T&E Plus

What is Meeting Architecture?

If you're spending money on a meeting or event, you better be concerned with the outcome. If you are concerned with the outcome, you better create the BEST CONTENT possible.

 

Are you Selling? Educating? Motivating? Most of us hate the "death by PowerPoint" often conveyed by a monotone speaker.  How many of us start wiggling in our chair after 15 minutes and begin multi-tasking or daydreaming?   If that is the case in your meetings or events, it was not created by an experienced person educated in meeting architecture or instructional design.

 

In the training and development field, many instructional designers use the ADDIE methodology to design course content. Maarten Vanneste, CEO of the Meeting Support Institute, created the methodology, IDEA,  to design meeting content.  What are these acronyms?  While the letters are different,  the methodology is very similar:

 

Used in Training and Development	Used in Meetings and Events
A = Analysis (the current state, audience, constraints, options, adult learning theories to be considered, etc.)	I = Identify meeting objectives - both expressed and non-expressed
D = Design the learning content, assessment instruments, etc.	D = Design the meeting based on objectives
D = Develop the content	E = Execute the meeting
I = Implement by determined medium (face to face, online learning,  on-the-job training, etc.)
E = Evaluate  - often uses Dr. Jack Phillips methodology	A = Assess - recommends Dr. Jack Phillips methodology

 

Referring back to one of my other blogs, "Career ideas for e-learning instructional designers," I suggest that the instructional design skills typically used in the training and development environment are easily transferred into the meetings management world.   My 20-year career in training and development was the foundation for success in meetings and events.

 

ADDIE, or IDEA, can be used in both face-to-face meetings and virtual meetings.  When I hired my first staff member to lead the virtual meetings department in 2002, I purposely hired an experienced trainer and instructional designer. I knew that she'd use her ADDIE experience and superior delivery skills to manage and implement virtual meetings.

 

I propose that we watch the training and development environment more closely for future trends in meetings and events.  For instance, Dr. Jack Phillips started the ROI methdology in the education field over 20 years ago; now we use it in the meetings and events environment. We started using ADDIE in the education field many years ago; now we use a very similar model in meetings. 

 

For those interested in meeting architecture, I suggest reading Don Clark's site in addition to the resources that Maarten Vanneste suggests.  Don's website is:  http://www.nwlink.com/~Donclark/perform/process.html  Thousands of websites and hundreds of books are written on instructional design, yet Don summarizes it nicely.

 

 

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

 

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

 

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

How much is a relationship worth? Travel ROI

Do you really need to travel to see your client? Why can't you have a videoconference instead? While I'm an advocate of virtual meetings, travel is necessary in many cases. Rather than supply you with another article on the value of travel, let's focus on the return on investment.

For sake of simplicity, let's use a scenario. Presume that you want to visit a client that has been loyal for two years. It is a fairly new relationship, a competitive market and a cost reduction environment -- how often should you travel to visit with them? How often are your competitors traveling to their clients? Or, worse yet, to your client?

Let's do the math:

1. Develop objectives of the travel and the evaluation method you're going to use:
Objective = gain new business within the next six months
Evaluation method = forecasted an incoming order from the client

2. Collect or forecast the Data = you either receive an order for $50K or you forecast that they will purchase $50K in the next 6 months.

3. Isolate the effects of the travel and calculate the ROI
Let's presume a few factors that may make your client purchase your product or service:

1) the client needs your product or service
2) you have increased your marketing efforts on your product or service
3) the quality of your product is superior to your competitors
4) your company is ethical and reputable
5) your track record of service and efficiency speaks for itself
6) you had a recent training event that they attended
7) you continue to build the relationship with the client. 

If you win the business, how much can you contribute to building the relationship? There is no book that will formulate this for you…rather, you must use institutional knowledge to understand your business, your competitors and your relationship value.

Let's presume the relationship building is worth 10% and the other six factors above are worth 90%. You believe that if you travel to visit the client, you have a 10% more chance of making the sale than if you do not get in front of him or her.

• Let's presume the travel costs are estimated to be $1000 for sake of simplicity.
• Remember, our forecasted sale is worth $50K. You could calculate the future value of a sale in six months, but we'll skip that for now.
• We believe that if we visit the client, we'll have a 10% more chance of making the $50K sale. Therefore, we're isolating the effects of travel to be worth $5K, or the "gain."
• Gains = $5K; Travel Costs = $1K
• The Return on Investment calculation is (gains - costs)/costs

Answer - relationship building by traveling to the client is worth a forecasted 400% return on investment.

4. Granted, if you only do this exercise once, it may not carry validity in your organization. However, if you regularly calculate the value of travel and isolate the return on investment compared to other factors, you will help your leadership understand that traveling to visit clients is worth it. Report the business impact and the intangible benefits.

This exercise can be used in training, meetings, business cases, or other complex situations. If you want help, contact me, or, the guru and my mentor, Dr. Jack Phillips. I'm proud to say that I've been following and using his work since the early 90's from my training and development career. I still learn from him today.

http://www.roiinstitute.net/

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more... Follow me on Twitter ... http://www.twitter.com/debischolar and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar  

Identity Theft in Meetings and Events

Identity Theft in meetings and events may occur at any time without proper consideration at every process step and with every supplier.

