Delegates at this year’s African Business Travel Association (ABTA) annual conference can expect a high-energy event with plenty of feel-good and sustainable elements, but also, importantly, it will be packed with new concepts that are on the horizon to shake things up, as well as practical information to drive forward corporate travel careers.
After two years of being unable to host an annual conference, ABTA is delighted to be welcoming delegates to its 2022 conference on September 16, entitled ‘Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Better’. The one-day event takes place at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, followed by an evening cocktail function for travel buyers (TMCs and suppliers are welcome to attend, but should book seats separately, due to limited space). Delegates need to register by September 9.
Sessions will include a look at a possible industry shift in terms of TMC subscription models, how to manage the mayhem of contractor travel and an interesting spin on better sustainability initiatives. Speakers will also address confusing costs that boggle the brain – is it time to accept or fight back?
A lot has changed since COVID-19 and delegates will assess how to measure travel programme success more effectively as well as how to nurture a bolder, braver and happier workforce.
“We’re just so excited to get everyone back in a room together,” says ABTA founder, Monique Swart, who is particularly looking forward to the address by the Good Things Guy, Brent Lindeque.
“Our members can’t wait! We surveyed them before planning this conference and they all agreed that as a ‘first-time back’, a one-day local event would be great, as it saved on time and travel costs.”
Swart says most ABTA events next year will continue to be online – the webinars work well for delegates, especially from a time perspective – but there are plans to have a few in-person events.
“We’ve been very blessed with our continued sponsorship over the past two years and have not had a decline in members since the pandemic. In fact, we have grown by about 15% in membership. Having introduced our complimentary buyers’ membership in 2019, we have more buyers on board and, with the more regular webinar events, we offer enough content to keep them engaged regularly.”
Ultimately, says Swart, travel is about people. “I think with the conference getting everyone back together, and being able to share where we think we are headed as an industry, this will remove some of the unknown and hopefully build much-needed camaraderie.”
