Trends at NBTA Canada Meeting
Toronto Travel Event Offers Strategic Meetings Management Insight
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada, September 25, 2009 - NBTA Canada - a global regional affiliate of The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) - yesterday welcomed 45 corporate travel professionals to the Toronto Travel Executive Symposium at the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. Attendees engaged in discussions about the current meetings and event industry, including the value of a Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP).
NBTA Canada President Tanya Racz, CTE, CCTE, said, "Despite global economic recovery on the horizon, we know that corporate travel has made a cultural shift, and cost containment is here to stay. At the Symposium, we wanted to provide the Canadian corporate travel community with insights from industry experts on the final frontier in managed travel - Strategic Meetings Management. Using SMM core competencies, travel professionals can continue to drive costs, increase compliance and gain control over meeting spend."
Kevin Iwamoto, VP Enterprise Strategy at Scarcite in the United States, lead the discussion about Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) and its value to corporations and professional development. With more than 20 years of procurement and meetings management experience, Iwamoto relayed to attendees the internal value of SMM to a corporation and job stability in a difficult economy. He explained that by implementing an SMMP, travel professionals could capture more data to leverage in supplier negotiations, helping to manage travel overall more effectively.
The program was made possible by support from Air Canada, BMO Financial Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Egencia, Global Alliance, Nexus, Scotiabank, Skyteam, and Vision 2000.
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 