 

When you attend a conference, the organizers may ask:

 

• for your credit card to pay for the conference
• for your address, email, and other personal data like telephone numbers, age range, etc.
• for your partner (spouse or other) data, if they are attending
• if you have any special health-related accommodation requirements
• if you have any special menu requirements. You may ask, why is menu important?  If you have menu requirements due to religion, it is one more piece of data that may be considered part of identity theft
• when you are arriving and departing for the manifest information

 

 

What type of conference was it?  For instance, if you attend a conference on "How to Manage Your Adult Diabetes," and the attendee list is accidentally stolen, will you be concerned? 

 

Was any of this information stored on a laptop computer? Or, on an encrypted server?  How was this information passed on to the other suppliers such as to the hotel? ground transportation company? meeting management company?  travel management company?   And, how long will these suppliers keep this data?

 

To learn more about this complex environment, the National Business Travel Association is presenting a session titled "The Violations Epidemic: Privacy and Security Breaches in Meetings and Events" on Monday, August 24 in San Diego at the national convention. 

 

 http://www.nbtaconvention.org/education/Pages/education_monday.aspx#ma1

 

Identity theft and privacy breaches can cost organizations millions of dollars.  Don't let this happen to your company.  For a risk assessment in your environment, please contact me.

 

 

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

 

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

 

 

Meetings/Events: Prepare for crisis in hurricane season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, and the Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15th to November 30th. Organization leaders are reminded that duty of care negligence may include not being able to track or assist employees during crisis management situations that occur while on business travel, meetings, or events.

A few years ago, we experienced an over-abundance of hurricanes where we were conducting numerous meetings. During a crisis assessment team call, I reviewed and presented meeting attendee participation data from our strategic meeting management technology tool system. I was able to provide the crisis assessment team with the group size, location, venues and the onsite contact information. Our department heads concluded that evacuation was required for some groups while others should stay put based on their location within the state.

After a few minutes of discussion, one particular department head asked about her client meeting as she knew they had planned a 50-person meeting that was in progress in one of the cities that we agreed should remain at the property. Frantically, I searched through all of my reports without finding anything on her group meeting. We concluded that the organizer of the meeting had forgotten to register the meeting in the strategic meeting management tool. If she had not been on the call, and if that location had been scheduled for evacuation, they would have been left behind because we had no record of that meeting. Because it was a client meeting, attendees had booked their own travel with their preferred agencies so we did not have those records. Since that time, a mandated policy has been implemented that all groups and meetings must be registered in the strategic meetings management tool.

Enterprise level tracking improves crisis management and actions. Ask yourself:

1. Are all employees using a centralized travel management company booking system so that tracking is available from one report? If you have leakage outside of your online booking tool or travel management company, you risk not having access to employee locations during crisis situations.

2. Are all employees, executive assistants, marketing, human resource, sales team, and meeting planners using one centralized strategic meeting management technology, across the enterprise, to register meetings and events on a central calendar? Does the system offer attendee management in order to find employees, attendees or other participants during a crisis? Are these attendees using the same group travel booking tool as your business travelers?

Tracking travel, meetings and events, at the enterprise level, is imperative for crisis management, cost and risk reduction. Many companies are using a centralized online booking tool for travel but only a few are using strategic meetings management tools.

If you want help finding a strategic meetings management tool, I have prepared business cases, RFP templates, questions and scoring mechanisms that you can use to find the right supplier for your environment.

For more information on hurricane tracking, visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more... Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

New T&E Policy for today's economic environment

Some fun as we move into Memorial Day and the summer travel season ....  enjoy the long weekend.

New Travel, Entertainment and Meeting Policy

1. All travel must be approved by your manager, the manager’s director, the managing director, the operations leader, the shared services vice president, the chief financial officer and the chief executive officer.  Please submit all travel requests four months in advance.
2. All travel must be booked by finding the lowest fare such as using the online booking tool, the airline webfares, the travel agency, your sister’s travel agency, the newspapers ads, or the online travel aggregator sites.  We recognize that this may take you three or more hours, but if you can find a fare that is cheaper, you must take the time to search in order to save money.
3. Please stay with relatives or friends to reduce your expenses.  While you’re there, please raid their refrigerator to eliminate meal expenses.  If you are traveling to a location without relatives or friends, please make new friends online using Twitter.   If that fails, please retrieve the reusable tentage from the local office.
4. Laundry expenses are not reimbursable. Please use your relative’s or friend’s washer and dryer.
5. Ground transportation must be provided by your favorite shoe manufacturer and your feet.  If your journey is more than five miles, please be sure to carry maps of the local bus or subway route with you.  You will not be reimbursed for these expenses because you should be willing to walk as our Health Benefit costs are increasing and you need to lose weight.
6. Allowable client entertainment includes volunteering, going to the park or taking advantage of free events. 
7. The T&E corporate card must be used for all reimbursable expenses.  Our company has no reimbursable expenses.   Any accrued points must be turned over to your manager, the manager’s director, the managing director or the chief financial officer so that they may use to buy valuable products, such as soap and toilet paper for our company bathrooms because we have cut all janitorial supplies from our budget.
8. Internal meetings and events can only be conducted by virtual mediums. The approved virtual mediums include your personal cell phones, your personal computer and webcams.
9. External business development meetings and events can be held at the local park.  In the case of inclement weather, please use parks with gazebos, canopies or buildings.  If you require client entertainment, please bring a deck of cards.  No gambling is allowed. If you require bug spray, please purchase at your own expense.
10. All audiovisual and production requirements must be supplied by using flashlights, hand shadows and drawings on the back of the napkin.

