The industry's first low carbon convention
More than 1100 delegates from 38 countries gathered in Barcelona this week for what was the industry's first low carbon convention.
BA agreed to help delegates at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives' (ACTE) global education conference off set the carbon emissions their journeys to, from and around Barcelona caused.
ACTE also minimised the amount of paper it used by issuing press releases on a CD and online direct to journalists.
The Association also announced that future RFPs for host cities would require "green" responses.
Greeley Koch, ACTE president, said that factors like a city's public transport system and the green credentials of hotels and convention centres would be considered when selecting future venues.
Crum new ACTE president
Richard Crum, president of Airplus North America, is the new president-elect of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
He will take over from outgoing president Greeley Koch in July 2007.
Mr Crum, a veteran of the travel industry, has worked for the Air Transport Association and was also president and chairman of UATP before joining Airplus, a global payment solutions company.
He will serve as ACTE president for a 16 month term.
Nadine Dewart was due to take over in January as the first European president of the Association but withdrew for work reasons.
ACTE warns on US custom seizures of laptops
ACTE has warned its members that a new interpretation of US law is allowing American customs officers to seize travellers' laptops.
The new interpretation also allows them to download information on the laptop's hard disc or even confiscate them, ACTE said.
The law applies to all travellers either arriving or leaving the USA.
ACTE president Greeley Koch said it was unclear whether hard discs were opened, whether information on them was stored or who had access to it.
Susan Gurley, ACTE's executive director, said the grounds for seizure were given as "reasonable suspicion" but it was not clear exactly what this was.
She said that most members of ACTE did not know of the new interpretation.
She said: "ACTE´s leadership continues to ask for clarification from the US government regarding what steps, if any, are being taken to protect confidential business, privileged legal, and personal information."
Closer ties with Russia
ACTE said it planned a stronger working relationship with the Russian Business Travel Association.
Greeley Koch, ACTE president said the two organisations would share educational content and there would be a session on Russia and business travel management at ACTE's next global education forum in Miami next May.
* see BTE's recruitment site www.businesstraveljobs.com