REMINDER:
NBTA Chapter Chat Reception
As a reminder, for those registered for NBTA Convention in San Diego, don't forget to RSVP for the:
NBTA Chapter Chat Reception
Tuesday, August 25
NBTA Reception Pavilion on the Trade Show Floor
5:45pm - 6:45pm
Kindly RSVP no later than Friday, August 14: Janine Nichols
labta@emaoffice.com
In your RSVP, please include your name, company, city and email address.
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Member
News
Dave Colucci, business rental sales executive for National
Car, recently moved into a new role of account development for both National Car and Enterprise. His motto: provide exceptional service to the customers I have and grow my business through my relationship network.
Frank Dolce, global travel manager of OSI Systems, Inc., in Hawthorne, Calif., is pleased to announce 100% Global Consolidation of 31 offices in 15 countries with Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Do you have news you'd like to share with your fellow LABTA members? A new job? A promotion? An award or recognition? Please send your news and photo to Jeff Sewalson at
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The following new members joined LABTA in July. Welcome!
Allied Members
Eddy Manit
Chief Executive Officer
LS Worldwide Transportation Corp.
William Shaw
Director of Entertainment Sales
W Los Angeles |
More than 1,000 Travel Buyers Registered for NBTA Convention
Buyers; Suppliers Look to Business Travel Event of the Year for Resources in Down Economy
Alexandria, VA | The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) - the largest association of business travel professionals - announced today that more than 1,000 corporate travel buyers have registered for the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition, which is directly on par with registration numbers compared to previous years.
NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, said, "Corporate travel professionals across the globe truly do see the NBTA Convention as the Business Travel Event of the Year. They come together from across the United States and more than 40 other nations to learn the latest trends, test the most advanced technologies, and share best practices within all industry sectors."
So that Convention attendees can make the most of their time in San Diego, NBTA is offering tools to help delegates prepare and connect before arriving on site. Via the My NBTA Convention online social networking tool, registrants can search for colleagues, schedule meetings with connections, and create a personal calendar of Convention engagements and education sessions. Registrants can also utilize the new NBTA Online Exposition to discover new products and services, and users can connect with customers or suppliers to schedule meetings or demonstrations on the show floor.
Maguire added, "In today's volatile economy, connecting with clients and networking with colleagues is more important that ever. We know that many corporate travel professionals consider the NBTA Convention to be the most valuable meeting of the year - where they can open new doors and seal new deals - and we want to do as much as we can to help them succeed." Click here to visit the convention web site. | |
 News from LAWA
LAWA was recently featured in the Daily Breeze and the Chicago Tribune. Read on to learn about an upcoming NASA study at LAX and the El Segundo blue butterfly. NASA to study five different layouts for LAX's north runway
Within a few weeks, NASA Ames Research Center will conduct simulations examining five different layouts for the north airfield at Los Angeles International Airport, officials announced Monday. NASA's study, launched last summer under a $1.4 million contract, is scheduled for completion in December, when it will be presented by six university professors specializing in aviation studies, said Michael Molina, LAX's senior director of external affairs.
"The five scenarios all point toward a successful, months-long process and a timeline that keeps the academic panel on course for a report for your consideration by the end of the year," Molina told the airport commission. Read more... Butterflies make unscheduled landing at Los Angeles AirportThirty-three years after being classified an endangered species, the El Segundo blue butterfly is flourishing on 200 acres of sand dunes near Los Angeles International Airport. Entomologist Richard Arnold, a consultant to the airport, said Wednesday that the butterfly population there had grown to 35,000 to 100,000 insects, depending on the year, up from a few thousand when the federal government placed it on the endangered list in 1976. Read more... |
 LABTA Volunteer Opportunity:
Support the LA Regional Food Bank
Attendees at last night's LABTA meeting had their heart strings pulled when, over a dinner of filet mignon, Kjarsten Philipsen presented the opportunity to volunteer at the Los Angeles Food Bank and showed a poignant video featuring some very grateful food bank customers. The board is united in its support of this extremely important cause and urges the membership to seriously consider joining the effort.
On Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8:45 a.m. to noon, LABTA members will give support to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. More details will be available as the event gets closer. You may also contact CSR Director Kjarsten Philipsen at kphilipsen@egencia.com to express interest. Please also join TEAM LABTA and make a donation at LABTA's Virtual Fundraising page by clicking on the this link. |
 What's on the LABTA WEB SITE?
Please take note of the Career section on the LABTA Web site. It include two tabs: Job Listings and Post A Job. It's a great resource for our members looking for new career opportunities as well as posting job openings. This is a members-only section of the Web site, so you must log in to view it. If you need assistance with your log in User Name or password, please call the LABTA office at (818) 848-5578 or email LABTA@emaoffice.com. |
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 LABTA Welcomes New
Web Site Chairperson
Usha Jumani, manager of business development for American Express Business Travel, is LABTA's new Web site chairperson. She will focus on making sure the Web site is up-to-date and also help revamp areas that are in need of attention.