Any violations or noncompliance to this policy will be reported by our data metrics, from the ERP, the OBT, the TMC, the EMS, and the SMMT, that we build, analyze, preview, revise, reproduce, report and validate a few times each day.

 

 

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation plus more...

Follow me on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/debi001or at LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

Virtual Meetings...and Madonna

For those of you who know me, I follow a few artists ... namely, Los Lonely Boys, Madonna, Rolling Stones, Santana, and a few others.  In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a good Rolling Stones, Los Lonely Boys or Santana concert...the tried and true music we all love.  Sure, they may change their songs, but Mick, with his tight pants, and Henry Garza with his Stacy Adams shoes, will never disappoint.

Then, we have change artists, such as Madonna.  My first Madonna concert was in Detroit in the 80s; my ticket stubs are valued possessions. I've seen almost all of her tours and she never disappoints me ...but, she always has different shows.  I never know what I'm in for when it comes to a Madonna concert.

I compare face-to-face meetings to the tried and true concerts and virtual meetings to the change artists.  Is there a place for both?  Absolutely.  In fact, I remember when I saw, on TV, Elton John and Eminem together on stage. How in the world could those two play together as they are so different? Yet, in music, they complemented each other. 

How can you tie in virtual meetings with face-to-face meetings?  As the first leader in the industry to start a "Virtual Meeting Team", within Meeting and Event Services, in 2002, I remember the meeting planners having difficulty accepting the new group...but it worked.  Today, that virtual meeting leader and the resources are the best in the industry.

Virtual meetings require a) a meeting architecture specialist, aka, content developer b) hand holding by an empathetic person and c) technology support.  From my perspective, A and B may be the same person but C is often a different person/group.  

Ask yourself:

* How can virtual meetings complement our face-to-face meetings?
* Do we have the RIGHT support group managing virtual meetings to drive adoption?
* How much savings can we recognize if we move 10% of our face to face meetings to a virtual medium?
* How do we know what to track or measure for the return on investment?
* How will we know if the knowledge was transferred effectively?
* How do we keep people engaged so they don't multi-task while participating in a virtual meeting?
* Do you know which technologies to use?

Recently, almost 500,000 businesses took part in the "Virtual Meeting Day" in the UK.  Phil Flaxton, Chief Executive of Work Wise, suggests that "Holding just one virtual meeting typically saves organisations at least £298, 247 miles of travel and three hours’ travel time." 

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/story/Virtual-meetings-could-save-British-business-billions-/50114

Is your organization more like the Rolling Stones or Madonna?

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Follow me on Twitter ...http://twitter.com/debi001

 and on LinkedIN at ttp://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

TPA: Travel Promotion Act 2009

I was talking to a client on Monday afternoon and he explained how difficult it is for him and his company to ask international colleagues to come to the U.S. when conducting business meetings and sharing skill sets. 

Thankfully, today, we're one step closer to overcoming some of these hurdles.  The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the Travel Promotion Act legislation.  My client and I hope that the Act continues to gain steam...

I've posted the ENTIRE Act below...however, in short, the Act:

a) provides useful information to foreign travelers (see below for exact verbiage)
b) will identify, counter and correct misperceptions regarding U.S. entry policies (see below)
c) will maximize the economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to the U.S. by promotion (see below)
d) will ensure that international travel benefits all States and DC, including areas not traditionally visited by international travelers (see below)
e) to give priority to the Corporation's efforts with respect to countries and populations most likely to travel to the US (see below)

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Follow me on Twitter ...http://twitter.com/debi001 and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

S.1023

Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:2:./temp/~mdbsnmVhk7:e1083:

---

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act may be cited as the `Travel Promotion Act of 2009'.

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. The Corporation for Travel Promotion .

Sec. 3. Accountability measures.

Sec. 4. Matching public and private funding.

Sec. 5. Travel promotion fund fees.

Sec. 6. Assessment authority.

Sec. 7. Office of Travel Promotion .

Sec. 8. Research program.

SEC. 2. THE CORPORATION FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION .

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- The Corporation for Travel Promotion is established as a nonprofit corporation. The Corporation shall not be an agency or establishment of the United States Government. The Corporation shall be subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (D.C. Code, section 29-1001 et seq.), to the extent that such provisions are consistent with this section, and shall have the powers conferred upon a nonprofit corporation by that Act to carry out its purposes and activities.

(b) Board of Directors-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall have a board of directors of 11 members with knowledge of international travel promotion and marketing, broadly representing various regions of the United States, who are United States citizens. Members of the board shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State), as follows:

(A) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the hotel accommodations sector;

(B) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the restaurant sector;

(C) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the small business or retail sector or in associations representing that sector;

(D) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the advertising sector;

(E) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the attractions or recreations sector;

(F) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a city convention and visitors' bureau;

(G) 2 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a State tourism office;

(H) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the passenger air sector;

(I) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in immigration law and policy, including visa requirements and United States entry procedures; and

(J) 1 shall have appropriate expertise in the intercity passenger railroad business.

(2) INCORPORATION- The members of the initial board of directors shall serve as incorporators and shall take whatever actions are necessary to establish the Corporation under the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (D.C. Code, section 29-1001 et seq.).

