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TravelTimes
A North Ce n tr a l Busi n ess Travel Association Pub lication
MAR CH • APRIL 2013
President’s Column
Written by Patrick Algyer
Spring is here...Finally!
Special Thanks
to 2013 North
Central BTA
Sponsors
he
T
forward to this meeting in particular
annual
as the long awaited results of the
election
chapter unification task force will
PLATINUM LEVEL
process
be announced. This task force
•Carlson Wagonlit Travel
will take
has worked extremely hard to put
•Delta Air Lines
place at the
together a recommendation to
•United
Education
move forward taking into account
Summit. This is the time when each
feedback from members, board
of our members need to think about
members and a professional
who they will vote for to lead our
association organization. I look
association. Being a board member
forward to sharing the news at the
is one of the best ways to be
Education Summit on May 16th.
involved and have influence to shape
the future of North Central BTA. I
ask that you each take time to elect
the person you feel will be the best
fit. Please be sure to thank the board
As always, I invite you to call or
email me or any board member
with your ideas or suggestions to
improve our organization.
GOLD LEVEL
•Egencia
•Minneapolis Northwest
Convention & Visitors Bureau
SILVER LEVEL
•Acendas
•CTS
•Enterprise Holdings, Inc
members for their hard work. We
Lastly, I want to thank you for being
•Fox World Travel
have very talented and passionate
a member of North Central BTA.
•Travel One
Patrick Algyer
If interested in 2013 sponsorships
please click here.
members who have served the
membership well.
President
At the end of April, I will be
North Central Business Travel
traveling to Salt Lake City, UT for
Association
the 2nd Quarter Chapter President's
patrick.algyer@thehotelivy.com
Council meeting. I'm looking
612.353.3512 ✈
1
North Central BTA Member Profile
Direct Member
Profile
Written by
Wanda Baumgartner
Tricia Hilger is a
Source Analyst/
Travel Manager
with Andersen
Corporation. She
has been with
the company for
Tricia Hilger, Source
15
years. Tricia
Analyst/Travel
graduated with
Manager, Andersen
Corporation
a BA degree
from the University of MN &
Metropolitan State with an emphasis
in product design/development.
Work history
I am on my third career with
Andersen but prior to joining them
I spent years as a buyer & manager
for several of the Naturalizer Shoes/
Soldati Couture Shoe Salons in the
cities. I tired of retail so I moved to
the direct mail industry for a decade
as buyer/production manager/
marketing manager for Taymark.
What made you decide to work in
travel? The opportunity came to me
when our good friend Fredrice Nord
retired in 2008.
What would be your dream job?
Running my own small business.
Why did you join North Central
BTA? Survival. I took over the role of travel
manager 2 months after Fredrice
retired and knew nothing about
the industry. It seemed like a good
starting point to learn and meet
other members of the industry.
Are you currently on a committee /
board within North Central BTA?
No, but I was in my second year.
In these economic times, Travel is
just one of the commodities/areas
I manage for my company so I
have limited time for the additional
committee work.
understanding of the sundry needs of
my travelers.
How long have you been a member
of North Central BTA? 4 years
Tip for travel: Pack light
Most interesting work story /
situation you’ve had to face
Meeting my key travel supply
partners in the same meeting that
I learned I was taking over our
travel program. Our long time reps
from our TMC and Delta were
both moving on to other accounts
so they came in to introduce our
VP of Procurement to our new
contacts. I was asked to join the
meeting moments before it started
and was introduced as the new
travel manager. The reps were new
to their roles also so it was quite an
interesting “changing of the guard”
meeting.
What advice would you give to
someone who is just entering the
workforce? Approach your work
& business partners with integrity,
honesty and enthusiasm.
What are the biggest changes you’ve
experienced in regard to working
with travel? The continual impact
of technology. From travel and
expense integration to smart phone
technology – so much at the tip of
our fingers.
What is the most challenging
element of working with travel?
