed investment in the future health
of the GBTA local chapter network in the United States. While the task force
and I respect the decision of this chapter, we are disappointed that any
chapter would make the decision to leave this process, especially before the
task force's work is complete. We wish this chapter the best as an independent
organization, but regret that its membership will miss out on the goals that
the task force is striving to achieve, including the potential for better
resources, programming, growth opportunities and many other benefits that come
with GBTA affiliation and the Chapter of the Future plan."
Meanwhile, the Inland Northwest Business Travel Association
last month voted to "withdraw is membership from GBTA, not pay the
required $4,130 and wait and see how the CoF unfolds," according to
minutes posted on its website. That chapter's president declined to comment.
Sources told BTN that some chapters have agreed to pay GBTA
$35 per member in upfront fees to help fund the technology conversion, instead
of $70 as originally requested.