(3) TERM OF OFFICE- The term of office of each member of the board appointed by the Secretary shall be 3 years, except that, of the members first appointed--

(A) 3 shall be appointed for terms of 1 year;

(B) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 2 years; and

(C) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 3 years.

(4) REMOVAL FOR CAUSE- The Secretary of Commerce may remove any member of the board for good cause.

(5) VACANCIES- Any vacancy in the board shall not affect its power, but shall be filled in the manner required by this section. Any member whose term has expired may serve until the member's successor has taken office, or until the end of the calendar year in which the member's term has expired, whichever is earlier. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which that member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of the predecessor's term. No member of the board shall be eligible to serve more than 2 consecutive full 3-year terms.

(6) ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN- Members of the board shall annually elect one of the members to be Chairman and elect 1 or 2 of the members as Vice Chairman or Vice Chairmen.

(7) STATUS AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES- Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no member of the board may be considered to be a Federal employee of the United States by virtue of his or her service as a member of the board.

(8) COMPENSATION; EXPENSES- No member shall receive any compensation from the Federal government for serving on the Board. Each member of the Board shall be paid actual travel expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses when away from his or her usual place of residence, in accordance with section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

(c) Officers and Employees-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall have a President, and such other officers as may be named and appointed by the board for terms and at rates of compensation fixed by the board. No individual other than a citizen of the United States may be an officer of the Corporation. The Corporation may hire and fix the compensation of such employees as may be necessary to carry out its purposes. No officer or employee of the Corporation may receive any salary or other compensation (except for compensation for services on boards of directors of other organizations that do not receive funds from the Corporation, on committees of such boards, and in similar activities for such organizations) from any sources other than the Corporation for services rendered during the period of his or her employment by the Corporation. Service by any officer on boards of directors of other organizations, on committees of such boards, and in similar activities for such organizations shall be subject to annual advance approval by the board and subject to the provisions of the Corporation's Statement of Ethical Conduct. All officers and employees shall serve at the pleasure of the board.

(2) NONPOLITICAL NATURE OF APPOINTMENT- No political test or qualification shall be used in selecting, appointing, promoting, or taking other personnel actions with respect to officers, agents, or employees of the Corporation.

(d) Nonprofit and Nonpolitical Nature of Corporation-

(1) STOCK- The Corporation shall have no power to issue any shares of stock, or to declare or pay any dividends.

(2) PROFIT- No part of the income or assets of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of any director, officer, employee, or any other individual except as salary or reasonable compensation for services.

(3) POLITICS- The Corporation may not contribute to or otherwise support any political party or candidate for elective public office.

(4) SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LOBBYING ACTIVITIES- It is the sense of Congress that the Corporation should not engage in lobbying activities (as defined in section 3(7) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (5 U.S.C. 1602(7)).

(e) Duties and Powers-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall develop and execute a plan--

(A) to provide useful information to foreign tourists, business people, students, scholars, scientists, and others interested in travelling to the United States, including the distribution of material provided by the Federal government concerning entry requirements, required documentation, fees, processes, and information concerning declared public health emergencies, to prospective travelers, travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, foreign governments, travel media and other international stakeholders;

(B) to identify, counter, and correct misperceptions regarding United States entry policies around the world;

(C) to maximize the economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to the United States by promoting the United States of America to world travelers through the use of, but not limited to, all forms of advertising, outreach to trade shows, and other appropriate promotional activities;

(D) to ensure that international travel benefits all States and the District of Columbia and to identify opportunities and strategies to promote tourism to rural and urban areas equally, including areas not traditionally visited by international travelers; and

(E) to give priority to the Corporation's efforts with respect to countries and populations most likely to travel to the United States.

(2) SPECIFIC POWERS- In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the Corporation may--

(A) obtain grants from and make contracts with individuals and private companies, State, and Federal agencies, organizations, and institutions;

(B) hire or accept the voluntary services of consultants, experts, advisory boards, and panels to aid the Corporation in carrying out its purposes; and

(C) take such other actions as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth in this section.

(3) PUBLIC OUTREACH AND INFORMATION- The Corporation shall develop and maintain a publicly accessible website.

(f) OPEN MEETINGS- Meetings of the board of directors of the Corporation, including any committee of the board, shall be open to the public. The board may, by majority vote, close any such meeting only for the time necessary to preserve the confidentiality of commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential, to discuss personnel matters, or to discuss legal matters affecting the Corporation, including pending or potential litigation.

(g) MAJOR CAMPAIGNS- The board may not authorize the Corporation to obligate or expend more than $25,000,000 on any advertising campaign, promotion , or related effort unless--

(1) the obligation or expenditure is approved by an affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the members of the board present at the meeting;

(2) at least 6 members of the board are present at the meeting at which it is approved; and

(3) each member of the board has been given at least 3 days advance notice of the meeting at which the vote is to be taken and the matters to be voted upon at that meeting.

(h) Fiscal Accountability.

(1) FISCAL YEAR- The Corporation shall establish as its fiscal year the 12-month period beginning on October 1.

(2) BUDGET- The Corporation shall adopt a budget for each fiscal year.

(3) ANNUAL AUDITS- The Corporation shall engage an independent accounting firm to conduct an annual financial audit of the Corporation's operations and shall publish the results of the audit. The Comptroller General of the United States may review any audit of a financial statement conducted under this subsection by an independent accounting firm and may audit the Corporation's operations at the discretion of the Comptroller General. The Comptroller General shall have full and complete access to the books and records of the Corporation.

