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Business travel community was out in force this past November 17-19 for the Global Business Travel Association’s 2021 Convention held in Orlando, Fla. The association reported that more than 3,500 professionals from more than 20 countries joined the 200+ exhibitors for the three-day conference in the Sunshine State.
“This was certainly a GBTA Convention like no other, in a year that’s been like no other. But what was clear is that we’re getting back to business and getting back to travel,” said GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang. “There were challenges due to the pandemic, but I am delighted to say that the event surpassed our expectations especially in light of current circumstances.”
Industry forecasts, data, and insights
- GBTA released its latest Business Travel Index 2021-2025 (made possible by HRS) revealing travel spending is forecast to surge in 2022 with full recovery expected in 2024–ending the year back to 2019 pre-pandemic global business travel spending levels of $1.4 trillion.
- The GBTA-CWT Global Business Travel Forecast 2022 showed global travel pricing increases are ahead–in 2022, flight prices are expected to rise 3.3 percent, hotel rates 13 percent and ground transportation 3.9 percent. This will be primarily driven by increasing demand, capacity constraints and travelers’ sustainability demands, plus increased labor and fuel costs.
- During GBTA Media Day, industry leaders announced news and industry firsts, while the GBTA Broadcast Studio hosted almost 40 executive interviews from some of the leading and most innovative companies in business travel and beyond.
There’s still an opportunity to access the best of Convention 2021 on-demand. Non-attendees can sign up for GBTA Convention Replay to view the five Main Stage sessions and 25 educations sessions from November 29 to January 28, 2022. Registered attendees can watch anytime via the GBTA Convention app by going to “My Convention Planner,” clicking the session of their choice, and scrolling down to the “Handouts” section to view.
What’s Next
GBTA revealed its theme for 2022 including next year’s convention: “(Re)Connect, (Re)Imagine, (Re)Create.” Sign up to receive alerts about registration, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities for GBTA Convention 2022, August 14-17 in San Diego, Calif.
GBTA’s European Conference, which was scheduled for December 2021, has been postponed to early 2022 in light of concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID.
[11.30.21]
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Having been through hopefully the worst days of this unprecedented pandemic, the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) hopes to be on the path to some type of regulatory renaissance. There is a feeling of excitement among the industry, regulators, and society in general after our most recent prolonged pandemic with regulators and their associated industries maintaining a level of resiliency over the past year and a half. This year, it is important to realize where the industry goes from here—in terms of advancement and innovation.
With that in mind, this year’s IATR’s Conference—scheduled virtually for December 13-17—is themed “Regulatory Reboot” as the organization looks to move forward into a changed and changing mobility world. Held virtually via Zoom, the conference offers five days of education, with 57 guest speakers and experts—including IATR President Matt Daus—who will be on hand to share their years of knowledge, strategies, and policies. If you’re focused on launching or growing your business within the new regulatory landscape, the IATR Conference has you covered.
Some program highlights of the scheduled virtual conference include:
5th Annual IATR Bootcamp: A returning conference staple, this year’s bootcamp, which involves basic regulatory training for beginners, will address the following topics from the ground-up, so to speak: Urban Air Mobility; Electric Vehicle Primer; and Food & Package Delivery Services, Optimization & Regulation.
Pandemic Regulatory Reboot—Regulator Star Trek 4.0: This year, each panelist will be asked to address policies enacted during the pandemic, including mask mandates, deferral or waiver of licensing fees and inspections, enforcement moratoriums, and whether these policies will continue in some form. A “lessons learned” approach will be taken to the format, and the panel will address whether any changes need to be made to update IATR’s Regulatory Practices & Model Regulations for COVID-19 Health, Safety & Resilience as a result.
TNCs Working with Taxis? WTH?!: Recent partnerships between TNCs and the taxicab industry, two segments of ground transportation long at odds with one another, has taken many by surprise, particularly with the announcement that Uber would like to place taxicabs on its application. This panel will present stakeholders who may offer differing views on these latest developments, and what such partnerships mean for the regulator.
Driver Compensation—New Labor Models for Transportation Workers: In the aftermath of California’s passage of Prop 22, and the continued existence of AB-5, compelling many drivers for taxi and limousine companies to become employees, this panel will explore where we go from here, now that extended unemployment benefits have expired.
Visit iatr2021.heysummit.com for more information about the conference, including registration, a full schedule, and sponsorship.
[11.30.21]
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The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) will hold elections for seven operator seats on the board of directors, starting this Thursday, December 2, and closing on December 17. Voting will be done online and the winners will be introduced at the association’s Motorcoach EXPO, scheduled for February 23-27, 2022, in Long Beach, Calif.
Campaigning began in early October, after the slate of candidates was announced during UMA’s online Town Hall.
Candidates by UMA Region
Region 1 (two open seats):
- Lisa Allen of Amador Stage Lines in Reno, Nevada
- Tom Giddens of Pacific Coachways in Garden Grove, California
- John Grzywacz of CIT Signature Transportation in Ames, Iowa
Region 1 covers the western part of the country, including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Region 2 (two open seats):
- Paige Balsinger of All Around Charter & Tours in Nokomis, Florida
- James M. Brown Sr. of Magic Carpet Tour Bus Service in Richmond, Virginia
- Clarence Cox III of Georgia Coach Lines in Fayetteville, Georgia
- Jacqueline Grice of Agape Travel & Tours in Chesapeake, Virginia
- Yvette Harris of Horizon Motor Coach in Harlem, Georgia
- Lee Helms of Sunway Charters in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Jack Kaufman of Timi’s Tours Transportation in Moweaqua, Illinois
- Jason Quick of Quick’s Bus Service in Staunton, Virginia
Region 2 includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Region 3 (uncontested, two open seats):
- Glenn R. Every of Tonche Transit in Mount Temper, New York
- Tim Stout of Stout’s Transportation in Ewing, New Jersey
Region 3 includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Region 4 is an uncontested race with John Wilson of The Wilson’s Group of Companies in Victoria, British Columbia, seeking the one open seat to represent Canadian operators.
For more information, visit uma.org.
[11.30.21]