Content is prepared and organised under the Ski Run Concept:
Easiest terrain most suitable for beginners (-3 years experience)
More difficult or intermediate terrain (3-9 years experience)
Most difficult or advanced terrain for experts (10+ years' experience)
Agenda
Tuesday 12 Nov
17:00 pm - 18:00 pm
(1 hour)
Pre-Conference Welcome Reception
​(Venue TBC)
All attendees of the Australia Corporate Travel Summit are invited to attend a pre-conference gathering to network and enjoy drinks and canapes together, as anticipation builds for the Summit.
Wednesday 13 Nov
8:00 am - 8:45 am
(45 mins)
Registration opens + Buyer Breakfast Round Tables
(Hyde Park Room and Phillip Room)
An opportunity for closed-door networking and discussion of key topics at Buyer-only forums (multiple table topics - choose two and share best practice).
8:50 am - 9:00 am
(15 mins)
Welcome from the Hosts
Main Stage
Welcome, Acknowledgement of Country, Introduction and Housekeeping
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Event hosts:​​​​​​​
Joanne Taylor
Oliver Tams
Procurement Expert
Executive Director of ATMC
8:55 am - 9:30 am
(35 mins)
Keynote Q&A: Qantas Outlook
​Main Stage
Probing the strategic mix Qantas is navigating domestically and abroad.
Cam Wallace
Peter Harbison
Chief Executive Officer,
Qantas International and Freight
Chairman,
Greener Airlines
Takeaway – Learnings
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How the national carrier is adapting its strategy on network, pricing, content and the environment
Olivia Walker
Editor in Chief
Dan Mitchell
Assistant Manager
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Noah Patterson
Programming Editor
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Tess Anderson
Art Director
9:30 am - 10:05 am
(35 mins)
The global and local corporate travel outlook: GBTA, BTA and ATMC
​Main Stage
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International: State of the Industry - Latest GBTA Business Travel Intelligence
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Content Fragmentation: BTA white paper
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Local: Understanding the true value of the TMC as a one-stop shop in the centre of a travel program vs the ‘best-in-breed’ approach
Host & Overview: Festive Road, Head of Performance, Mike Orchard​
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Mike Orchard
Catherine Logan
Tass Messinis
Clive Wratten
Head of Performance,
Festive Road
Regional SVP - EMEA and APAC, Global Business Travel Association
Chairperson,
Association of Travel Management Companies
CEO,
Business Travel
Association
Takeaway – Learnings
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Vital global and national insights on the health of the managed travel industry as a whole
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What is the new TMC value proposition?
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Answers to whether the industry is getting back to ‘normality’ of pricing and staff resourcing following big increases in travel costs over the past few years
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How to drive visibility of the value of travel to organisations so that it is seen as a strategic asset and not just a cost to be managed down?
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ROI of trips - how policy can drive up ROI?
10:30 am - 11:15 am
(45 mins)
Extended Coffee Break: Networking & Business Travel SHOWcase
Foyer/Expo
Meet, mingle and visit our Industry Solutions Showcase.
Takeaway – Learnings​
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Meet existing and potential new suppliers for your travel program
10:05 am - 10:30 am
(35 mins)
Keynote: Technology that’s changing the game
​Main Stage
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What is new today and available? Real, practical impacts on workflows today
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AI today and being delivered and what is coming tomorrow
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What is the value today in the travel program versus what exciting new initiatives are coming down the line.
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- What are the best new solutions I should be thinking about my travel program of tomorrow
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Where does Blockchain, NDC and AI sit in-program today versus tomorrow?
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What other disruptive technologies are touching down?
Presenters:
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American Express Global Business Travel Speaker
Takeaway – Learnings
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What to plan and be confident in recommending to my travel program as a direct benefit for tomorrow.
11:15 am - 11:45 am
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 1: Actionable Data & Intel for your travel program
Main Stage
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A fast-moving series of updates on rates and trends in Air, Hotel and land transportation.
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What are the business travel hot spots for 2025?
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Felicity Burke
General Manager,
FCM Consulting
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Takeaway – Learnings
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Wrap of 2024 movements and 2025 predictions on prices/rates, to benchmark against the performance of your program
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What are the hot growth markets for Australian exporters (where is Austrade focused?), that will drive volumes and rates
11:15 am - 11:45 am
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 2: SUPPLIERS ONLY - Working with travel managers and procurement
Venue TBC
Sharing insights and advice to TMC and other travel related sellers. How to prepare for a tender, how to engage with the buyer and deliver a meaningful response + presentation if short-listed.
Richard Savva
Founder
Changing Times
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Takeaway – Learnings
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Position the suppliers to understand the mind of the buyer and propose services that are fit-for-purpose in today’s world
11:00 am - 11:30 am
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 3: BUYERS ONLY - Procurement Fundamentals for today’s market
Venue TBC
TMC Sourcing – 5 quick steps for sourcing the best-matched partnership.
