Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS

Approving Qatar Airways investment into Virgin Australia a key first step in strengthening Australia’s airline competition. What Australia’s Aviation White Paper said – and what we’d like it to have said… In August the Australian government released its long awaited aviation policy statement, “Towards 2050”. Since the “Green Paper” was released a year previously for public comment, policymaking had more or less been in limbo. So there were probably some inflated expectations that the White Paper would make definitive and helpful statements at a seminal time in the industry’s evolution. The expectations did indeed prove to be inflated. We’d like to address three of the issues we see as most significant, both substantively and popularly: 1.       Competition in the domestic market, 2.       Consumer protection and 3.       The environment (with special emphasis on electric-powered aircraft and regional services) There are many other important issues, like planning to reduce skills shortages, but these three are the key policy areas.   Part 1: Competition in the domestic market   ·     This is a pivotal moment for the Australian airline market ·     A transparent policy framework is needed, with settings that ensure two sustainable airlines and allows for new entrants ·     Much revolves around access to Sydney Airport (and later to Western Sydney Airport), but there’s more to it ·     A more active ACCC role in monitoring market behaviour and mergers ·     The White Paper carefully avoids rocking the boat A pivotal moment for domestic aviation   This year is, or should be, pivotal for the future of the domestic airline market. Achieving that outcome depends on getting the regulatory and airport access settings right. Government is now in a position to build fences to deliver a more competitive domestic airline future. Unfortunately the White Paper hasn’t given much cause for optimism on that front. Qantas is the 800 pound gorilla in Australia's domestic airline market, accounting for about two thirds of its capacity (a similar proportion to Woolworths and Coles combined) and an even higher proportion of its profits. Virgin Australia mops up most of the remainder. Add to that the fact that two large jet airlines have recently gone out of business, Rex and Bonza, along with a massive amount of consumer disaffection with Qantas’ behaviour in the wake of the Covid pandemic and you have a lot of discussion about how to "fix" things. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gqVvtuvm Peter Harbison will be presenting the Aviation Outlook Keynote at the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS Corporate Travel Summit in Sydney on 13 November 2024. He will cover the Sydney slots issue, Western Sydney Airport's outlook, Qatar Airways' proposed investment in Virgin Australia, as well as review the outlook for domestic and international air markets.

We’re thrilled to announce that Clive Wratten will be joining our esteemed panel for The Global & Local Corporate Travel Outlook: GBTA, BTA, and ATMC! As we delve into critical topics: • The latest from GBTA's Business Travel Intelligence report on the state of our industry • Key findings from The BTA white paper • Understanding the true worth of TMCs as a central hub in travel programs Clive will share vital global and national insights on the health of the managed travel industry. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that promises to equip you with actionable insights for navigating today’s evolving landscape! #ACTS #CorporateTravel Clive Wratten is a distinguished executive with over three decades of experience in the travel industry. For the past five years, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer of The Business Travel Association (BTA), where he has been instrumental in guiding the industry through unprecedented challenges. Prior to this, Clive was the CEO of Amber Road, a UK-based Travel Management Company.   His extensive career includes a series of high-profile roles in the airline and travel management sectors. He served as the General Manager UK for Etihad Airways and held senior positions with Gulf Air, Qantas, and British Airways. His experience also spans key roles with HRG, American Express, and Thomas Cook, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of both the airline industry and the travel management landscape. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Clive emerged as a powerful advocate for the business travel sector. He played a crucial role in engaging with government officials and became a regular presence in the media, tirelessly fighting for the interests of the industry. His leadership during this critical period has been widely recognised, earning him multiple accolades including the Business Travel People Award for Industry Contribution in both 2020 and 2021, and the Business Travel Awards Europe Outstanding Contribution award in 2021.   Clive's influence extends beyond crisis management. He was named one of the "Top 25 Most Influential People in Business Travel" by Business Travel News in 2021, reflecting his ongoing impact on the industry. His passion for the business travel sector is evident in his tireless advocacy for the value and professionalism the industry brings to the global economy.

