AMEX announces launch of new online networking site for business travellers
American Express Business Travel (AEBT) has announced its plan to launch a new website in October, offering a central resource for business travellers and travel management representatives to gather with industry decision makers, suppliers and experts in a virtual community.
The website will offer visitors a discussion board, polls so visitors can compare travel programmes, as well as editorial reviews, RSS feeds, blogs and a section publishing white papers, surveys and other research.
Alicia Tillman, vice president of public affairs and communications for AEBT said the site has yet to decide whether to have regular bloggers or guest bloggers.
”In addition to having representatives of AEBT contribute blogs, we will be approaching other subject-matter experts from across the industry. Our goal is [to ensure] we deliver perspectives from both AEBT and other thought-leaders as well, whether they are industry journalists, suppliers, consultants, or perhaps existing clients,” she said.
The president of American Express Global Travel services, Charles Petruccelli, added the site will ”grant corporations and individual travel professionals access to the wealth of information and expertise of our organization and members of the broader business travel industry, while asking them to supplement the site”s value by contributing from their own experiences.”
Anyone in the business travel community will be able to become a member of the site for free.
Casual visitors to the site have limited access and are able to view previews of the content available, but won't be able to contribute to the community message boards, access case studies and industry editorials, or read the editorials and blogs, all of which will be available to members. There will also be some sections which only American Express clients will have exclusive access to.
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