Usha has more than 15 years of travel experience, having held various roles within the corporate travel management field, including operations, account management and business development. She started her travel career in 1994 and has subsequently lived and worked in Seattle, Wash., New York City and most recently in Santa Monica, Calif. Usha has been with American Express Business Travel for the last year and a half. Besides working, Usha likes skiing, hiking, reading, Seahawks football, and rooting against USC/Lakers.
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LABTA Member to Complete
GLP Certification
This year, Eve White, vice president of global markets and strategic sales for HRG North America, has been part of the GLP program through NBTA for GLP certification. This is the advanced session where a team spends the year working on a project with Wharton oversight and delivers their findings at an NBTA session.
Eve's team worked on a great topic - how to go green and positively impact your company's bottom line as well as the environment. Their findings are important enough to share to a broad audience and her team will be presenting their findings as a NBTA Convention workshop session.
Let's support Eve by attending this exciting session:
NBTA Convention listing for the session: TB4
Tuesday, August 25
11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Gold in Green -- Strategic Collaboration for Long-Term Success
Presented by GLP Designation Team
Track: Make the Case
Moderator:
Costas Christ, Global Travel Editor, National Geographic Adventure and Chairman, World Travel and Tourism Council - Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
Presenters:
Susan Dawson, Commodity Leader Employee Services, Genworth
Suzanne Neufang, Vice President of User Experience, Sabre
Paul Perry, Global Sourcing Director, Nokia
Brigitta Witt, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, Global Hyatt Corporation
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 August Meeting Recap: Destination You - Strategic Career Management for Travel Professionals
Many thanks to Lowes Santa Monica for hosting a lovely venue for LABTA's August 12 meeting. The view of the Santa Monica beach and pier from the pool terrace captured Southern California at its best.
Lynnette Ward, career management consultant, Right Management, asked the group how each of us will travel the road of our career management? Whether we're happy in our current role, looking to make a change or know a new role or a job loss will be thrust upon us by continuing changes in the travel industry; there has never been a better time to focus on strategic career management. No matter our situation, we must create a plan to market ourselves. Managing your career is similar to planning a trip and begins with a few key questions... Where is my next destination? How will I get there? What will I do once I get there? What am I taking with me? How long will I stay? Where will I go next? Lynnette discussed the importance of knowing yourself, staying current and strengthening your network. She commended all of us for being members of LABTA, an excellent source of education and networking.
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 Legislative Affairs Chapter Challenge
I'm happy to report that LABTA has met and exceeded this year's chapter challenge! We achieved well over the 50% participation threshold to contact our elected representatives on issues affecting the business travel industry, sent an endorsed position letter, hosted NBTA Legislative Representative, raised more than $500 for the NBTA PAC, and named a government relations liaison.
Thanks to all who participated! I still believe we can raise even more money for the PAC. If each of us writes a $10 check payable to the NBTA PAC, we can raise more than $2,500 and really shine. Let's show our esteemed colleagues at the other chapters just how strong and committed LABTA is. Even in the throes of a recession $10 is not too much to give to an organization that does so much to help our industry thrive. Send your $10 donation to NBTA PAC c/o LABTA, 210 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502.
Thanks for all you do!
- Submitted by Frank Dolce
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 Save the Date: Sept. 9 LABTA Meeting at the Montage Beverly Hills
Join LABTA for the September meeting where Auden Schendler, executive director of sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company, and author of of "Gettting Green Done: Hard Truths From the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution," will share his expertise and wisdom.
Click here for more information and to register. | |
 And Finally...Did You Know?
... the world longest scheduled commercial flight is operated by Singapore Airlines between Newark and Singapore. The 9,535-mile journey is scheduled for 18 hours and 50 minutes. It's worth noting that the second longest commercial flight is between Los Angeles and Singapore; again on Singapore Airlines using Airbus A340-500 aircraft, which until 2006 was the world's longest range commercial airliner when the Boeing 777-LR supplanted it. The Boeing 777-LR has the distinction of making the world's longest distance flight. According to Wikipedia "On 10 December 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR dubbed the Worldliner completed the world's longest non-stop passenger flight, traveling 13,422 miles or 21,602 kilometers eastward (as opposed to a normal westward routing for that sector, which is much shorter @ 9647 km) from Hong Kong to London, in roughly 22 hours and 40 minutes." But for sheer time spent on a plane, compare that to a TWA flight in 1957 on a Lockheed Constellation, which flew the London to San Francisco route in 23 hours, 19 minutes or what so far is the world's longest recorded commercial flight ever by time: a Lufthansa Focke-Wulf FW200 from Berlin to New York in 24 hours, 56 minutes in, get this, 1939! Ouch! Upgrade anyone? For more, click here. | |
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