Message from LABTA's New President

Change is inevitable.  This applies to everyone.

For all who are not aware, I am officially your President.  I was quite unwilling to believe that my expanded duties to LABTA would start even before the year was over.  I was on vacation when I got the news. Now it's here, and after further review of the current board and list of projects, Craig Banikowski could not have put together a better board of directors to serve LABTA.  Everyone is willing and able to do what was asked of them by Craig. 
 
It is now my turn.  I can only hope that everyone will be as open to changes that my slightly longer term will bring. Who knew that my want to feed a passion in the form of LABTA's Newsletter would eventually lead to this?  It is now my turn to lead the group that has helped my career.  Your participation will be helpful with this goal. Please keep an eye out for LABTA projects that will help enrich your career and possibly even feed your passion. With the assistance of the current board, all willing and able individuals, let us make the changes necessary to ensure the success of LABTA.
 
Your ready, willing and able president,
Therese Jacobson

Casino Royale Coming Up on July 16

DON'T MISS OUT! 

This year's LABTA Fundraiser - CASINO ROYALE - is only one week away...next Thursday, July 16 at THE LOT in West Hollywood from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We already have many directs signed up, but if any of you have yet to do so, now is the time. 

Please join us for what is expected to be not only a fun evening - complete with exciting gambling tables, fantastic travel prizes, hosted bar and amazing food - but you can also meet just about all of your valued travel partners and fellow travel managers in the city!  Only $20 for directs and associates of directs (provided they have travel-related positions in your company or with your agency).  This event is not to be missed....so we will see you there!

Click here for more information.

Click here to register.
 

5Qs with NBTA's Next National President - Craig Banikowski

The National Business Travel Association this month named its next president and CEO - Hilton Hotels Corp. global travel management director and former LABTA president Craig Banikowski. The president-elect spoke with  Management.travel about his platform statement. 

Click here to read the full Q&A.

NextGen Now:
NBTA Supports the National Alliance to Advance NextGen

NextGen, FAA's Air Traffic Control modernization project, incorporates satellite technology providing efficiencies that ease economic burdens that chronic flight delays cause and more responsibly manages the impact on our environment by greatly reducing unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and wasteful fuel consumption.

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has an important initiative that seeks a long-term, multi-year commitment from Congress and the Administration to fully fund NextGen. We request you join the more than 200 organizations, including many BTAs, to advance NextGen. NBTA is a cosignatory of this effort, but for this initiative, we are not using the NBTA legislative call to action web site. Please log onto www.panynj.gov/NextGenNow to register your organization's support for the National Alliance to Advance NextGen.

Washington Report

[L-R] Mark Zeigler,- Atmel Corp.; Gary Murakami, Ritz Carlton San Francisco; Senator Barbara Boxer; Frank Dolce, OSI Systems.

Attending the NBTA Legislative Summit in Washington DC, held on June 16-17 was an informing, instructive, and gratifying experience for me and over 30 other representatives of local BTA chapters. Its goal was to educate us on the major issues facing the business travel industry and then arrange for us to meet and make recommendations on those issues to our elected representatives. NBTA staff and the Monument Policy Group did a fantastic job of organizing the event, creating the content, arranging the appointments, speakers, transportation and meals.

The prestigious Loews L'Enfant Plaza, being just two miles from Capitol Hill, proved an ideal location. Kicking off the conference Stewart Verdery, Partner & Founder of Monument Policy Group, the firm that represents NBTA to the government, gave an excellent seminar on the various major issues now facing the business travel industry including: FAA Reauthorization, International Registered Traveler, Terrorist Watch List & Passenger Redress, Traveler Taxes, Airline Performance & Aviation Congestion, Energy & Climate Change, Transportation Infrastructure, Visa Processing & Visa Waiver Program, Domestic Registered Traveler, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Model Ports of Entry, and Regulation of Travel by Companies Receiving Federal Aid.

Speakers included Dana Gresham, Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs, Department of Transportation, who explained how transportation is at the core of the administration's agenda and the $48 billion of the stimulus bill devoted to it promotes the visionary concept of "multi-modalism" connecting our aviation and highway systems to a high-speed rail network "as comprehensive as the interstate highway system."

Next Jasper McSlarrow, Legislative Director for Congressman Rick Larson (D-WA), gave a tragicomic treatise on the workings of a congressional office labeling the legislative process rewarding but sometimes "ridiculously hard." He recounted how his own six and a half year saga to obtain passage of a wilderness-related bill was ultimately successful only by a last minute deal adding an intellectual property amendment, which he and his colleagues spent the 24 hours just before the vote writing from scratch! Jasper also said each $1 billion in transportation spending generates 27,000 American jobs - very encouraging! There are bound to be several hundred corporate travelers among them.

The next day was devoted to putting my knowledge into practice meeting with staff members at Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) and Senator Diane Feinstein's (D-CA) offices highlighting the FAA reauthorization bill and expressing the hope that they would resist efforts by congress to mandate travel and meetings policy as the saber rattling on the subject has had an unintended negative and unfortunately timed effect on so many people in our industry. Along with the two gentlemen pictured above, I met Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) who gladly posed for the photo you see here and after we give a short summary of our purpose she adroitly aimed us toward the staff member handling transportation issues in her office.

The event was truly a marvel for me, a fan of politics and history, to participate in. I can't thank LABTA enough for affording me this tremendous opportunity. It really was truly amazing.
 
- Submitted by Frank Dolce

Seven NBTA Chapters Commit to

Education Scholarships

In recognizing the professional educational offerings by NBTA, seven of NBTA's network of local chapters have partnered with the NBTA Foundation to commit to education through scholarships for their local members.  

The NBTA Foundation is proud to recognize the following Chapters for their partnership:

• Chicago BTA
• Conneticut Westchester BTA
• Los Angeles BTA
• New England BTA
• New York City BTA
• North Carolina BTA
• Wisconsin BTA

LABTA Chapter President Craig Banikowski, C.P.M., CCTE, CMM said, "LABTA prides itself as being one of the countries best and brightest chapters - and we have achieved this in part through our strategic partnership with the NBTA Foundation. The Foundation provides our members access to some of the best educational programs, as well as additional resources such as research, scholarships, and networking with over 50 corporate donors who also support the Foundation.  Our partnership provides strategic initiatives for our member's, both direct and allied, to participate in programs such as the industry leading GLP program in association with Wharton.  Our members must demonstrate value through their membership - the Foundation helps provide that value!" 
 

Special Rail Transportation Offer -

LA to San Diego

Amtrak is offering complementary round-trip coach rail transportation from Los Angeles to San Diego for NBTA Corporate Travel Buyer Members or Chapter Direct Members.

Space is limited. If you're interested, please send your request to awhitestone@nbta.org and include the following information:

• Name
• Agency/company
• Train numbers
• Departure date and city
• Arrival date and city
• Email address and phone number

Request must be submitted by July 30, 2009.

And Finally...Did You Know? 

The oldest travel agency in the world is the British firm, Cox & Kings of London. Established in 1758 as a bank its services were only for its banking customers. The first modern travel agency was the Thomas Cook Company. Formed in 1841 it was first organized as a way to transport temperance campaigners (how ironic) to a rally 11 miles away from its Derbyshire location. Mr. Cook arranged for the rail company to charge the temperance volunteers one shilling on which in return for the business it paid him a commission. Thomas Cook also invented what came to be known as the traveler's check.
 

For more on Mr. Cook and the development of the modern travel agency, click here to read more from our friends at Wikipedia.