More than 300 delegates, including about 150 travel managers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland attended the spring meeting of the Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement (VDR) in Leipzig.
The two day meeting, on the theme of The Price of Mobility, discussed how to get travellers to comply with travel policies, the impact of technology and the Internet, the impact of zero commission and the use of fees, MI data in travel management, the de-regulation of the GDSs and extra costs now levied by hotels.
One of the main debates was on the growth of hotel booking agencies which provided different and sometimes lower prices for hotel rooms than corporates had negotiated in their deals and the use of the daily or spot market.
New ceo for ACTE
Susan Gurley, a lawyer and former assistant dean at Georgetown University Law Center, is the new ceo of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
She takes over from Nancy Holtzman who retired at the end of 2004 after seven years as ACTE's ceo.
An ACTE statement said Ms Gurley has 15 years' experience in the “not for profit” sector and higher education. This included work with the East-West Management Institute where she managed several overseas offices.
She has also worked extensively in Europe and speaks German as well as conversational French and Spanish.
ACTE president Greeley Koch said: “Susan Gurley's expertise in international law and regulatory practices complements ACTE's long-term objectives in global government affairs.
“Her experience with the US government will expedite our message to federal authorities and her extensive dealings throughout Asia, EMEA, and Eastern Europe are completely in line with ACTE's educational programming and planned growth.”