NBTA, MPI Announce Partnership

The National Business Travel Association, the largest U.S.-based association of travel managers, and Meeting Professionals International, the largest professional meetings organization, this week announced an alliance to foster more collaboration among corporate meetings and travel professionals.

Underscoring the increased convergence of the corporate management of individual and group travel, NBTA and MPI said they could leverage the newfound relationship to achieve common political goals, as well as carry out common educational missions.

Through the partnership, NBTA members will receive MPI member pricing at educational events and conventions and vice versa.

When NBTA in late March formed a committee devoted to the management of corporate group and meetings travel, the two organizations began talks--culminating this week at MPI's World Education Congress in San Francisco where the partnership was announced to attendees. NBTA will announce the partnership next week at its annual convention in Dallas, said president Kevin Iwamoto. He added: "By partnering with MPI, we can provide our members with critical resources to succeed, as meeting planning is added to their professional responsibilities."