I think there are two challenges for
me. First is still the learning curve. As
a travel manager one needs a broad
knowledge of all areas of the travel
industry to fully manage a program.
The other is having an actionable
What is the most rewarding aspect of
working with travel?
I learn something new every day.
What advice would you give to
someone who is just starting to work
with travel? Seek out experienced
resources within the industry and talk
with your travelers. You will learn the
most from them.
What is currently occupying your
personal life? Friends, pets and home
improvement projects.
Favorite holiday? Labor Day – it
means fall is just around the corner.
What is your all time favorite movie? Willie Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory.
If you had to live somewhere other
than Minnesota, where would you
move to? Montana
If you could invite 2 famous people
to your dinner party, deceased or
alive, who would they be and why? Margaret Thatcher & Bill O’Reilly. I
think they would inspire interesting
conversation and share some amazing
stories. Most memorable experience in your
life: Overcoming my fear of heights
with my first zip line ride.
Tell us something about you that no
one would ever guess or know about
you. I used to drag race – a 1971
Mach 1 Mustang
Favorite vacation destination
My lake home
Favorite trip you’ve taken
A week in Alaska ✈
2
Member Profile
Allied Member
Profile
Written by Peggi Monaco
continued
What are the biggest changes you’ve
experienced in regard to working
with travel?
Bookings have become more last
minute.
What is the most challenging
element of working with travel?
The unpredictability of the airlines.
What is the most rewarding aspect of
working with travel?
Extremely satisfied customers.
What would be your dream job?
Professional Golfer
Charlie Murray pictured with Phil
Pritchard (in white gloves), keeper of the
Stanley Cup.
Charlie Murray is with Total
Transportation Corporation/
Total Luxury Limousine as the VP
of Operations. He has been with
the company since 2010. Charlie
graduated from Woodbury High
School and now is living with his
wife and children in Hugo. Welcome
to North Central BTA Charlie!
Why did you join North Central
BTA? To learn more about what my clients’
needs are and to keep up-to-date on
upcoming trends in our industry.
Are you currently on a committee
within North Central BTA?
I am not currently on a committee.
(We need to change that!)
How long have you been a member
of North Central BTA?
This is my first year.
What advice would you give to
someone who is just entering the
workforce?
Hard work and dedication will
payoff.
What is currently occupying your
personal life?
My 2 children, one of them has
something going on at all times.
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Board of
Directors 2012-13
Patrick Algyer, President
612.353.3512
patrick.algyer@thehotelivy.com
Lori Reid, President Elect
952.451.3140
lreid@carlsonwagonlit.com
Tom Akin, Treasurer and
Direct Vice President
651.767.4741
Tom.akin@infor.com
Michael Nelson, Allied Vice President
952.746.3575
mnelson@ctsinc.com
Sarah Hill, Secretary
612.266.5635
sarah.hill@delta.com
What is your all time favorite movie? The Godfather
Leslie Ingiald, Allied Representative
612.278.9811
Leslie.Ingiald@grandhotelminneapolis.com
If you had to live somewhere other
than Minnesota, where would you
move to? Florida
Beth Johnson, Direct Representative
763.268.2224
bjohnson@datarecognitioncorp.com
Most memorable experience
in your life
The birth of my children
Jena Olson, Allied Representative
763.971.5568
jena.olson@marriott.com
Tell us something about you that no
one would ever guess or know about
you. I collect wine.
Favorite vacation destination
Anywhere warm, with a golf course
Favorite trip you’ve taken
Bangkok, Thailand
Favorite restaurant
J.D. Hoyts
Laurie Sadowski, Direct Representative
952.937.4466
lauren.sadowski@mts.com
Jan Shoemaker, Direct Representative
651.375.2571
jlshoemaker@landolakes.com
Ellen Westin, Allied Representative
612.638.0168
ellen.westin@marriott.com
Favorite pastime
Golf (Seems to be a reoccurring
theme to this interview!)