(4) PROGRAM AUDITS- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act , the Comptroller General shall conduct a review of the programmatic activities of the Corporation for Travel Promotion . This report shall be provided to appropriate congressional committees.

SEC. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES.

(a) OBJECTIVES- The Board shall establish annual objectives for the Corporation for each fiscal year subject to approval by the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State). The Corporation shall establish a marketing plan for each fiscal year not less than 60 days before the beginning of that year and provide a copy of the plan, and any revisions thereof, to the Secretary.

(b) BUDGET- The board shall transmit a copy of the Corporation's budget for the forthcoming fiscal year to the Secretary not less than 60 days before the beginning of each fiscal year, together with an explanation of any expenditure provided for by the budget in excess of $5,000,000 for the fiscal year. The Corporation shall make a copy of the budget and the explanation available to the public and shall provide public access to the budget and explanation on the Corporation's website.

(c) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Corporation shall submit an annual report for the preceding fiscal year to the Secretary of Commerce for transmittal to the Congress on or before the 15th day of May of each year. The report shall include--

(1) a comprehensive and detailed report of the Corporation's operations, activities, financial condition, and accomplishments under this Act ;

(2) a comprehensive and detailed inventory of amounts obligated or expended by the Corporation during the preceding fiscal year;

(3) a detailed description of each in-kind contribution, its fair market value, the individual or organization responsible for contributing, its specific use, and a justification for its use within the context of the Corporation's mission;

(4) an objective and quantifiable measurement of its progress, on an objective-by-objective basis, in meeting the objectives established by the board;

(5) an explanation of the reason for any failure to achieve an objective established by the board and any revisions or alterations to the Corporation's objectives under subsection (a);

(6) a comprehensive and detailed report of the Corporation's operations and activities to promote tourism in rural and urban areas; and

(7) such recommendations as the Corporation deems appropriate.

SEC. 4. MATCHING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND- There is hereby established in the Treasury a fund which shall be known as the Travel Promotion Fund.

(b) Funding-

(1) START-UP EXPENSES- For the period beginning on October 1, 2009, and ending on December 31, 2009, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Corporation such sums as may be necessary, but not to exceed $10,000,000, from amounts deposited in the general fund of the Treasury from fees under section 217(h)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(I)) to cover the Corporation's initial expenses and activities under this Act .

(2) Fiscal year 2010 and subsequent years- For the period beginning on January 1, 2010, and ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014, from amounts deposited in the general fund of the Treasury during the preceding fiscal year from fees under section 217(h)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(I)), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer not more than $100,000,000 to the Fund, which shall be made available to the Corporation, subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, to carry out its functions under this Act . Transfers shall be made at least quarterly on the basis of estimates by the Secretary of the Treasury of the amounts required to be transferred in accordance with subsection (c), and proper adjustments shall be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess or less than the amounts required to be transferred.

(c) Matching Requirement-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Corporation at least quarterly from amounts available in the Fund for the period beginning on January 1, 2010, and ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of fiscal years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, an amount equal to the amount received from non-Federal sources by the Corporation. The amount made available to the Corporation under this paragraph for the period ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of those fiscal years, may not exceed $100,000,000.

(2) GOODS AND SERVICES- For the purpose of determining the amount received from non-Federal sources by the Corporation, other than money--

(A) the fair market value of goods and services (including advertising) contributed to the Corporation for use under this Act may be included in the determination; but

(B) the fair market value of such goods and services may not account for more than 80 percent of the matching requirement under paragraph (1) for the Corporation in any fiscal year.

(3) RIGHT OF REFUSAL- The Corporation may decline to accept any contribution in-kind that it determines to be inappropriate, not useful, or commercially worthless.

(4) LIMITATION- The Corporation may not obligate or expend funds in excess of the total amount received by the Corporation for a fiscal year from Federal and non-Federal sources.

(d) Carryforward-

(1) FEDERAL FUNDS- Amounts transferred to the Fund under subsection (b)(2) shall remain available until expended.

(2) MATCHING FUNDS- Any amount received by the Corporation from non-Federal sources in fiscal year 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014 that cannot be used to meet the matching requirement under subsection (c)(1) for the fiscal year in which amount was collected may be carried forward and treated as having been received in the succeeding fiscal year for purposes of meeting the matching requirement of subsection (c)(1) in such succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 5. TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND FEES.

Section 217(h)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

`(B) Fees-

`(i) IN GENERAL- No later than September 30, 2009, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a fee for the use of the System and begin assessment and collection of that fee. The initial fee shall be the sum of--

`(I) $10 per travel authorization; and

`(II) an amount that will at least ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering the System, as determined by the Secretary.

`(ii) DISPOSITION OF AMOUNTS COLLECTED- Amounts collected under clause (i)(I) shall be credited to the Travel Promotion Fund established by section 4 of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. Amounts collected under clause (i)(II) shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury and made available to pay the costs incurred to administer the System.

`(iii) SUNSET OF TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND FEE- The Secretary may not collect the fee authorized by clause (i)(I) for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2014.'.

SEC. 6. ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY.

(a) IN GENERAL- Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Corporation may impose an annual assessment on United States members of the international travel and tourism industry (other than those described in section 2(b)(1)(C) or (H)) represented on the Board in proportion to their share of the aggregate international travel and tourism revenue of the industry.