Richard Savva from Changing Times is looking forward to sharing decades of insights and advice to TMCs and other travel related suppliers at the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS in Sydney on 13 November on:   - How to prepare for a tender; - How to engage with the buyer; and - How to deliver a meaningful response + presentation if short-listed.   If you’re new or relatively new to the industry, this seminar will provide key insights into working effectively with your clients.    Insight #1: Salespeople – stop selling!   If you want to improve your win ratio in gaining new clients for your services and products you should review how you engage and present your solutions.   Many travel tenders have favourites before they are issued. A supplier can have a head start by UNDERSTANDING a prospects culture, decision making process and the 1%.   The 1% is the difference between suppliers who struggle to differentiate. Stand out from the crowd.   During the session we will discuss and debate various processes as all tenders are different.   Procurement is different each tender – now that’s a nightmare and a blessing.  Prospects objectives will be similar and unique.  There are key elements which will LOSE you the tender.   Insight #2: TMCs - 3 things to stop and 3 things to start doing I’ll also be sharing - for TMCs - my top three things to Stop doing - and 3 things to Start doing. Here’s a taster:   STOP telling prospects about the average tenure of your team. START providing real-life service examples that mirror the prospects NEEDS   Come along to the session to hear the rest - and all my other Insights.   In this interactive session, we will share decades of travel tender experience, including current insights to help you work smarter. Join us for this unique opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business! #ACTS #CorporateTravel #Leadership #Innovation #ChangingTimes

A revolution is coming for regional airline operations. Needed: a vision at government level. The aviation industry is in a bind. It’s growing fast yet relies unavoidably on fossil fuels. Large jet alternative technologies remain experimental and uncertain; long haul jet alternatives are experimental and unlikely to arrive before the 2040s. But for short range air services the story is very different. Battery power is a known science and will soon be adequate to power either piloted or autonomous vehicles on routes up to 200km and beyond. So it’s in the short haul, intra-city and regional markets, particularly in the more densely populated areas and shorter distances of Australia’s east coast states, where stunning breakthroughs are quickly becoming possible. Even though the near-demise of leading regional independent Rex Airlines illustrated just how fragile regional services are in this country, there is not a lot in the government’s recent Aviation White Paper to give confidence that things will be much different in the near future. There’s no easy fix, that’s clear and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest at federal level in leaping ahead. Qantas and Virgin aren’t showing much interest either, more fixated on the valuable large jet markets. And the White Paper itself mostly seems to treat regional services from the perspective of emission reduction. But there’s a simple solution in the pipeline for short haul air services. It’s going to revolutionise regional operations, breathing new life into local communities and FIFO markets. It’s electric, it will be cheap and highly flexible. A year ago, the government invited comments on its Aviation Green Paper. Back then it insipidly suggested that “over the long-term, it is possible that Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services will improve regional air connectivity…”. Qantas, in its submission on the Green Paper asserted “technology such as electric aircraft or green hydrogen (is) still decades away”, clearly concentrating only on large jets. There’s obviously been a useful learning process in the past 12 months. A flurry of advice has awakened policy makers to the potential of AAM, provoking at least some warm and hopeful words in the White Paper, even suggesting it “is expected to create thousands of jobs and business opportunities” (no mention of regional development), and announcing an “AAM Strategy” is to be released “in 2024”. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gGwZnp47 Peter Harbison is Chairman of Greener Airlines, the organiser of the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS in Sydney on 13 November 2024. Peter will be interviewing Qantas' Cam Wallace and delivering the 'Black Run' Seminar The Global Aviation & Sustainability Outlook where he will unpack the recently announced Aviation White Paper, discuss Sydney airport slots and airline strategy.

The 30 July announcement by Air NZ that it was withdrawing its 2030 emission reduction targets was met with surprise, questions and criticism. In their third article in a series, exploring the role and impact of ESG in the aviation industry, Sydney Partner Alan Polivnick and London Partner Solange Leandro of Watson Farley & Williams, take a closer look at the reasons behind its decision revealing some important lessons on ESG policies, their implementation and how their impact on companies across the world is dynamic and changing. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gTHD4yZr Alan is a partner in the Sydney office of WFW and is part of the WFW Global ESG Team. With 20 years’ experience in Asia-Pacific, including 13 years in Bangkok, Alan advises clients across the region and offers local and regional advice and assistance to clients in Australia and across Asia-Pacific. Alan has extensive experience in advising across a broad range of contentious, finance and regulatory transport matters.  Alan advises airlines, airports and other stakeholders in the aviation sector on carbon trading compliance and litigation, ESG-related regulatory issues and ongoing compliance issues.  In 2022 Alan was promoted to Legal 500’s Asia-Pacific ‘Hall of Fame’ for his work in the transport sector. Alan is presenting a BLACK RUN session: Putting the ‘G’ into ‘ESG’ at the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS on 13 November in Sydney. Don’t miss it!

