ACTE Education Agenda
ACTE has lined up an innovative and robust slate of education and networking programs that highlight the Best of the Best ideas and developments, with experts sharing the hottest trends for 2015, tackling industry challenges head-on, and arming you with skills for success. Look for a variety of new program features this year, including a range of formats and varying session durations.
ACTE's education programming begins Sunday, April 12 at 4:30pm with a full-length opening session followed by two days of education and networking.
View additional programming:
• Pre-conference
• Sunday/Monday
Tuesday, April 14
8:00am - 9:00am
Buyers Only ‘World Café’ Roundtable
Back by popular demand, the World Café provides an engaging environment exclusively for corporate buyers and travel managers. You will join your peers from around the globe to engage in purposeful dialogue around topics that matter to you. Past attendees have described this invaluable time together as a primary motivation for attending the conference
Facilitated by: Michelle Grant, Travel Administration Manager, CTE, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
9:00am - 10:00am
General Session: The Best of the Best: How Proactive Industry Innovators are Leading the Way
 | Reflecting on 16 years as a travel columnist for the New York Times, Joe Sharkey will distill the big picture of our industry into the macro trends that are driving innovation (and sometimes disruption) in modern corporate travel management. Then, our industry’s most creative and innovative leaders will illustrate how travel managers are turning trends into realities by shifting their mindsets from reactive to proactive, and leveraging tools that more effectively and seamlessly deliver travelers to their point of arrival. Featuring: Keynote Speaker: Joe Sharkey, Travel Columnist Spotlight Innovator: Michelle (Mick) Lee, Founder, Women In Travel (WINiT) Spotlight Innovator: Susan Lichtenstein, Director of Global Travel, Cisco Systems Spotlight Innovator: Carol McDowell, Manager, Corporate Travel Services, FINRA Moderator: Evan Konwiser, Vice President Digital Traveler, American Express Global Business
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10:15am - 11:15am
ACTE's TableTalks
Join expert buyers and suppliers for lively, moderated roundtable discussions on a variety of hot industry topics that are designed to help you network, exchange ideas, and find solutions and new perspectives on the challenges you face in corporate travel management.
11:30am - 1:00pm
Select from 90-minute extended deep-dive workshops or concurrent 30-minute education sessions that spotlight a range of industry topics.
| Innovative Industry Leaders: A Deep-dive with the Best of the Best Industry Innovators 90 Minute Extended Session A Deep-dive with the Best of the Best Industry Innovators Take a deep-dive to explore how and why industry leaders made strategic choices that led to noteworthy industry accomplishments and recognition from their peers. From experiments with open booking to unique supplier partnerships to dramatic shifts in traveler communications, learn what these industry innovators did to enlist buy-in and support, what lessons they learned, how they are measuring success, and what’s next on their list. Speakers: Michelle (Mick) Lee, Founder, Women In Travel (WINiT) Carol McDowell, Manager, Corporate Travel Services, FINRA Susan Lichtenstein, Director of Global Travel, Cisco Systems Moderator: Evan Konwiser, Vice President Digital Traveler, American Express Global Business Travel
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 | Leveraging Your Data 90 Minute Extended Session Back by popular demand; and in an extended format to allow more in-depth discussions! Attendees and data experts will debate and discuss the industry's biggest data challenges. No pitches, no PowerPoint, no formal presentations--just a moderated exchange of ideas and expert opinions. Moderator: Michael Lyons, ACTE Regional Chair, USA and Regional Head of Travel Services, HSBC Bank
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 | Practical Secrets to Persuasive Presentations 90 Minute Extended Session Whether clients or C-suite, *how* you present is just as important as *what* you present. In this interactive session, discover the secrets of crafting and delivering a persuasive pitch that has the power to transform even the most passive audience into one that sits up and takes action. You will leave with at least three practical strategies that will win them over with ease--every time. This session is targeted to industry suppliers, sales people, and anyone who wants to amp up the outcome of their presentations. Presented by Doug Carter, Presentation Consultant, Presentations Etc., Inc.
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| Procurement Workshop for Travel Managers 90 Minute Extended Session The trend of bringing Travel Managers into procurement has continued to gain traction, which means it should be part of the successful manager’s toolkit. This session is best suited to those who have some procurement experience as we will drill down to more advanced concepts and best practices relevant to travel managers. Facilitated by: Eric Bailey, Travel and VenueSource Global Group Manager, Microsoft Global Procurement Group Pat Batra, Chief, Global Travel & General Services (DFAM), UNICEF Geert Behets, Director, Global Travel & Fleet Management, UCB Angela S. Naegele, VP, Global Procurement, Reed Elsevier Inc.
