Offer gets"non-commital response"
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has made a new merger proposal to rival organisation the National Business Travel Association (NBTA).
But ACTE said the NBTA has made a non-committal response saying it will get back to ACTE "when and if it is deemed appropriate."
Richard Crum, president of ACTE, told ABTN, in an exclusive interview, that he was a "little surprised" at the response.
He added: "Their board was quite unanimous four to five weeks ago. I hope that was just an initial response and we can get them to sit down and talk."
ACTE, which had originally turned down the prospect of a merger between the world's two biggest business travel organisations, sent a new sent of proposals to NBTA this week.
Mr Crum said the new plan would safeguard the 60% of ACTE members who were not from the US.
ACTE said if the merger went ahead, it proposed the two bodies co-branded for two years before creating a new name.
It suggested an interim board with five members each from the current boards also for two years and then elections with "non-US seats guaranteed."
Mr Crum told ABTN that ACTE had been initially against a merger as the then proposal "did not protect or provide value for our members outside the US."
He added: "We have got to have a plan that will get the approval of ACTE members around the world.
"I have been talking constantly for the last six weeks to members around the world because we want to try and make this work."
Mr Crum said that any merger plan needed the backing of 51% of the ACTE membership, not just 51% of those who voted.
The NBTA is an American organisation although it has sister organisations in Canada, Mexico and Asia Pacific as well as strong links with other business travel associations around the world through the Paragon Partnership.
ACTE's president said the US was just one country in the world and that unless any deal protected its whole membership, "we will not enter into it."
He added: "We said no before because it was not right for our members but under the new proposals non -US members are guaranteed board membership.
Mr Crum said there were also other issues to be dealt with. One was that ACTE treated all its members, whether buyers or suppliers, equally whereas the NBTA treated the two group differently.
ACTE also elected members to its board while the NBTA's buyers elected five board members and its suppliers appointed two more.
Mr Crum said to get agreement on this different approach was "the challenge."
But he called on the NBTA to sit down and talk over the issues.
He said one great worldwide organisation could bring great benefits to the industry and also create synergies.
It was the NBTA which first suggested a merger after informal talks between officials form each body.
But ACTE's board rejected the link up on June 8.
Days later three of its officials, including treasurer Brad Seitz, treasurer elect Mary Ellen George and the then president Doug Weeks resigned. Mr Weeks said the rejection of the merger had been a "factor" in his decision.
Mr Crum, a former ACTE president, stepped in to replace Mr Weeks and another former president Greeley Koch took over Mr Crum's previous role in the organisation of head of its Global Centre For Research and Education.
While these changes took place, NBTA's board again backed the idea of a merger.
www.acte.org www.nbta.org