Association of Corporate Travel Executives president Greeley Koch this week in Miami is presiding over his final ACTE Education Conference before his term ends in July. Since his January 2005 appointment, Koch said the association has become a truly global organization and will continue to increase its presence as a worldwide education leader, building on supplier and buyer relationships on an industrywide scale.
"There seems to have been a need for a global organization that recognizes regional needs," he said. "The members were telling us that they wanted to be part of a global organization, but wanted that organization to recognize regional nuances."
In July, Koch will move onto the ACTE Global Center for Research and Education board, the proscribed path for immediate past presidents. It's a logical progression for Koch, who believes that ACTE needs to further build on its educational programming and provide diverse educational platforms that relate to all members from various regions.
"There needs to be a better understanding of travel around the globe and how it is personal for people out there on the road," he said. "We need to tailor the offerings to what people want in various parts of the world because it's not a cookie-cutter approach."
Lauding Legislative AdvocacyAdvocacy of government issues will continue to be at the forefront of ACTE's agenda as the association transitions into the presidency of Richard Crum, president and CEO of AirPlus International, who is to succeed Koch in July.
Koch said one of the association's greatest accomplishments during his term was successfully lobbying the U.S. State Department against proposed regulations to implant radio frequency identification transmitters into American and foreign passports in 2005, which many ACTE members said would put American business travelers abroad at risk.
In addition to assisting in a smooth transition, Koch said he would spend his remaining time as ACTE president championing government issues, such as Belgium's Limosa traveler-registration issue
(BTN, April 23) and the possibility of global distribution system deregulation in Europe.
"We need to stay on point with all government issues," he said. "We also want to maintain alliances and partnerships that we have put place as we continue to move forward. We need to further build coalitions and have equal representation between suppliers and buyers because we need to have both parties sitting down at the table."
From his unique vantage point at the helm of an association, Koch said he has learned to take lessons from the past and not to discount emerging trends, citing ACTE's advocacy of corporate social responsibility, which has risen to the forefront of many corporations' agendas.
"It's important to remember where we've come from and recognize the cyclical nature to better prepare for the future," he said. "You can't discount history. You need to take it and build on it."