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Andrew Menkes
Founder & CEO
Partnership Travel Consulting
Virginia Fitzpatrick
Director
Partnership Travel Consulting
Jennifer Barclay
Procurement Champion
ACTS
​Takeaway – Learnings
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Preparing for the new changes to the travel program through key partnerships and value of the TMC in that relationship.
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What moves to customer actions and what remains as a key supply TMC Service.
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 4: Expert Keynote: Aviation Outlook​​​​​
​​​​The Aviation White Paper, Sydney Slots and Airline strategy unpacked.​​​​​
Peter Harbison
Chairman,
Greener Airlines
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 5: Crisis management & Disaster resilience
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Travel risk experts take us through a medical evacuation and security scenario, to demonstrate:
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How to mitigate harm
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How to have plans in place to de-escalate risk
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Ensuring traveller well-being before you travel
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Rectification actions – emergency response procedures and traveller management risk procedures
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Director
World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM)
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Rodger Cook
General Manager – Global Security Services
World Travel Protection
Dr Derrick Tin
​Takeaway – Learnings
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Showcases the impact of proactive vs reactive crisis management
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Shares actionable frameworks to implement a comprehensive travel risk management program
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Provides business case for audience members to takeaway and present to their c-suite on the importance of investing in disaster resilience
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 6: 101 on Cyber Risk / Security​
​An introductory session focusing on Cyber Risk / Security and how it relates to managing travel within organisations.
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Case Study on hacking event this year
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Why is cyber risk / security should be a major focus for procurement teams
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How do cyber security issues occur
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What can be done to minimise risk - Operationally and contractually
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How procurement teams should approach cyber risk - Provide an understanding of the steps procurement teams can take to ensure vendors are acting properly on their behalf​​
Simon Crunden
Founder,
NuTrip
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 7: Putting the ‘G’ into ‘ESG’:
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G versus E versus S?
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G means different things in different places: local or global approach?
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Why G may be the greater risk
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G: impact on reputations/brands/consumer loyalty
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G for consumers, for customers, for suppliers and for procurement policies
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Selecting suppliers: tips, trends and troubleshooting
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Greenwashing, bluewashing and greenhushing : recent developments and relationship to G
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Board and director investigations, prosecutions and class actions/litigation
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Scenario
Alan Polivnick
Partner,
Watson Farley Williams
12:15 pm 12:45 pm
(30 mins)
SEMINAR 9: The Fundamentals of Travel Distribution
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NDC, why?
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Airline Retailing State of Play
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Industry success stories
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Corporate travel challenges​​​​​
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Takeaway – Learnings
- Your glossary of key terms used in the industry
- Future of air ticket purchasing for buyers and industry
Timmo Rol
Founder,
TR Consulting
12:45 pm - 13:30 pm
(45 mins)
Strategies and Guidelines for developing a sustainable travel program
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Tips for understanding your carbon footprint - now and future.
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Suggestions for planning and designing a sustainable travel program
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Practical ways to implement your sustainable travel program and policy
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Guidelines for sourcing and selecting sustainable suppliers
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Inspiration to move forward with a measurable program
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Sandeep Shastri
Anna Marshall
Paul Rogers
Senior Director
Southeast Asia,
Sabre
Sustainability Advisor,
House of Travel and Orbit World Travel
Asia-Pacific Program and Enablement Leader,
EY
Takeaway – Learnings
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Implementing a practical program that meets both the demands of the organisation, the travellers and its overall commitments to delivering sustainable results for the business
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Understanding what SAF and its value in travel program or its supplier is.
13:30 pm - 14:30 pm
(1 hour)
Lunch
Foyer/Expo
Mix, mingle and visit our Industry Solutions Showcase
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14:30 pm - 15:15 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 10: RISK: Rising geopolitical risks
Grand Ballroom 1
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Recent global events have underscored the fragility of social and political climates. Coupled with the growing concern around major global health issues along with continued tensions in the Middle East, these issues underscore the potential significant disruptions in business travel
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What will be the implications of the US election?
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Where are the global hotspots in 2025?
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James Robertson
Security Director for Australasia
International SOS
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Chris Hill
Risk Manager
International SOS
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Ian Allsop
Partnerships Director
International SOS
​​​Takeaway – Learning
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This session highlights the critical need to understand how best to manage the program and extend that duty of care to the individual traveller.
14:30 pm - 15:15 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 11: FIFO - Serving the Resources & Construction Industry
Grand Ballroom 2
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Where is the mining & resources sector today as a buying community?
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Rex and the future of airline competition in Australia.
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Future evolution of air services to resources hot spots
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What impact will eVTOLs have - and when?​
Joanne Taylor
Kathy Larkan
Procurement Expert
Global Head of Mining & Resources
ATPI Ltd
14:30 pm - 15:15 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 12: CONTENT - Airline Retailing Uncovered
Hyde Park Room
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Reasons behind NDC, Airline Retailing and Offer and Order Management
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TMC challenges
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Future of Retailing
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Corporate Travel opportunities
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Takeaway – Learning
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Lessons learnt globally, but what’s happening locally in Australia?
