Meeting/Event Information

We are excited to host our 3rd Quarter 2026 meeting at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, IN! We are currently finalizing our speaker lineup and will continue our AI Pulse series. The full agenda will be shared soon.

Based on positive feedback, we’ll be bringing back our Kahoot! quizzes in a fun and engaging way. We will also provide an update on our chapter’s progress toward the 2026 goals. As always, the day will be filled with valuable education, meaningful networking, and a strong return on your investment of time and membership.

This quarter, we’ve introduced a separate complimentary registration for the networking event. You only need to sign up for this if you are not attending the Education Day. If you are registered for Education Day, your networking attendance is already included—no need to register twice. We appreciate your patience as we continue improving our website to better meet our needs.

A sincere thank you to our annual sponsors, who will be featured on our banner display throughout the year and in our social media. We also extend our gratitude to Hotel Carmichael for their generous venue sponsorship. Additional sponsorship opportunities may be available—our communications reach an audience of over 800, so stay tuned if you're interested.

We look forward to seeing you in Carmel, IN this September!

MBTA / OVBTA / GBTA Travel Procurement Workshop

 

October 19, 2011
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Add to Calendar

 

The Henry, Autograph Collection
300 Town Center Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126
http://tinyurl.com/6hykea3
Directions

MBTA / OVBTA Joint Education Day

GBTA TRAVEL PROCUREMENT WORKSHOP

Wednesday, October 19

Dearborn, MI

 

Use the below link to register for your hotel room, there is a special room rate of $99 per night if booked by October 4:

http://tinyurl.com/6hykea3

 

Please register for this event on the GBTA website at the following link:

https://www.gbta.org/usa/nbtaapps/AttendeeRegistration.aspx?EID=11SA1019 

This full-day workshop lays the foundation of modern procurement practices; explains why the travel category is on the front line for so many strategic sourcing efforts; and examines the key success factors for sourcing the airline and hotel categories. In this workshop you will: 

  • Understand what program optimization really means (hint: it is not about minimizing travel costs!)
  • Learn leading-edge procurement techniques using airline scenarios and hotel clusters
  • Choose the best sourcing strategies for your airline and hotel categories
  • Avoid critical analytical mistakes when evaluating airline and hotel bids
  • Increase your negotiating power in airline-specific situations
  • Expand your range of creative policy enforcement techniques
  Before Event Onsite
GBTA Member    $199    $249 
Non-GBTA Member $299    $349
Michigan BTA Buyer Member $199 $249
Ohio Valley BTA Buyer Member $199 $249
Michigan BTA Supplier Member $199 $249
Ohio Valley BTA Supplier Member $199 $249
CCTE/SMMC Elective Credit       $125 

 

AGENDA:

8:30AM - 9:00AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00AM - 10:15AM  Welcome and morning program
• Procurement – Who are they and what do they want?
• Travel Procurement – What makes it different?
• The Magic Formula for Supplier Discounts
• Why Travel Procurement Starts with Travel Policy
 10:15AM - 10:30AM Morning Break
 10:30AM - 12:00PM  Continued program
• Modern Airline Sourcing
• Hotel Clusters and Modern Hotel Sourcing
 12:00PM - 1:00PM Networking Lunch
 1:00PM - 3:15PM Group Exercise: Recognizing Good Deals
 3:15PM - 3:30PM Afternoon Break
 3:30PM - 4:30PM

Wrap-up and Travel Policy War Stories

 

 

Session Faculty:

Scott Gillespie

Gillespie's Guide to Travel+Procurement

Scott is one of the world’s top experts at turning travel data into negotiating leverage. In 1999 he developed now-patented software to analyze corporate airline pricing. He founded Travel Analytics and built it into the travel industry’s leading independent consulting firm.  His clients included Deloitte, ExxonMobil, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin and Microsoft.

 TRX acquired Travel Analytics in 2006. At TRX, Scott led the development of new analytical tools, including a carbon footprint calculator and a hotel data clustering application.

 Scott left TRX in 2009, and authors the popular blog Gillespie’s Guide to Travel+Procurement. Earlier in his career, Scott spent eight years as a management consultant with A.T. Kearney, where he became the firm’s global expert on strategic sourcing of travel suppliers.

 He is a frequent speaker at travel association meetings worldwide. Scott has been quoted in major business publications, including Business Week, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.

 He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS from Arizona State.  He and his family reside near Cleveland, Ohio.