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GBTA | Convention 2023, Are We There Yet?
Industry leaders gathered to chart business travel's recovery path as spending forecasts hit record highs
Key takeaways
Industry leaders gathered to chart business travel's recovery path as spending forecasts hit record highs
In the wake of the pandemic, the world of business travel is undergoing a significant transformation. As companies and industries adapt to new norms, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention 2023 in Dallas emerged as a pivotal event, showcasing the latest trends, technologies, and strategies in the sector. According to the GBTA, business travel spending is projected to reach unprecedented levels by the end of 2023, highlighting the sector's resilience and importance in the global economy.
Business travel spending is projected to reach unprecedented levels by the end of 2023, highlighting the sector's resilience and importance in the global economy.
So, what’s the burning question on everyone’s mind? How are industry leaders navigating this new era of business travel, and what innovations are they bringing?
Welcome to Are We There Yet? hosted by Grant Harrell. In this episode, straight from Dallas, Texas, the location of this year's GBTA Convention 2023, Harrell explores the most exciting, cutting-edge projects, companies, and products within the world of business travel. Harrell brings insights directly from the convention floor, engaging with industry-leading organizations through exclusive media access.
Highlights from the GBTA Convention 2023 include:
- A move towards sustainability in business travel, with industry-leaders like Shell, Hertz, and Avis clearly embracing this important initiative
- The rise of innovative platforms and technologies aimed at streamlining employee travel coordination, demonstrated by top-tier companies like Fox World Travel, Navan, Brex, and Serko
- Corporate hotel sourcing made easier and more efficient than ever through solutions from companies like G6 Hospitality, BTP Automation, and HRS
- Ground transportation, car rental, and parking ready to move as quick as business travel demands through working with fast-moving companies like Uber for Business, Dav El. Boston Coach, A1A Global Ground, Sixt, Hertz, Avis, and Wallypark
- Technologies and Solutions designed to ensure the safety of business travelers, as demonstrated by industry-leading companies like Everbridge
Guest spotlights from Harrell's conversations include:
- Laura Smith, EVP Global Sales and Customer Experience, Hertz
- Annelies Glandorf, Programme Experience Manager Global Corporate Travel, Shell
- Bruce Yoxsimer, CEO, BTP Automation
- Tita Moreno, Director of Business Marketing, Avis Budget Group
- Rick Versace, President & CEO, A1A Global Ground
- George Siegle, Senior Director of Business Solutions, Everbridge
- Alon Lupo, VP of Sales, Brex
- Josh Anderson, Head of Marketing, Dav. El Boston Coach
- George Kalka, VP of Business Travel, Fox World Travel
- Monique Lee, Vice President of National Sales, G6 Hospitality
- Jason Long, SVP Global Business Development, HRS Group
- Michael Sindicich, EVP & GM, Navan Expense
- Mike Daly, VP of Sales, Serko
- Dina Fischer, VP of US Sales, Sixt
- Arianna Etemadieh, Demand Generation Marketing Manager in US & Canada, Uber
- Carl Calhoun, VP of Customer Experience, Wallypark Airport Parking
About the author
Asking the most exciting, innovative, cutting-edge companies in transportation/mobility the “Are We There Yet?” question is a lot of fun, and the focus of Grant Harrell's top video podcast series! And, it’s not a bad question as so much is truly happening in this space today. What used to be trains, planes, and automobiles is now robots, drones, and spaceships, and Grant is curious about how soon we are all going to see these technologies in action, at scale. Very few of us enjoy a car that drives itself, have dinner delivered via drone, or have taken a vacation to space, but these amazing technologies and applications, as Grant discovers within his "Are We There Yet?" podcast series, are here, or as he likes to say, "we're there"! Grant also serves as the Head of Transportation/Mobility for MarketScale, one of the fastest-growing, most-successful, fun b2b media companies in the industry! MarketScale works behind the scenes for many of the top brands today, building their brand, engaging their communities, and telling their incredible stories! Within Grant's leadership of MarketScale's Transportation/Mobility division, he enjoys working with top companies within automotive to aviation, micro-mobility to marine, drones to space exploration, and everyone in between. And, Grant encourages you to reach out to him directly and set up a meeting, because as he says, "whats the point of all of this transportation/mobility technology development if we aren't headed somewhere fun to meet someone interesting"!