---

TPA: Travel Promotion Act 2009

I was talking to a client on Monday afternoon and he explained how difficult it is for him and his company to ask international colleagues to come to the U.S. when conducting business meetings and sharing skill sets. 

Thankfully, today, we're one step closer to overcoming some of these hurdles.  The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the Travel Promotion Act legislation.  My client and I hope that the Act continues to gain steam...

I've posted the ENTIRE Act below...however, in short, the Act:

a) provides useful information to foreign travelers (see below for exact verbiage)
b) will identify, counter and correct misperceptions regarding U.S. entry policies (see below)
c) will maximize the economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to the U.S. by promotion (see below)
d) will ensure that international travel benefits all States and DC, including areas not traditionally visited by international travelers (see below)
e) to give priority to the Corporation's efforts with respect to countries and populations most likely to travel to the US (see below)

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Follow me on Twitter ...http://twitter.com/debi001 and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

S.1023

Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:2:./temp/~mdbsnmVhk7:e1083:

---

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act may be cited as the `Travel Promotion Act of 2009'.

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. The Corporation for Travel Promotion .

Sec. 3. Accountability measures.

Sec. 4. Matching public and private funding.

Sec. 5. Travel promotion fund fees.

Sec. 6. Assessment authority.

Sec. 7. Office of Travel Promotion .

Sec. 8. Research program.

SEC. 2. THE CORPORATION FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION .

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- The Corporation for Travel Promotion is established as a nonprofit corporation. The Corporation shall not be an agency or establishment of the United States Government. The Corporation shall be subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (D.C. Code, section 29-1001 et seq.), to the extent that such provisions are consistent with this section, and shall have the powers conferred upon a nonprofit corporation by that Act to carry out its purposes and activities.

(b) Board of Directors-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall have a board of directors of 11 members with knowledge of international travel promotion and marketing, broadly representing various regions of the United States, who are United States citizens. Members of the board shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State), as follows:

(A) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the hotel accommodations sector;

(B) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the restaurant sector;

(C) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the small business or retail sector or in associations representing that sector;

(D) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the advertising sector;

(E) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the attractions or recreations sector;

(F) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a city convention and visitors' bureau;

(G) 2 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a State tourism office;

(H) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the passenger air sector;

(I) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in immigration law and policy, including visa requirements and United States entry procedures; and

(J) 1 shall have appropriate expertise in the intercity passenger railroad business.

(2) INCORPORATION- The members of the initial board of directors shall serve as incorporators and shall take whatever actions are necessary to establish the Corporation under the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (D.C. Code, section 29-1001 et seq.).

(3) TERM OF OFFICE- The term of office of each member of the board appointed by the Secretary shall be 3 years, except that, of the members first appointed--

(A) 3 shall be appointed for terms of 1 year;

(B) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 2 years; and

(C) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 3 years.

(4) REMOVAL FOR CAUSE- The Secretary of Commerce may remove any member of the board for good cause.

(5) VACANCIES- Any vacancy in the board shall not affect its power, but shall be filled in the manner required by this section. Any member whose term has expired may serve until the member's successor has taken office, or until the end of the calendar year in which the member's term has expired, whichever is earlier. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which that member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of the predecessor's term. No member of the board shall be eligible to serve more than 2 consecutive full 3-year terms.

(6) ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN- Members of the board shall annually elect one of the members to be Chairman and elect 1 or 2 of the members as Vice Chairman or Vice Chairmen.

(7) STATUS AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES- Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no member of the board may be considered to be a Federal employee of the United States by virtue of his or her service as a member of the board.

(8) COMPENSATION; EXPENSES- No member shall receive any compensation from the Federal government for serving on the Board. Each member of the Board shall be paid actual travel expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses when away from his or her usual place of residence, in accordance with section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

(c) Officers and Employees-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall have a President, and such other officers as may be named and appointed by the board for terms and at rates of compensation fixed by the board. No individual other than a citizen of the United States may be an officer of the Corporation. The Corporation may hire and fix the compensation of such employees as may be necessary to carry out its purposes. No officer or employee of the Corporation may receive any salary or other compensation (except for compensation for services on boards of directors of other organizations that do not receive funds from the Corporation, on committees of such boards, and in similar activities for such organizations) from any sources other than the Corporation for services rendered during the period of his or her employment by the Corporation. Service by any officer on boards of directors of other organizations, on committees of such boards, and in similar activities for such organizations shall be subject to annual advance approval by the board and subject to the provisions of the Corporation's Statement of Ethical Conduct. All officers and employees shall serve at the pleasure of the board.

(2) NONPOLITICAL NATURE OF APPOINTMENT- No political test or qualification shall be used in selecting, appointing, promoting, or taking other personnel actions with respect to officers, agents, or employees of the Corporation.

(d) Nonprofit and Nonpolitical Nature of Corporation-

(1) STOCK- The Corporation shall have no power to issue any shares of stock, or to declare or pay any dividends.

(2) PROFIT- No part of the income or assets of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of any director, officer, employee, or any other individual except as salary or reasonable compensation for services.

(3) POLITICS- The Corporation may not contribute to or otherwise support any political party or candidate for elective public office.

(4) SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LOBBYING ACTIVITIES- It is the sense of Congress that the Corporation should not engage in lobbying activities (as defined in section 3(7) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (5 U.S.C. 1602(7)).