Favorite sport
Football, Go VIKINGS! ✈
3
Committees
Chairs
Advertising & Sponsorship
Leslie Ingiald
612.278.9811
Leslie.Ingiald@grandhotelminneapolis.com
Chapter Development
Lori Reid
952.451.3140
lreid@carlsonwagonlit.com
Chapter Governance
Patrick Algyer
612.353.3512
patrick.algyer@thehotelivy.com
Education Summit
Michael Nelson
952.746.3575
mnelson@ctsinc.com
Government Affairs – Legislative PAC
Denise Truso
651.756.4344
dtruso@sjm.com
Hospitality
Amber Eustice
952.403.7190
amber.eustice@Interplx.com
Marketing & Technology
Sarah Hill
612.266.5635
sarah.hill@delta.com
Mentoring Program Task Force Chair
TBD
Monthly Programs
Ellen Westin
612.638.0168
Ellen.Westin@Marriott.com
Newsletter
Jena Olson
763.971.5568
Jena.Olson@Marriott.com
Social Media
Beth Johnson
763.268.2224
bjohnson@datarecognitioncorp.com
Special Events
Laurie Sadowski
952.937.4466
lauren.sadowski@mts.com
Website
Gina Zappa
952.746.3505
gzappa@ctsinc.com
Committees Chairs Updates
Chapter Development
Hospitality Committee
The Hospitality Committee will
provide social and professional
reception to new and continuing
members, in order that they feel
welcomed at North Central BTA
meetings. Not only will you see us
at the registration table greeting
members, guests and speakers; but
we will also be mingling with the
attendees and making introductions
prior to each meeting.
We would like to encourage our
members to become active in our
chapter. We will provide direction to
members who want to get involved
with a Committee. If you are
interested in becoming a committee
member, please contact Jan
Shoemaker at the next North Central
BTA meeting or JLShoemaker@
landolakes.com.
Newsletter
The Newsletter committee is seeking
a photographer as well as someone
to write meeting recaps. If you are
interested in either of these positions,
please contact Jena Olson at 763-9715568 or jena.olson@marriott.com.
The Newsletter Committee is
responsible for the assembly and
publication of the North Central
Business Travel Association
newsletter, the "TravelTimes." This
Committee selects and contracts with
a publisher; develops the editorial
schedule, solicits articles from the
other committees and North Central
Business Travel Association members,
writes articles, proofreads and edits
all copy, and takes photographs at
meetings and events.
Public Relations
The Public Relations/Media Relations
Committee is in charge of notifying
the business community of North
Central BTA meetings, events and
news. We are actively looking for new
members to help revamp our lists
and find unique ways of getting the
benefits of North Central BTA out.
If you have some unique ideas that
you think you could be of assistance
please contact Sarah Hill at sarah.
hill@delta.com to join our team.
Social Media
Our March speaker, Tony D'Astolfo,
gave insightful information on
SoLoMo, the Social, Local and
Mobile effects of Social Media. I
was scribbling statistics so fast that
I realized I was missing the point
of his presentation! His blog site is
www.carryingon.net and there is a
link to his article for BTN entitled
“Perspective: the Beginning of the
End of managed Travel as we know it,
or Just Another Bump in the Road?”
which was his discussion topic at
the meeting. Is your organization
keeping up with the latest “apps”
(applications) that permit travelers
to search for cheaper hotels, cars
and flights? Do you keep in mind
that Mac users spend more, and are
willing to pay more, for their travel
than PC users, and how does your
company address that statistic? As
there is an over-whelming number of
apps designed for travelers, industry
professionals need to stay ahead
of the game by reading, learning,
sharing, and utilizing social-media to
the fullest. And of course, by staying
involved in North Central BTA and
actively using its Facebook and
LinkedIn sites!
continued on next page ☞
4
COMMITTEE UPDATES continued from previous page
Social Networking
North Central BTA has active sites on
LinkedIn and Facebook. If you have
not already joined our sites, please do
so and invite your industry friends.
Watch our sites for updates to
meetings, important announcements,
interesting tidbits of information and
other pertinent communications. We
look forward to seeing you in cyberspace and at our next meeting.
Finance
Sponsorship
PARTNER WITH NORTH
CENTRAL BUSINESS TRAVEL
ASSOCIATION FOR 2012-2013 –
WHAT A GREAT INVESTMENT!
Partnering with the North Central
Business Travel Association is a great
way to promote your company and
support our organization. There are two
ways your company can partner with
us either by sponsorship or advertising.
Both of these avenues will gain you
exposure within the travel community
and you will be able to educate the
members about your company.
If you have any questions feel free
to reach out to Leslie Ingiald at
612.278.9811 or leslie.ingiald@
grandhotelminneapolis.com. Details
are posted on the website.
Thank you for your continued
support, it is greatly appreciated!
Marketing & Technology
Website
You are going to see some big changes
this month as we shift to our new
website platform. The webhost is
StarChapter which is a GBTA preferred
vendor. You will see some changes and
new looks and we would love to hear
your feedback on the new look.
Some of the reasons we changed to
StarChapter from our current host were:
➤ GBTA
compliance to assist with
chapter branding cohesiveness
➤ Consolidate
the once 4 different
platforms that ran the old website
down to 2.
➤ Allows
multiple users to work on
the site vs. one at a time
➤ Cost
savings of $200/month due to
collective buying power with other
Chapters in the country.
Once up and running you should
have received a new login and
password information. Please look for
this and let us know if you have any
questions or concerns. Please email us
at info@northcentralbta.org.
Thank you for your patience.
continued on next page ☞
BE FIRST MORE OFTEN.
MORE FIRST CLASS SEATS FOR MORE UPGRADES.
DELTA .COM/CORPOR ATETR AVEL
All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide.
Upgrades are subject to limited availability and may not be available on all fl ights or in all markets.
5
COMMITTEE UPDATES continued from previous page
Programs
Education Summit
Please join North Central Business Travel Association at the 2013 Education Summit
The Commons Hotel – Minneapolis, MN • Thursday, May 16, 2013
“Back to Campus”
7:30a – 8:00a
Registration & Networking Breakfast
8:00a – 8:15a
Opening Remarks
The Champions Code: Life Lessons of Ethics
and Accountability from the Sports World to the
Business World
Speaker: Ross Bernstein
Ever wonder why certain teams win consistently,
whereas others seem to come up short? Ross
will explain why – in a visually entertaining style
that's designed to improve your organization's
productivity, morale and bottom-line profitability.
8:15a – 9:15a
Travel Strategic Sourcing
Speaker: Kathy Briski, Travel Category Leader –
The Boeing Company
Kathy Briski, a procurement and corporate travel
executive, will discuss the trend of corporate
travel management becoming a function of
procurement and the challenges each have
faced as they learn to work together. Kathy will
also highlight the methodology for the strategic
sourcing process from a corporation travel
perspective. This discussion will be participative
and informative for both buyers and suppliers.
9:15a – 10:15a
10:15a – 10:30a Break
10:30a – 11:30a Hotel Panel
Speakers: Jimmy Taylor, Vice President US Sales
– IHG; Brad Penrith, Sr. Director Global Sales –
Carlson Hotels; Ric Tanner, Regional Director of
Sales & Marketing – Kimpton Hotels
Moderator: Roger Keller, Director, Program
Management – Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Hotel industry leaders share their insight on the
marketplace, new brands, business travel trends,
the RFP process and much more.
11:30a – 12:30p Lunch
Communications, Relationship, Energy and
Commitment
Speaker: Steve Hegele
Steve utilizes his natural curiosity and passion
for learning to deliver cutting edge knowledge,
concepts and ideas. Communication and strong
relationships are the key to success in life and
business. What happens when the worst possible
events and circumstance happen? Does strong
communication and rock solid relationships
matter then? Hegele will discuss the answer to
this question plus more.
12:30p – 1:30p
1:30p – 2:30p
Travel Technology
Speaker: Miriam Moscovici, Director, Emerging
Technologies, Global Strategic Marketing – BCD
Travel
2:30p – 2:45p
Break
2:45p – 3:45p
Trends, Best Practices and Forecasts
Speaker: Nick Vournakis, Senior Vice President,
Global Product Marketing and Solutions Group
3:45p – 4:00p
Closing Remarks
Awarded 5 Continuing Education Units for CCTE
Registration Fees:
Early bird registration through 4/19: Members $99; non members $125
Registration through 5/13: Members $135; non members $150
Day of event registration: $150
Accommodations:
The Commons Hotel, Minneapolis MN
$109 Room Rate available until April 15, 2013
www.commonshotel.com
Be a sponsor at one of the most
well attended events of the year!
Maximize your membership and your company’s return on
investment. Sponsorship opportunities are designed to increase your
marketing exposure to a highly targeted group of corporate travel
buyers. Watch for the sponsorship opportunities within registration.
You may purchase the sponsorship while you register for the event.
Monthly Programs on next page ☞
6
COMMITTEE UPDATES continued from previous page
Our January meeting sponsor was Fox Travel. Acendas was our February meeting sponsor.
Below are some of the January attendees:
Patrick and Hazel with speakers from January meeting: (left to right) Patrick Algyer;
Robert G. Overland, MSP Senior Transportation Security Manager – SSI Coordinator;
Andria Stegeman-Horwitz, TSA Stakeholder Manager for Minnesota; Clifford Van Leuven,
Federal Security Director - Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP); Hazel
Vokral; Corey Petrik, Global Entry Supervisor - Department Homeland Security; Tim
Cossalter, Outreach Director Office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Monthly Programs
We have had a busy year so far! In
February, lawyers, Steven Rudner and
Jonathan Howe, kept us on our toes
as they debated the ins and outs of
contract negotiations. Tony Dastolfo
and his great sense of humor was
such a hit at our 2012 Education
Summit that we brought him back
by popular demand for our March
program. Tony spoke to us about
“SoLoMo” (Social Local Mobile) and
how it will be affecting our industry
and everyday lives at work. In April,
we are very excited to have Rep. Kurt
Daudt, the Minority Leader of the
MN House of State Representatives,
speak to us.
Venues
Thank you to Teresa Blythe from
Hilton Garden Inn, Rochester who
is in her second year of successfully
leading the initiative for sourcing
Venues for North Central BTA’s
current monthly programs. We are
pleased to announce that Annette
Bonnie Christensen & Sarah Streg
Tom Akin, Tim Cossalter, Hazel Vokral, Corey Petrik
Belding from Minneapolis Northwest
will be helping Teresa in the effort
this year. The RFP has been released
and we’ve already received responses
from several member hotels. As in the
past, proposals received from hotels
that are members of North Central
BTA are given first consideration.
Upon receiving and reviewing all
RFP responses, recommendations
will be made to the Board of
Directors in June. If you have
any questions regarding the RFP,
please contact Teresa Blythe at:
theresa.blythe@hilton.com.
March Meeting Recap on next page ☞
7
MARCH MEETING RECAP
MARCH 14, 2013
SoLoMo – What is it and how could it
impact a managed travel program?
by Tony D’Astolfo
At our March meeting, Tony shared
his perspective on how the confluence
of Social media, Local deals and
Mobile apps (SoLoMo) are changing
the way business travelers travel. He
shared trends in the industry as well
as a number of interesting stats.
➤ 42%
of 18-34 year olds share their
purchases on the internet
➤ There
has been a 400% y-o-y
increase in searches via mobile
➤ Facebook
passed TripAdvisor to
become the #1 referral source for
Hotel bookings at Expedia
➤ A
1-point increase on Travelocity’s
5-point scale, allows the hotel to
increase its price by 11.2% and still
maintain the same occupancy or
market share.
➤ Over
twice as many people aged
55+ visit social networking sites on
their mobile phone than last year
➤ In
India, mobile internet traffic
surpassed desktop internet usage
in May 2012 – other countries to
follow
continued on next page ☞
EFFECTIVE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
As a global leader in business travel management, we focus on
delivering savings, enhancing safety and security, and delighting your
travelers—so you can focus on your business, wherever it takes you!
8
MARCH MEETING continued from previous page
➤ 1/3rd
of smartphone users launch
apps before getting out of bed
➤ US
travel apps had the highest
year-over-year growth of any
industry or product-related app
category, at 116%, well above the
growth in overall mobile app use
(84%)
➤ Expedia
has seen a 28% growth in
same day hotel bookings
Travelers expect to move beyond
receiving day-of-travel information
on their mobile devices, to taking
action. They would like to use their
mobile device to purchase ticket
upgrades, view coupons and specials
for airport shops and restaurants and
book ground transportation. The
Conrad Concierge app allows guest to
explore local attractions and manage
services such as wake up calls,
transportation, spa treatments and
housekeeping requests. With Concur
acquiring ConTgo, their services
will enable travelers to formulate
their trips around colleagues, as well
as connect with others traveling to
the same location for potential carpooling. With SoLoMo, Tony predicts
that managed travel will become
more flexible, convenient, proactive,
efficient, timely, fun and will be more
about “taking care of people”.
His complete presentation can be
found on the North Central BTA
website (www.northcentralbta.org).✈
Jeri Trefethren & Heidi Sohn
Julie Segebarth & Curtis Bauer
Meeting sponsor: Jon Hager, Enterprise Holdings & Tony D’Astolfo
9
Dates to Remember
North Central BTA meets the
second Thursday of every month.
Meeting
Date
Topic
Education Summit
Thursday,
May 16, 2013
Meeting
Time
7:30AM – 4:00PM
Newsletter
C O M M I TTEE
Location
The Commons Hotels,
Minneapolis
North C e n tr a l B TA M emb e rs h i p
In form at i o n
See www.northcentralbta.org for complete details
Advertise with North Central BTA
TravelTimes
Plan ahead … reserve your advertising space in the next issue of TravelTimes. You
can’t afford not to advertise! Your company will get national as well as local exposure.
In addition to Minnesota-based companies, TravelTimes is sent to all GBTA chapter
presidents throughout the United States. Our newsletter is seen by travel decisionmakers responsible for millions of dollars in travel purchases.
The deadline for submitting ads for the next issue is
Thursday, May 2, 2013.
Advertising Rates
Single Issue Rates:
1/4 page $75 (member), $90 (non-member)
1/3 page $95 (member), $120 (non-member)
1/2 page $125 (member), $150 (non-member)
Full Page $200 (member), $250 (non-member)
TravelTimes is a publication of North
Central Business Travel Association
– a professional association of
business travel directors, managers,
coordinators, and vendors/suppliers.
Wanda Baumgartner
Fox World Travel, Inc
866.451.3052
wbaumgartner@gofox.com
Peggi Monico
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group
651.735.1236
peggi.monico@dtag.com
Jena Olson
Minneapolis Marriott Northwest
763.971.5568
jena.olson@marriott.com
Mailing Address:
North Central BTA
PO Box 2629
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.northcentralbta.org
Multiple issue Rates:
1/4 page $275 (member), $360 (non-member)
1/3 page $350 (member), $480 (non-member),
1/2 page $500 (member), $600 (non-member)
Full Page $725 (member), $1000 (non-member)
Size restrictions apply. For more information or to reserve space in the next issue
of TravelTimes, contact Leslie Ingiald, Leslie.Ingiald@grandhotelminneapolis.com,
612.278.9811.
10