GBTA + VDR Conference 2024 in Partnership with the Nordic Business Travel Associations and GBTA Sustainability Summit Highlight a Robust European Business Travel Industry

Education, engagement and networking were the pillars of the three-day event that focused on initiatives for a greener future as well as what's ahead for business travel in Europe

The outlook for business travel in Europe including the path toward a more sustainable future was the focus this week at the GBTA +VDR Conference 2024 in Partnership with the Nordic Business Travel Associations and the GBTA Sustainability Summit in Copenhagen. The co-located events held 4-6 November featured three productive days where industry professionals, subject experts and thought leaders gathered from across the travel, business, and corporate sectors to exchange knowledge, discuss industry trends and explore innovative solutions at Europe's largest conference for business travel and meetings management professionals.

Held at the Bella Center, this year brought record-setting numbers, attracting 850 registered Summit attendees, over 1,300 Conference attendees including nearly 350 travel buyers, and 67 exhibitors representing 38 countries and territories. It also marked the 10^th year of Europe Conference collaboration for GBTA and VDR.

"These events reflect that the European business travel industry is fuelled by a brilliant, dedicated community. Working in collaboration with our partners at VDR and the Nordic BTAs, this year's Conference embodied numerous opportunities for industry insights, professional development and connection, and reflected an optimistic outlook for the future of business travel in Europe," said Catherine Logan, GBTA Senior Vice President, EMEA and APAC.

Jens Schliessmann, Executive Director of the VDR (Association of German Business Travellers), also emphasises the need for partnership with GBTA and the other European associations: "We value the long-standing and constructive exchange and want to continue working together in Europe for the business travel industry. The focus here is on advocacy for important topics and the substantive work in the interests of our members."

Sari Viljamaa, Managing Director, Finnish Business Travel Association: "Bringing the GBTA Europe Conference to the Nordics has been a long-time dream for us, and it has been rewarding to see a record attendance in Copenhagen. Combined with the high quality of the program, we trust that delegates enjoyed the event as much as we did!"

Sustainability at the Forefront and a Call for Acceleration

The 3rd GBTA Sustainability Summit on 4 November united industry professionals, sustainability experts, and policymakers around the critical need to advance sustainable business travel. The Summit offered an inclusive platform for interactive sessions, open dialogue and insights from 28 speakers on topics including global standards and climate resilience, and provided attendees with actionable insights to integrate sustainability into their travel programs. Sessions and discussions included real-world decarbonisation solutions, regulatory preparedness, the impact of AI, and fostering radical collaboration across the sector.

The Summit kicked off with the unveiling of the results from the GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge. The industry-first global benchmarking initiative from the GBTA Foundation, developed in collaboration with Accenture, evaluated the current state and actions being taken by 241 participating companies to decarbonise their business travel programmes. The findings showed that while organizations have much work to do to accelerate the integration of practices that materially reduce their business travel emissions to Net Zero targets by 2050, there are opportunities to fast-track climate action such as creating momentum through employee engagement, helping scale the market for SAF and ensuring investments in high-quality Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs).

Robust Outlook for Business Travel Spending in Europe

GBTA released new European regional analysis from its 2024 Business Travel Index (BTI™) Outlook report, made possible by Visa, which forecasts regional business travel spending to reach 476.6 billion euros in Europe by 2028 with growth outpacing most global regions except Asia Pacific. For 2024, the projection is for European business travel spending to reach 360.4 billion euros, reflecting a 10.4% increase from last year. Additionally for 2024, Europe is estimated to account for 26.4% of total global business travel spending of 1.36 trillion euros.

Economic factors and global political uncertainty continue to impact the business travel sector in Europe, with Western Europe and Emerging Europe continuing to diverge. And although Europe's business travel market has made significant strides in recovering from the pandemic, its share of the global market remains slightly below pre-COVID levels.

Dynamic Speakers and Insightful Sessions Spark Discussion and Discourse

The Conference featured 16 education sessions, 7 Main Stage segments and 9 committee roundtables. The Main Stage sessions kicked off with Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, leading a panel of C-suite industry executives from leading airlines. Called "Riding the Wave of Disruption," the discussion explored how changes in content distribution and commercial pressures are reshaping the business travel landscape.

The Big Idea workshop also returned with a thought-provoking interactive session where delegates worked in small groups to tackle "Today's Work Culture and What it Means for Business Travel and Travel Managers." Attendees explored topics such as how technology and collaborative working practices are shaping more flexible work environments; navigating the balance between remote and in-person work; and exploring the broader effects on company culture, legal frameworks and business travel.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Stephanie Hare, renowned researcher, broadcaster and author, explored the evolution of AI by sharing insights and experiences from various industries to demonstrate how AI is driving innovation and reshaping the global landscape.

Education session topics ranged from leveraging technology to reach sustainability goals, to trends in travel risk management, to driving value with hotel programme performance metrics. Committee roundtable subjects included accommodations, inclusion and culture, technology, sustainability and advocacy.

The Conference concluded on 6 November in a true tribute to Danish culture with a closing Main Stage session featuring Magnus Göransson, co-host and judge of Lego Masters Sweden, who shared insights on how to foster a culture of agility and innovation by offering actionable strategies that thrive on innovation, creativity, and playfulness.

Other GBTA +VDR Conference 2024 in Partnership with the Nordic Business Travel Associations Highlights included:

• The Global Leaders Reception, an exclusive event to thank the volunteer leaders for their continued support, took place on Sunday, 3 November at the 25hours Hotel Indre.
  
• Connect First, a resource for the Conference's 373 first-time attendees or those coming solo, helped attendees get the most out of their conference experience. New this year was a Buddy Programme, which paired new attendees with a GBTA Board member or other experienced conference delegates to offer advisement and connection before and during the event. Other programme benefits for first-timers included a specialised WhatsApp group, designated meet-up points in the Connection Zone, and support throughout the event.
  
• Thought leader insights and industry breaking news were featured during the conference. The onsite Broadcast Studio hosted nearly 40 industry leaders sharing their perspectives, views and voices and the Media Cocktail Party at the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen brought journalists together with company leaders who shared their organization's breaking news.
  
• Early-morning Go! Running Tours combined well-being and sightseeing for attendees who could participate in a 5k or 7k running tour or a 3k walking tour around the area of Ørestaden, offering a blend of architecture, urban life and nature.

The 2024 events were made possible through the generous support of the Sustainability Summit sponsors and Europe Conference sponsors.

Event information for 2025 was also announced. The 4^th Sustainability Summit will be held 10 June in Washington, D.C. The GBTA + VDR Conference 2025 will be held 10-12 November in Hamburg, Germany.

Click here to view photos from the Sustainability Summit and here to view photos from the Europe Conference.

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