What is happening at the Global Business Travel Association (Part I)?

As I made my rounds at the conference this year in Boston, I was hearing a lot about the conflict between the GBTA chapters and the GBTA home office regarding the future.? There were clients who are leaders in various chapters quite upset over what what was transpiring over the past few months.? All were bound by gag orders, so they were careful about what they could say and could not.? But I can tell you numerous chapter leaders were not happy.? I failed to find one that was happy.

And then I suffered through general session presentations where in one breath leadership of the GBTA organization were spouting about how the GDS?s and Airline?s should get their conflicts resolved and out of the hands of lawyers ? and how ?our industry? is a community bound all over the
world by the wonderful Global Business Travel Association.? As I sat in my seat I felt like I was being scolded by an elementary school teacher.? Others at my table agreed.

Finally while on vacation last week I was greeted to a Google alert in my email about the lawsuit that GBTA filed against the Georgia Business Travel Association.? Not a press story as reported by Business Travel News just after the conference.? Nope.?

A PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL ASSOCIATION!

Maybe they should be renamed the GLOBAL BULLYING TRAVEL ASSOCIATION.

Really?? A press release?? Give me a break.

Now maybe I should not be writing about this ? but I am not hearing or seeing much asking what is going on with this subject.? I must admit, I do not know all the facts, but I will go on a limb here and suggest that a couple people in a room could maybe work this out.? Imagine that both sides
will be spending upwards of $50,000 or more just on lawyers to work on this conflict.? Is that sponsorship money well spent?? Does this help advance our industry?? I think not; but it helps those lawyers.

Now before you go down the path of claiming I am the disgruntled candidate who lost the election ? give me a break.? I was so glad to lose so I could speak like this publically if I wanted.? So here you
go.

But right now this association has something very wrong with it.? Over twenty years ago similar things
happened when a group of industry leaders broke off to create ACTE.? And right now this is not what we need.? We need an association to bring us together on a common platform of what makes us better collectively.? It is not about control.? Rather it is what makes us better as an industry.? Nothing I see is
accomplishing this.? There seem to be some very large ego?s driving this organization down the path of irrelevance.

Maybe it is time to speak up.? Maybe it is time for the sponsors and the members of OUR industry to stand up for what is right and take our industry and our association back.

Please also re-read the title to this post.? This is only part I.? My ranting will continue in a few weeks.

Source: http://bradseitz.typepad.com/brad-seitz-topaz/2012/08/what-is-happening-at-the-global-business-travel-association-part-i.html

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