Pan-European Business Travel Conference Delivers Value to 270
PARIS, France, May 26, 2009 - Crossroads, the pan-European Business Travel Conference & Expo co-hosted by the Paragon Partnership alliance of business travel associations and 12 business travel organisations from around the world, welcomed 270 business travel professionals who spent the latter part of this week addressing the most important topics impacting the industry.
Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, President & CEO of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), one of the hosts of Crossroads, said, "As the world faces economic uncertainty, companies are turning to effective travel management as a way to reduce costs and increase value. In turn, the European travel management community relies on Crossroads and all of its host organisations for the latest information and trends that will help them maximise value for their companies."
Herman Huijer, Chairman of the Board of the Netherlands Association of Travel Management (NATM), commented, "The importance of Crossroads in large part stems from its uniqueness as a pan-European event. By drawing participants from 17 countries - and with 40 percent buyer participation - we are able to create dialogues that are truly beneficial for European travel managers directing multi-national programs."
Crossroads 2009 offered attendees a wide range of keynotes, panel discussions and education sessions, as well as an Expo of some 25 leading business travel industry suppliers.
Education sessions were divided into three tracks to address the most important topics challenging business travel professionals:
Going "glocal" - finding the right local versus global strategy for multinational travel programmes
Driving savings with strategic travel and meetings management techniques
Travel management in uncertain times
Speakers included:
---| Peter Griffiths, Regional Vice President Europe, International Air Travel Association
---| Elling Hamso (European Event ROI Institute) and Maarten Vanneste (Abbit) - Designing Effective Meetings with Measurable Results
---| Arjan van Weele (Eindhoven University of Technology) - Professionalising Travel Management: Dealing With Compliance and Governance Issues
---| John Plender (Financial Times) - Through A Glass Darkly: The Global Economic Outlook
---| Kell Ryan (co-founder of Ryanair) - Up in the Air: The Future of European Aviation
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
