The GBTA annual convention in Boston was bigger than ever: record-breaking numbers included more than 6,600 attendees from around the world – of which over 1,400 were travel buyers – plus not one but two former presidents as keynote speakers, and every major venue in town was commandeered for corporate parties.
Preceding the presidents – George W Bush and Bill Clinton – the first day’s keynote speaker was comedian and Saturday Night Live chief writer Seth Meyers. He told the audience George would be attending because thinks that GBTA stands for “George Bush is Totally Awesome”, while Clinton would show up “because there’s a microphone and people”.
Bush won the presidential race for entertainment, getting a lot of laughs from the 6,000-strong audience. However, Clinton was more authoritative on topics such as the global economy, geopolitics and climate change, and very moving on topics such as his post-genocide regeneration work in Rwanda.
George Bush bon mots:
- Recalling an official speech: “I praised Laura as the ‘best First Lady in history’… then I remembered my mother was in the room…”
- “There’s not much I miss about the presidency – it is a pain in the ass to have to stop at red lights.”
- On his daughters’ reaction to his running for presidency: "Firstly, it was was: ‘you won't win’. Then it was: 'You’re ruining my life!''
- On political insults: “I never resorted to name-calling – apart from calling Kerry a flip-flopper.”
- When GBTA’s chief operating officer Mike McCormick proudly brandished his copy of Bush’s new biography, Bush said drily: “Most people bought the hardback, Mike.”
Tweeting was more prolific than ever this year, under the hashtag #GBTA2012. Here’s a selection of top tweets:
- Airline CEO panel: Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA's Bjorn Kjos says will fly Oslo-New York round-trip for $300 on 787!
- Peter Greenberg on airline ancillaries: "…land of the brave, home of the fee"
- BA's Keith Williams says Twitter helps speed response time to customer feedback
- Biz travel guru Scott Gillespie: 90% wait for 10% to innovate
- [on Gillespie's seminar] Awesome session: Technology and individual behaviour will drive Travel Management 2.0, it can't be stopped
- Virgin America CEO David Cush: Demand shouldn't b defined by what was purchased but rather what's shopped
- Cush says fleet-wide Wifi is the future for all the airlines
- George W Bush made me laugh. Bill Clinton made me cry
- Mike McCormick [GBTA's COO]: airlines must disclose full fare and fee data in any distribution channel they choose to participate in
- Clinton says big reinsurance co's already telling US coast cities to have plans for rising sea levels
- Bill Clinton: Uganda has average 7 children per family; the way to tackle is education for girls
- President Clinton: "Success is possible only through collaboration, cooperation & compromise."
And finally, of course, the parties: highlights included Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops orchestra at Carlson Wagonlit’s bash at the Boston Symphony Hall, and the spectacular Star Alliance/Boeing/GHA shindig at the House of Blues, next to the Red Sox stadium. Tickets were also highly sought for the BCD/Delta heaven’n’hell-themed extravaganza at Club Royale, complete with a live 70s disco band that packed the dancefloor.