(e) Duties and Powers-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall develop and execute a plan--

(A) to provide useful information to foreign tourists, business people, students, scholars, scientists, and others interested in travelling to the United States, including the distribution of material provided by the Federal government concerning entry requirements, required documentation, fees, processes, and information concerning declared public health emergencies, to prospective travelers, travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, foreign governments, travel media and other international stakeholders;

(B) to identify, counter, and correct misperceptions regarding United States entry policies around the world;

(C) to maximize the economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to the United States by promoting the United States of America to world travelers through the use of, but not limited to, all forms of advertising, outreach to trade shows, and other appropriate promotional activities;

(D) to ensure that international travel benefits all States and the District of Columbia and to identify opportunities and strategies to promote tourism to rural and urban areas equally, including areas not traditionally visited by international travelers; and

(E) to give priority to the Corporation's efforts with respect to countries and populations most likely to travel to the United States.

(2) SPECIFIC POWERS- In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the Corporation may--

(A) obtain grants from and make contracts with individuals and private companies, State, and Federal agencies, organizations, and institutions;

(B) hire or accept the voluntary services of consultants, experts, advisory boards, and panels to aid the Corporation in carrying out its purposes; and

(C) take such other actions as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth in this section.

(3) PUBLIC OUTREACH AND INFORMATION- The Corporation shall develop and maintain a publicly accessible website.

(f) OPEN MEETINGS- Meetings of the board of directors of the Corporation, including any committee of the board, shall be open to the public. The board may, by majority vote, close any such meeting only for the time necessary to preserve the confidentiality of commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential, to discuss personnel matters, or to discuss legal matters affecting the Corporation, including pending or potential litigation.

(g) MAJOR CAMPAIGNS- The board may not authorize the Corporation to obligate or expend more than $25,000,000 on any advertising campaign, promotion , or related effort unless--

(1) the obligation or expenditure is approved by an affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the members of the board present at the meeting;

(2) at least 6 members of the board are present at the meeting at which it is approved; and

(3) each member of the board has been given at least 3 days advance notice of the meeting at which the vote is to be taken and the matters to be voted upon at that meeting.

(h) Fiscal Accountability.

(1) FISCAL YEAR- The Corporation shall establish as its fiscal year the 12-month period beginning on October 1.

(2) BUDGET- The Corporation shall adopt a budget for each fiscal year.

(3) ANNUAL AUDITS- The Corporation shall engage an independent accounting firm to conduct an annual financial audit of the Corporation's operations and shall publish the results of the audit. The Comptroller General of the United States may review any audit of a financial statement conducted under this subsection by an independent accounting firm and may audit the Corporation's operations at the discretion of the Comptroller General. The Comptroller General shall have full and complete access to the books and records of the Corporation.

(4) PROGRAM AUDITS- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act , the Comptroller General shall conduct a review of the programmatic activities of the Corporation for Travel Promotion . This report shall be provided to appropriate congressional committees.

SEC. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES.

(a) OBJECTIVES- The Board shall establish annual objectives for the Corporation for each fiscal year subject to approval by the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State). The Corporation shall establish a marketing plan for each fiscal year not less than 60 days before the beginning of that year and provide a copy of the plan, and any revisions thereof, to the Secretary.

(b) BUDGET- The board shall transmit a copy of the Corporation's budget for the forthcoming fiscal year to the Secretary not less than 60 days before the beginning of each fiscal year, together with an explanation of any expenditure provided for by the budget in excess of $5,000,000 for the fiscal year. The Corporation shall make a copy of the budget and the explanation available to the public and shall provide public access to the budget and explanation on the Corporation's website.

(c) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Corporation shall submit an annual report for the preceding fiscal year to the Secretary of Commerce for transmittal to the Congress on or before the 15th day of May of each year. The report shall include--

(1) a comprehensive and detailed report of the Corporation's operations, activities, financial condition, and accomplishments under this Act ;

(2) a comprehensive and detailed inventory of amounts obligated or expended by the Corporation during the preceding fiscal year;

(3) a detailed description of each in-kind contribution, its fair market value, the individual or organization responsible for contributing, its specific use, and a justification for its use within the context of the Corporation's mission;

(4) an objective and quantifiable measurement of its progress, on an objective-by-objective basis, in meeting the objectives established by the board;

(5) an explanation of the reason for any failure to achieve an objective established by the board and any revisions or alterations to the Corporation's objectives under subsection (a);

(6) a comprehensive and detailed report of the Corporation's operations and activities to promote tourism in rural and urban areas; and

(7) such recommendations as the Corporation deems appropriate.

SEC. 4. MATCHING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND- There is hereby established in the Treasury a fund which shall be known as the Travel Promotion Fund.

(b) Funding-

(1) START-UP EXPENSES- For the period beginning on October 1, 2009, and ending on December 31, 2009, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Corporation such sums as may be necessary, but not to exceed $10,000,000, from amounts deposited in the general fund of the Treasury from fees under section 217(h)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(I)) to cover the Corporation's initial expenses and activities under this Act .

(2) Fiscal year 2010 and subsequent years- For the period beginning on January 1, 2010, and ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014, from amounts deposited in the general fund of the Treasury during the preceding fiscal year from fees under section 217(h)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(I)), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer not more than $100,000,000 to the Fund, which shall be made available to the Corporation, subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, to carry out its functions under this Act . Transfers shall be made at least quarterly on the basis of estimates by the Secretary of the Treasury of the amounts required to be transferred in accordance with subsection (c), and proper adjustments shall be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess or less than the amounts required to be transferred.

