The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has been around for decades. This large professional organization, connecting business travelers from around the world, represents a 1.4 billion dollar industry. Its 9,000-plus members are scattered around the globe and represent major corporations and suppliers within the travel industry. All of them have come to appreciate GBTA’s advantages, such as sponsorship and networking opportunities, research and professional development, as well as GBTA’s advocacy on the member’s behalf.
In 1987, a St. Louis Chapter of the organization was founded, followed closely by a Kansas City Chapter in 1990. The GBTA-Kansas City is a smaller chapter with about 60 members, compared to the larger chapters like Chicago and St. Louis with about 200 members.* However, the benefits of having a physical location close to your company, where one can obtain professional certifications, as well as network in person, should never be underestimated. The Kansas City chapter’s mission statement reads: To connect, engage and inspire the business travel profession through education, networking and community service.
Very much like the larger Global Business Travel Association, GBTA-KC is “intended to be a forum for buyers and suppliers to network and share ideas to enhance our industry through education, advocacy, and social events.”
Education
The education programs offered
through GBTA-KC include:
1. Fundamentals of Business Travel
Management
2. Advanced Principles of Business Travel Management
3. Global Leadership Professional Program.
GBTA can meet your employees’ professional needs right where they are at, and they can in turn walk away with the Global Travel Professional (GTP) certification.
Networking
Bi-monthly networking events, as well as several bigger events during the calendar year, can aid everyone who is involved in GBTA. In Kansas City, 2018 included a combined event with Meeting Planners International (MPI) in July, where members and industry leaders came together and networked, attended educational sessions, and – during the second half of the day – got involved in community service.
Community service
GBTA-KC has an entire team dedicated to community service that does exciting philanthropy where it selects a charity each year for which to raise money. Information on business travel Official chapters of the Global Business Travel Association keep their members up-to-date on issues related to the corporate travel industry, be that general safety, services, or the future of the industry. Any current legislative developments are shared as soon as they are made public. The Kansas City chapter is no exception to this.
MM&E
*Jason Sportsman, President of the GBTA- KC chapter, in a YouTube interview on April 12, 2018.
