 |
|||||||||
| A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT | |||||||||
Dear Members, Coming soon: Travel Manager of the Year I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your participation in BATM. I am very pleased with the achievements during this first half of the year. Our events have been well attended and the feedback we have received has been very positive. Obviously, we are only half way through the year and we will continue to invest our time and efforts to ensure that next 6 months are as successful as the first, so that we can achieve the goals and objectives we set for 2010. The second half of the year is traditionally important for BATM. In addition to our two educational events, we have the election of the Travel Manager of the Year in the last quarter. This year the event will be held in cooperation with our venue partner, Hotel BLOOM! on October 28th 2010. The Supplier Committee, who is responsible for the election process, has come up with a new and more innovative approach which will result in a more transparent process. Now it’s up to you – our Corporate Members – to participate. Your engagement will determine the success of the Travel Manager of the Year event. Part of this success is that we achieve a high level of participation by our corporate members. A higher participation will increase the value of the recognition which not only benefits the association, but above all the Travel Manager who receives the award. So let’s all participate, work together and make the Travel Manager of the Year Award a great success – Thank you!
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| IN THE BATM SPOTLIGHT In this edition we focus on two of BATM’s major partners |
|||||||||
AirPlus spotlighted… What are the USPs of your products? One of the biggest advantages of our central settlement account – the AirPlus Company Account - is the transparent collective invoice. Instead of lots of different invoices, you receive one single invoice summarizing all your travel expenses at a glance. Our descriptive billing data support corporations in adapting travel guidelines and providing all the good arguments for better price negotiation with airlines, hotels or car rental companies. What added value does AirPlus offer Belgian Travel Managers? The survey was recently launched at BATM - and we received very positive response. The audience found this study a rich source of information for understanding the different business travel markets and their stage of professional travel management. A copy of the report can be found at www.batm.be We also publish unique market data, white papers and return-on-investment studies and share them with corporate and industry partners. What’s new in 2010-2011? Another successful solution we bring to Belgium is A.I.D.A, which provides worldwide (online) acceptance, wherever needed, together with our unique data quality (AirPlus Company Account standard). And of course we very are proud to announce that we have just launched the first Belgian edition of the A+ Magazine, providing Belgian Travel Managers with valuable information on trends in the business travel industry, customer case studies, new product developments, white papers etc. SKYTEAM spotlighted… What are SkyTeam’s USPs for business travellers? Thanks to this network, SkyTeam offers an attractive Round the World Fare Pass and flexible passes to travel within a specific continent or region - Asia, China, America, Mexico and soon also the SkyTeam Africa Pass. Whether for business or personal adventure, SkyTeam Passes are a smart economical way to go to many places and at the same time enjoy flexibility & savings. What added value does SkyTeam offer Belgian Travel Managers? Another added value is the SkyTeam Global Meetings product, especially important for the Belgian market because it targets conference & event planners and is designed to streamline the process of arranging travel for large-scale international meetings. Steering tools are key for Belgian Travel Managers, SkyTeam proposes a specific entry *S to display a one-step access to SkyTeam schedules and services. A simple entry that makes steering easier and proposes the best possible smooth itinerary. And last but not least, there’s the SkyTeam Hubways™ program. SkyTeam is devoted to planning and optimizing connecting flights, so aside from proactive measures to avoid misconnections, wherever possible any affected passengers are proactively offered seats on an alternative flight. This is part of the SkyTeam Hubways™ program available at hub airports in Amsterdam, Paris, Minneapolis, and Detroit and it will eventually be added to all SkyTeam Hub airports. What´s new in 2010-2011? |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| EVENTS BY BATM | |||||||||
BATM Forum success Pascal Struyve was extremely happy with the result and commented. “It was excellent. The turnout was good, it was interactive and we discussed hot topics. It was great to see in the AirPlus study that Belgium is more professional in Corporate Travel Management than other European countries. This is very motivating for BATM Members”. According to BATM’s survey monkey evaluation, the great majority of participants were satisfied with the event and 100% said they will attend future Forums.
2010 was completely different. BTM changed drastically and became much more international in outlook. “The organization was superb; the workshops relevant and we made excellent contacts with the exhibitors. It was a real success!” commented Sophie Van Haute. “We expect even more BATM Members to be interested for 2011.” More info on BTM2011: www.businesstravelmarket.co.uk BATM September Forum 23 September - BATM Forum at the Best Western County House – Brussels New Look ‘Travel Manager of the Year’
We hope as many of you as possible will participate to ensure an educational & enjoyable evening. 28 October at the Bloom Hotel - Travel Manager of the Year Final date for 2010 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| KEEP SMILING WITH BATM | |||||||||
A major airline recently reported its performance with the headline ‘negative operational results’ and in the text talked about ‘negative impact’. The expression used to describe this phenomenon in the past was the much simpler word ‘loss’. At least one travel industry media reinterpreted the news more realistically for its readers with the headline ‘record loss for….’ ‘net losses almost double to….’ ‘Salami slicing across the board’ has nothing to do with antipasti or lunch. It’s new UK jargon for budget cuts across all expenditure and a good excuse for not thinking laterally or tackling the real problems. Another interesting expression to come out of the UK is ‘re-disorganisation’, something which the British public sector has always been very good at. And of course you know that ‘Chindia’ is short for the two most powerful BRICs and that we in Europe run the risk of entering ‘a double dip recession’. A final thought… Have you noticed that, like job titles, hotel names are getting longer and more complicated? I just came across the short and snappy Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel. |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| BATM NOTEPAD | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
About BATM BATM is a non-profit organisation created in 2002. We represent the interests of Corporate Travel Professionals in Belgium by promoting best practice, education and providing forums for networking & knowledge sharing. In 2005 BATM partnered with ACTE (the international Association of Corporate Travel Executives). We organise 4 educational forums and one networking meeting per year. BATM's Members are corporate buyers within the largest companies. BATM represents the views of its Members to both the industry & the authorities and is recognised as the Voice of Corporate Travel Procurement Managers in Belgium on issues of common interest and concern.
|
|||||||||
|
Best regards, 
We talk to Lian Wolfs, Director Benelux & AirPlus ambassador to BATM. It was Lian who gave the successful presentation at the recent BATM Forum. We ask Lian 3 short questions.
We ask the same 3 questions to Guy Gijsbrechts, Head of Sales AIR FRANCE KLM Belgium & G.D. Luxembourg, who responds on behalf of SkyTeam
Over 70 people attended the latest Forum in June which covered 2 major themes: the presentation by Air Plus of their 2010 Benchmark International Travel Management Study, followed by an open discussion of the recent volcanic ash cloud.
BATM went to BTM 2010
Xavier Houart (Atlas Copco) replaces Yves Galimidi (IKEA) as the new ACTE Country Champion for Belux for the next 2 years. 
