More than 300 participants from 18 countries gathered in Singapore last month for the 8th annual Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) Asia-Pacific Education Conference.
The two-day event, held on from August 12-13, included comprehensive educational programming, influential keynote speeches from the region's top business leaders, and extensive networking opportunities.
Themed Getting Back on Top, the ACTE event provided a forum for executives to discuss topics ranging from cost savings and data management to communication and technology.
"This is our first major event since the economy began to slowly settle after a very turbulent nine months," said ACTE Centre of Research and Education Chair and conference attendee Greeley Koch.
"The takeaway that I think is most important is the way the Asia-Pacific community has handled and viewed the economic crisis: as an opportunity to positively change the way we do business.
"The conference provided a great opportunity for frank and open discussion about these changes, and the lessons we can take from them to create better managed travel programs, policies, and practices."
The senior-level education sessions at the event touched on topics which would be most relevant to the corporate travel manager responsible for a regional or global-managed travel programs.
These topics included strategic meetings management, pricing models, outsourcing, traveler safety and security, data management, contract negotiations, emerging technology, and career management that are most relevant to the corporate travel manager with regional and/or global responsibilities.
Some of the region's leading business minds made riveting presentations during the general presentations.
These speakers included Steven R. Okun, Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore; Anthony A. Rose, Associate Director, ASEAN External Relations Executive Communications Leader, Asia Headquarters, Procter & Gamble Asia; and Dr. Ric Roi, Senior Vice President and Consulting Practice Leader for Asia-Pacific.
Topics addressed in keynote presentations and industry perspectives included change management, risk, and communication.
ACTE awarded Koby Brice, Director of the Global Hotel, Car & Relocation Programme for Oracle, with the association's Advancing the Industry Award.
Ms. Brice received her award for initiatives studying the relationship between managed corporate travel and its impact on executive productivity, a key indicator of the ROI for travel programmes.
"This event provided attendees with immediate takeaways to bring back to their companies, and the contacts that will support them for years to come," said Asia-Pacific Regional Director Kenneth Phua.
Mike Molloy from Credit Suisse echoed these sentiments, "I have been attending these conferences since their inception and I hear over and over from fellow corporate buyers that the Singapore conference is unsurpassed in making connections with key industry people in the region."
For more information, visit Association of Corporate Travel Executives
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