A big thanks to our friends at Aurizon, Cook Medical, Griffith University, Powerlink Queensland, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Rheinmetall and Rio Tinto for joining our recent Brisbane Travel Procurement Roundtable! Our appreciation to Virgin Australia for hosting the Brisbane-leg of the Roundtable and thanks to Allan Leibowitz for moderating, together with our ACTS Co-Hosts Oliver Tams from the ATMC and Joanne Taylor. We have now wrapped up our series of Buyer-led Roundtables around the country, in the lead up to the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS in Sydney on 13 November. Through these Roundtables, we have obtained vital feedback and input into the Agenda for the ACTS Summit. Thanks to Langham Hospitality Group Melbourne and Hyatt Regency Sydney - and the 40 travel procurement leads from major corporations, government and universities that joined these events - we look forward to seeing you all again in November!

We've officially partnered with the GBTA | Global Business Travel Association to drive innovation and excellence in the business travel industry. This partnership marks a significant step forward as we work together to elevate the standards of travel management, enhance travel experiences, and create new opportunities for growth and collaboration within the sector. To celebrate, we’re offering you a year of GBTA Membership when you purchase the GBTA-ACTS Premier Package for the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS on 13th November 2024: https://lnkd.in/grc5aFsz This package not only grants you access to the summit but also provides you with a full year of valuable resources and insights through GBTA Membership: https://lnkd.in/eb2nGghb To learn more about everything GBTA has to offer, please visit the GBTA Member Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/g-khWzv6 Through this collaboration, we'll be leveraging GBTA's extensive network, resources, and expertise to bring you cutting-edge solutions and insights that will shape the future of business travel. A huge thank you to GBTA for the opportunity to join forces! Here's to a future of shared success and groundbreaking achievements. 🚀🌍 #ACTS #GBTA #BusinessTravel #Partnership #Innovation #TravelManagement #IndustryLeadership

Welcome aboard, Virgin Australia! We are delighted to announce that Virgin Australia is the Official Airline Partner of the Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS on 13 November 2024 in Sydney! Virgin Australia will be hosting the exclusive Lounge at the Summit, providing a premium space for networking, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Whether you're catching up with industry peers or taking a moment to recharge, the Virgin Australia Lounge will be your go-to spot at the Summit. We can't wait to see you there and raise your ACTS Summit experience to new heights! #ACTS #VirginAustralia #CorporateTravel Tass Messinis, Chairperson, ATMC Helen McEnery, Manager, B2B Marketing, Virgin Australia Lorraine Donnan, Manager, Global Agency Partnerships, Virgin Australia Oliver Tams, Executive Director, ATMC

We are thrilled to announce our new strategic partnership with American Express Global Business Travel | AMEX GBT, a global leader in travel management solutions! As our Official TMC Partner, they bring deep industry knowledge, cutting-edge technology and global reach through their superior travel solutions. A big thank you to AMEX GBT and our dedicated team for their commitment to this exciting journey. Together, we are paving the way for a new era in travel management! #ACTS #TravelManagement #AMEXGBT #Innovation #CorporateTravel #TravelSolutions #TMC #GlobalTravel #TravelExcellence

📣 The Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS is delighted to welcome Joanne Taylor as the event’s Co-Host, joining Oliver Tams, Executive Director of the Association of Travel Management Companies (ATMC). Together, they will host and guide the day’s content delivery. Joanne is a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience in procurement, consulting, and account management within the travel, aviation, and mining industries. She has held senior leadership roles on both the buyer and vendor sides, previously serving as Global Head of Travel and Expense at BHP and working in procurement roles for Rio Tinto, Toll, and Avon. On the vendor side, Joanne led FCM Travel Solutions Asia in a senior leadership capacity and also gained valuable industry experience with Qantas Airways, Air New Zealand, and Japan Airlines. Currently, Joanne is an Independent Principal Advisor, guiding organisations through complex transformations while in the process of completing a Master’s in Leadership and Management. “I am very much looking forward to being a part of ACTS and co-hosting the Summit with Ollie. The event is a great initiative and the Agenda will provide very timely and helpful insights to procurement and suppliers alike”, said Joanne Taylor. “Joanne is a great addition to the team and further evidence of the intent of ACTS to involve the voice of the buyer in every aspect of the event. We have been conducting Procurement Roundtables around the country in the lead up to the event and the message has been clear: involve as many customer case studies and procurement leaders in the Agenda as possible” said Oliver Tams. The Australia Corporate Travel Summit | ACTS Corporate Travel Summit (ACTS) is a new annual conference and exhibition that will be staged at the Sheraton Grand on the Park in Sydney on Wednesday 13 November 2024. Click here to learn more about ACTS: https://lnkd.in/gatXh4Pg