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11:45am -12:15pm
| | Innovations in Ground Transportation Moving beyond the typical 'Uber debate,' this brief session will highlight the changes that underscore this key category, including a focus on how ground transportation demand has evolved and how providers are innovating to match the latest trends. Speakers: Gary Kessler, CEO, Carey International Donovan Wilson, Sr.VP of Ground Transportation, Barclays
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 | Silent Travelers and Other Missed Opportunities There are countless ways that we collect data feedback and reviews from our travellers, yet many companies are not getting the full picture. Learn about an important, but often-overlooked segment of the corporate travel population - and how account for the valuable data that they may not readily provide. Presented by: Maria Chevalier, GVP Corporate Incubation Travelport
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12:30pm - 1:00pm
Global Travel Management: Spotlight on Doing Business in the Middle East and India
Join experts from the Middle East and
India to hear about the latest updates related to corporate travel in
those regions. Participate in small group dialogues to explore the
changes, challenges, and trends that affect your travellers and doing
business in these regions.
Facilitated by:
Amarnath Lal Das, General Manager – India Travel, Accenture
Savio Vaz, Head of Corporate Travel, Dnata Travel Service
Facilitated by:
Mary Bastrentaz, Managing Director, Global Travel & Events, Accenture
Virtual Payments
The trend toward virtual payments is gaining momentum. Learn from a first-hand implementation case study what their experience could mean for your corporate travel policy and for your travellers.
Presented by: Joe Monaghan, Global Head of Travel, Sutherland Global Services Compliments of:
2:15pm – 3:15pm
Select from the following 60-minute education breakout sessions. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Beyond Big & Smart: The Next Big Trend in Data Analysis (repeat)
It's Big Data, sure, but we're turning it Phat - Modern, Cool, and Actionable! With all the talk about Big Data in the world today, how can you use this to your advantage in the business travel and meetings industry? There is significant opportunity to enhance the managed travel and meetings programs through utilization of the data that sits at your fingertips. This session will give you a peek under the hood on how we can use Big Data in creative ways to impact both buyers and the suppliers. Learn how to build a Phat Data Strategy that you can action immediately. Change the conversation about data and drive real impact in your T&E programs. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and dig into Phat Data!
Speaker: Jennifer Steinke, Manager, Corporate Travel, ACT Compliments of: 
Beyond Rides and Rooms:
Tomorrow’s Sharing Economy
For many people, the sharing economy begins and ends with ride-sharing
alternatives to taxis or limos and room-sharing alternatives to hotels or
B&Bs. But even as businesses cautiously explore whether shared rides and
rooms have a place in their corporate travel programs, a new generation of
innovators is rushing to apply the peer-to-peer consumption model to countless
other resources, from meals to event space to manufacturing with 3D printers.
In this session, leading travel industry thinkers will take you on a journey of
ideas and possibilities that will forever change how you think about travel
services.
Speakers:
Miriam Moscovici, Director of Emerging Technology, BCD
Travel
James Sisco, Director of global travel, Reed Elsevier
Matthew B. Ziskie, Global Travel Manager, AirbnbCompliments of: 
Hotel Innovations: Spotlight on
an Evolving Category
Big changes are underway in the hotel category with innovations
appearing across distribution models, technology, pricing strategies, and more.
Join hotel experts and veteran industry buyers as they delve into the latest
trends and future visions for this key category of the corporate travel
industry
Facilitated by:
Nicki Leeds, Global Travel Manager, Hess
Panelists:
Christine Kerr, Senior Director Corporate Travel, Accor Global Sales, North American Office, Accor
Scott Thompson, Director , Global Business Travel, Best Western International
Mathias Warns, HRS VP for EMEA, HRS Compliments of:
New Drivers for Evolving
Corporate Cultures: The Modern Case for Meetings Management
As workforce demographics are changing, company cultures are changing;
and so are the most compelling reasons for implementing Strategic Meetings Management
(SMM). Many employees want “DIY” or self-serve tools and companies want
programs that help their employees make the right decisions. So what do
companies value today; and how do those values relate to SMM? This session
proposes three new drivers that align with those evolving values: transparency,
effectiveness, and ROI; and explores how they can demonstrate the value and
proven successes of SMM.
Speakers:
John Broaddus, Director of Partnerships, Cvent
Jami Stapelmann, Director, Global Travel and Meeting Services, Estee
Lauder Companies
Theresa Tamer, Strategic Meeting Mgmt Programs, Global Business Services, The Coca-Cola Company Compliments of: 
Protecting Your Company’s Data and Traveller Privacy
With breaches and hackings becoming increasingly frequent and large
scale, protecting your travellers’ privacy and safeguarding data has
become top of mind for travel managers. In this session, a cybersecurity
expert will highlight trends and best practices, with a focus on how
this may affect policies for corporate travelers.
Participate online in an informative webinar on April 7 at 11am EDT; and
then join us live in Atlanta on April 14 at 2:15pm EDT at ACTE’s Global
Corporate Travel Conference for a deeper dive on this timely and
crucially important issue.
Speaker:
Dr. Jane LeClair, COO, National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College
Facilitated by: Christine Adams, Global Manager, Travel & Fleet Solutions, Georgia-Pacific Compliments of:
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Closing General Session: Projecting your Most Powerful Self
| Think beyond cliched body language. Explore techniques to express your true character, project presence and authority, and harness each business environment to your advantage. Featuring: Scott Wayne, Founder & Lead Consultant, The Frontier Project and author of The Cartography of Negotiation |