Timmo Rol
Founder,
TR Consulting
14:30 pm - 15:15 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 13: PAY & EXPENSE - The Key Principles of Payments and Expense Management
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![ALeibowitz colour[2] (1).jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c55c6c_84a927804507416090abfce2b94952e0~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_1288,y_0,w_5152,h_5152/fill/w_99,h_99,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/ALeibowitz%20colour%5B2%5D%20(1).jpg)
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Embedding the right card payment program in your travel program
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What is a valuable payment solution and its impact on managing costs, travel policy and assisting travellers?
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What data capacities do payment solutions have and how can a travel program harness the benefits
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At the conclusion of the trip, what remains is matching bookings to actuals.
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Allan Leibowitz
Jon Webster
Sharon Nouh
Business Travel Buzzz
Head of Advisory
Festive Road
CEO
ProSpend
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Takeaway – Learnings
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The ability to check the performance of your program against what is best in market and / or having gained the knowledge to improve the current performance of your travel program by harnessing the power of payment product.
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What are the new efficiencies and opportunities in managing expenses going forward
15:15 pm - 16:00 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 14: CAR & STAY - Car and Hotel Rate Sourcing: Where have rates moved to and what are the drivers for 2025?
Grand Ballroom 1
Environmental sustainability: solving the emissions data gaps in the accommodation and ground transport sectors
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Takeaway – Learnings
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So what are the best ways for sourcing rates, fixing, annual contracts or going daily best rate – this workshop goes some way to help travel buyers deliver a strategy identifying what re the current challenges in the contract versus the new market opportunities.
Kurt Knackstedt
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Head of Sales - Pacific
Avis Budget Group
15:15 pm - 16:00 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 14: DATA: Less is more?
Grand Ballroom 2
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Understanding the value of data within the travel program
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Procurement teams tend to focus on savings, however, the needs of organisations are a lot broader and it would be good to address how they might go about meeting these needs.
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What do organisations need to think about to help them consolidate their data?
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Takeaway – Learnings
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Overcoming the frustrations of having access to a lot of data, but most of it being useless
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How to consolidate data to get information to various stakeholders, including procurement, human resources, finance, sustainability and risk.
Simon Crunden
Founder,
NuTrip
15:15 pm - 16:00 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 15: Policy, Risk & Pre-trip Approvals
Hyde Park Room
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At a grassroots level, how can you implement strategies for managing pre-trip approvals for your policies, without the need for major investments in technology, time and people resources.
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What are the optimal products already available?
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Risk round-up: putting it in perspective
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Takeaway – Learnings
- The ability to understand what tools and which suppliers are best placed to assist in moving forward with changes in the market
Allan Leibowitz
Business Travel Buzzz
Susan Enners
APAC Sales Director
Magnatech
15:30 pm - 16:00 pm
(30 mins)
Coffee Break
Foyer/Expo
Mix, mingle and visit our Industry Solutions Showcase
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15:15 pm - 16:00 pm
(45 mins)
SEMINAR 16: PAY - Innovative payment and tech solutions
Philip Room
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Putting it all together: Wallets, VPNs, Cyber, and Personal IDs, Blockchain, loyalty and Crypto
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Latest updates from the Fintech world
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Grant Johnstone
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Internationally experienced executive leader
16:00pm - 16:30pm
(30 mins)
Coffee Break
Foyer/Expo
Mix, mingle and visit our Industry Solutions Showcase
16:30pm - 16:35
(10 mins)
Welcome Back & Prize Draws
Main Stage
Co-Hosts - Welcome back & Prizes on screen
16:35pm - 16:55 pm
(30 mins)
Virgin Australia Keynote
Main Stage
Virgin Australia's strategic outlook.
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Virgin Australia, Incoming CEO, TBC
Takeaway – Learnings
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What Virgin Australia can offer as a key supplier to your corporate travel program in terms of product, network and value
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16:55 pm - 17:30 pm
(35 mins)
Keynote: An International Wrap of Travel Program Change
Main Stage
A timely viewpoint hot-on-the-heels of the US elections and American Airlines’ NDC strategy in the marketplace.
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Partnership Travel Consulting, Founder & CEO, Andy Menkes
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Takeaway – Learnings
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What's around the corner in travel program management in Europe and North America - and how it WILL affect your program here in Australia.
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Understanding the fragmentation of content. How can the airlines create parity amongst suppliers - and how can TMCs explain the difference?
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Andrew Menkes
Founder & CEO
Partnership Travel Consulting
17:30 pm - 19:30 pm
2 Hours)
Networking Reception
Foyer/Expo
Catch up and network at our gala closing Cocktail Reception.​​​