(c) Matching Requirement-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Corporation at least quarterly from amounts available in the Fund for the period beginning on January 1, 2010, and ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of fiscal years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, an amount equal to the amount received from non-Federal sources by the Corporation. The amount made available to the Corporation under this paragraph for the period ending on September 30, 2010, and for each of those fiscal years, may not exceed $100,000,000.

(2) GOODS AND SERVICES- For the purpose of determining the amount received from non-Federal sources by the Corporation, other than money--

(A) the fair market value of goods and services (including advertising) contributed to the Corporation for use under this Act may be included in the determination; but

(B) the fair market value of such goods and services may not account for more than 80 percent of the matching requirement under paragraph (1) for the Corporation in any fiscal year.

(3) RIGHT OF REFUSAL- The Corporation may decline to accept any contribution in-kind that it determines to be inappropriate, not useful, or commercially worthless.

(4) LIMITATION- The Corporation may not obligate or expend funds in excess of the total amount received by the Corporation for a fiscal year from Federal and non-Federal sources.

(d) Carryforward-

(1) FEDERAL FUNDS- Amounts transferred to the Fund under subsection (b)(2) shall remain available until expended.

(2) MATCHING FUNDS- Any amount received by the Corporation from non-Federal sources in fiscal year 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014 that cannot be used to meet the matching requirement under subsection (c)(1) for the fiscal year in which amount was collected may be carried forward and treated as having been received in the succeeding fiscal year for purposes of meeting the matching requirement of subsection (c)(1) in such succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 5. TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND FEES.

Section 217(h)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

`(B) Fees-

`(i) IN GENERAL- No later than September 30, 2009, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a fee for the use of the System and begin assessment and collection of that fee. The initial fee shall be the sum of--

`(I) $10 per travel authorization; and

`(II) an amount that will at least ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering the System, as determined by the Secretary.

`(ii) DISPOSITION OF AMOUNTS COLLECTED- Amounts collected under clause (i)(I) shall be credited to the Travel Promotion Fund established by section 4 of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. Amounts collected under clause (i)(II) shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury and made available to pay the costs incurred to administer the System.

`(iii) SUNSET OF TRAVEL PROMOTION FUND FEE- The Secretary may not collect the fee authorized by clause (i)(I) for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2014.'.

SEC. 6. ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY.

(a) IN GENERAL- Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Corporation may impose an annual assessment on United States members of the international travel and tourism industry (other than those described in section 2(b)(1)(C) or (H)) represented on the Board in proportion to their share of the aggregate international travel and tourism revenue of the industry.

---

Squandering money at the board level? T&E policy plight

Once again, meetings and events are in the headlines...this time, in Wayne, New Jersey.  New Jersey credit union board members decided to combine education, with fun, on a cruise. 

As I was in Training & Development for over 20 years, I appreciate how important "a conducive environment" is to effective learning.  In addition, I've also participated in industry meetings on-board cruise ships.  A "Meetings at Sea" offers:
--a nice environment to learning;
--teaming opportunities
--a captive audience; and
--the opportunity to disconnect from the real world in order to focus on learning
I would not disqualify the location, such as a cruise, as an opportunity for meetings, events and learning.  However, the structure and expense must be in line with the organization's objectives and return on investment expectations.

In this case, the CEO, Joanne Lazzara, was the whistleblower as the board's expenses appear extensive according to Sarah  Wallace's report. 

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=6819592

The story continues to highlight the importance of a solid Travel Policy and compliance. 

In our organizations, let's ask:
- How detailed is your Travel policy?
- Does it include meetings and events?
- Does the policy encourage virtual meetings as a viable alternative?
- What happens when someone doesn't follow the policy?  How do you know they haven't followed the policy?
- What are the consequences of not following the policy?
- Does it appear that some people abuse the policy while others follow it?
- What types of reports do you share with your corporate leaders on compliance and savings?

Most travel policies are lengthy -- with purpose.

If you are unsure how to answer the questions above and want to create a best-in-class T&E policy, contact me.

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Follow me on Twitter ...http://twitter.com/debi001

and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

Government steps in to support business travel

A couple of recent articles highlight the importance of business travel and meetings ...

First, the U.S.  Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held hearings to address the importance and success of the travel and tourism industry.  Chairman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ranking Member, Mel Martinez (R-FL), support business travel.  According to Bill Connors, NBTA Executive Director & COO said that "NBTA research shows that the business travel industry supports more than three million American jobs..."
Read entire article here --> http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/30995-NBTA-applauds-senate-Commerce-Committee-for-addressing-vital-travel-issues

This week Congress is considering passenger rights issues: 1) requiring the airlines to provide passengers stuck on grounded aircraft with food, water, functioning restrooms and medical treatment, 2) establishing a consumer complaints hotline, 3) publishing the phone number on boarding passes, and 4) requiring airlines to disclose a flight's on-time record at the point of purchase.

Of course, we've all been stuck on the tarmac for numerous hours.  Do you think that congress should impose a time limit for passengers to be on the tarmac? Take the informal poll at:   http://polls.linkedin.com/p/38540/ocbim

For more information on this article, please go to ---> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/business/19passenger.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 

Have a great evening...

Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT

 

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation plus more...

 

Follow me on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/debi001or at LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar