The SkyTeam airline alliance implemented partnerships with more than 40 events and conferences for 2007 during the first year of its Global Meetings program, officials said.
Among events that used SkyTeam's meetings offering were 3GSM, a mobile communications conference and exhibition; the Belgrade Fair; IMEX, an exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events; and the World Psychiatry Association Congress.
SkyTeam, which has 10 member airlines, including Continental, Delta and Northwest airlines and Korean Air, in April 2006 announced the program, which is aimed at streamlining the travel arranging of large international meetings
(Meetings Today, Aug. 14, 2006).It allows meeting planners to access almost 15,000 departures from participating airlines, but is restricted to international travel to a common destination with participants originating from at least three other countries. The United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean all are considered as part of a single entity: North America. Events must be registered with the program at least six months of lead time.
SkyTeam competitor Star Alliance offers a similar program. Conventions Plus, launched in 2002, offers discounted fares and a single point of contact, but requires what it calls "truly global events" of a minimum 500 international attendees from at least three different countries and two continents, with lead time at least six months.
Oneworld, the other major airline alliance, last year pulled its EventFlyer meetings offering—which had similar terms as its competitors' programs—from the market in favor of individual alliance carriers' programs, but makes certain types of alliance products available to groups.