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!
OVBTA September 25, 2018 Meeting
September 25, 2018
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Galaxy Restaurant Event Center, Wadsworth, OH
201 Park Centre Drive, Wadsworth, OH 44281
Wadsworth, OH 44281
http://www.galaxybanquetcenter.com/
Directions
OVBTA - Michigan BTA Joint Education Day and Trade Show
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at the Galaxy Event Center
Hotel - Booking Information
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Comfort Inn and Suites are each offering a special room rate of $99 for attendees booking their room by August 25. Mention that you are attending the OVBTA meeting to get the group rate.
- SOLD OUT Call (330) 336-7692 book a room at the Comfort Inn and Suites. SOLD OUT
- SOLD OUT Call (330) 334-7666 to book a room at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. SOLD OUT
Both properties adjacent to the Galaxy Event Center are sold out. If you need a room, we recommend you find a property on the Southwest side of Akron.
This meeting is approved for 5 GBTA Education Credits
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September 24th, 2018 |
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7:00pm – 9:00pm |
Tradeshow |
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September 25th, 2018 |
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7:30am – 8:00am |
Networking Breakfast, Registration |
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8:00am – 9:00am |
Direct Member Breakout |
Grant Caplan, Procurigence |
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8:00am – 9:00am |
The Advantages of Everyone is using questioning methodologies for relationship building in sales. You will learn the model that demystifies how to use this model in any situation, without having to remember specific questions. You will also learn the real purpose for questions that are yes/no or one-word answers - and it is NOT what you think! |
Virginia Dickinson, Procurigence |
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9:15am – 10:15am |
Break-out Session #1 |
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“Using Technology Globally for the Mid-Market” Travel Managers with mid-market travel programs can tie them together in several ways. This session will show mid-market travel buyers how to increase the value of their travel program in smaller or less-advanced countries by integrating them with larger or more-advanced countries. |
Grant Caplan, Procurigence, and Doug Payne, Altour |
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“Passport/Visa and Immigration Updates” |
Bobby Bartle, Aires, and John Marquez, CIBT |
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“Clinical Issues in Travel Medicine: |
Dr. Keith Armitage, The Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine, University Hospitals |
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10:15am – 10:30am |
Morning Networking Break |
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10:30am – 11:30am |
Break-out Session #2 (same topics as Session #1) |
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11:30am – 12:00pm |
Sponsor Spotlight |
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12:00 pm - 1:00 pm |
Lunch |
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1:00 pm – 1:30 pm |
Legislative Update |
Shane Downey, GBTA |
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1:30pm – 1:45pm |
Scholarship Update |
Erin Ramos, Scholarship Chair |
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1:45pm – 2:30pm |
“Recognizing Trends to Save Big” In any industry, there are items that are high value to the client and low cost to the supplier. There are also items and services that become of more value for reasons people outside the industry cannot see. One example: Why is F&B of so much value to hotels? How did this happen? In the session, you will learn how to research and identify hot buttons, based on current and past trends. You will also see valuable approaches for negotiation within those areas. |
Virginia Dickinson, Procurigence |
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2:30pm- 2:45pm |
Networking Break |
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2:45pm- 3:30pm |
“Best Practices for a Global Travel Program” It’s tough to be sure you’ve not missed some opportunity to be your best as a travel buyer. You think to yourself: “Is my program optimized? What could I do to improve it?” There’s no embarrassment in knowing there’s room for improvement – only in not trying to improve. So, come hear some practices that could take your program to the next level and make you look like a rock star in your company. |
Grant Caplan, Procurigence |
Speaker Bios:
Grant Kaplan: Grant has been in the managed travel business for over 25 years bringing a combination of enterprise travel consulting and experience in managing, leading, and directing companies.
His focus and passions for client engagement, transparency in business, commitment to education, industry relations, brand strategy, and personal integrity are the talents Grant brings to each team member, supplier, and client.
Grant was approached by Procurigence while serving as President of Travel Consulted (which he still manages today), with the opportunity to develop a brand offering expanded client services while maintaining a strong position of unbiased influence. The process of incorporating two philosophically similar entities into a single program is already in the process says Grant and that is what makes this project intriguing and a plus for the meetings, travel, and procurement industries.
Prior to joining Procurigence, his experience includes founding and managing Travel Consulted, 2 years with TCG Consulting, and as a founding partner with Consulting Strategies (13 years). He has a solid technology groundbreaking history in the travel industry.
Working primarily with Fortune Global 500 companies. His expertise includes global TMC services, travel technology, plus global agency and program integration.
Grant serves on GBTA’s Government Relations Committee and has served on their Travel Technology Committee and has served as a featured speaker at over 40 travel industry events, including multiple presentations for GBTA’s Mexico and other chapters. He has been quoted and published numerous times in The New York Times, US Business Review, The Washington Post, Business Travel Executive, Business Travel News and other trade publications.
Grant earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University in Washington, DC and worked for several years on Capitol Hill within the U.S. House of Representatives.
Virginia Dickinson- Virginia is the consummate educational, training, and technology consultant supporting team members, customers, and the supplier marketplace for Procurigence. As the Learning Environmentalist and an integral member of the shared services division, her extensive work in both the corporate arena and institutions of higher learning makes her the ideal professional to lead our customer care and our improvement processes.
She has spent the last 17 years working with major clients in the hospitality industry, specializing in sales training, site selection, business development, technical systems, and elearning infrastructure development.
She is A.B.D. with a doctorate in Education, with areas of specialization in Adult Learning, Organizational Development, Educational Research, and Instructional Systems Design.
VIRGINIA’S TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
The word best supporting Virginia’s philosophy is environmentalist, as she is passionate about creating environments that are invitations to learn. “We are all thirsty for knowledge,” says Virginia, “so my role is to create learning environments (elearning, in person, or self-directed) in which people learn naturally, passionately, and voluntarily. The nature of the designed environment is learner-centered and learner-generated vs obligatory, mandated, or generic.”
This meeting is approved for 5 GBTA Education Credits
Tickets
$100.00 Non-Member / Guest Registration
$120.00 after 7:00 pm September 20
$40.00 Member Registration
$60.00 after 7:00 pm September 20
$60.00 GBTA All Access Member Guest
$80.00 after 7:00 pm September 20
