A schedule of events and sessions held at GBTA Conference 2019 – Toronto April 15-17.
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Showcase your company’s products and services at Canada’s largest business travel Expo.
All events will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre unless otherwise noted
Advanced Principles of Business Travel Management™ - Day 1
(additional registration required for this add-on, 1 day and a half professional development course, $450 CAD + HST)
A dedicated curriculum to aid business travel professionals in increasing their knowledge of the industry while also expanding on their professional skills. This course is designed for travel buyers overseeing a managed business travel program and suppliers offering travel-related products and services. Advanced Principles course add-on $450 (includes a light working lunch). Learn more.
Global Leaders Reception (by Invitation ONLY)
Location: Fairmont Royal York Hotel
Made possible by:
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Registration Opens
Advanced Principles of Business Travel Management™ - Day 2
A dedicated curriculum to aid business travel professionals in increasing their knowledge of the industry while also expanding on their professional skills. This course is designed for travel buyers overseeing a managed business travel program and suppliers offering travel-related products and services. Advanced Principles course add-on $450. Learn more.
9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
WINiT at GBTA Conference 2019 – Toronto: Add-on to your experience for $150.
A unique and interactive career development experience for the purpose of positively changing the careers and lives of women. Includes sessions, lunch and keynote speaker Danièle Sauvageau, Gold Medal Olympic, Canadian Women’s Hockey Team Coach. Learn More
Made possible by
*NOTE* this WINiT program is not included in the GBTA Conference 2019 – Toronto conference registration. All prices are in Canadian dollars and subject to 13% HST tax.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Kick-Start Professional Development Sessions
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
SUPPLIERS ONLY – Allied Talk
Calling ALL Suppliers! Join this session for supplier focused discussion and professional development.
BUYERS ONLY – Direct Talk – Part 1
Calling ALL Buyers! This is your chance to be behind closed doors in a room of your peers for a Direct Talk session. Guided by Buyers from GBTA Canada’s Advisory Board, with topics that are of current importance to YOU, this Direct Talk session will prove to be a valuable opportunity to share best-practices, discuss current issues and trends and come together. As a travel buyer, you will have valuable feedback from your peers and make lasting connections on relevant business fronts.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Connect First Open House
Welcome to all NEW attendees and those NOT SO NEW…
New to attending the GBTA Canada Conference… OR simply want to connect with your conference peers in advance of all the activities? Connect First with the GBTA Canada Advisory Board and GBTA Canada Conference Taskforce Volunteers for this informational, networking gathering. Veteran GBTA members will share their insights on how to make the most out of your conference experience. You will hear first-hand from industry peers, buyers and suppliers alike, about how GBTA Canada has benefited them within their career paths, and tips on how to optimize your conference experience ahead. You will have a chance to get to know others attending the conference with ice breaking activities, to Evolve your conference experience.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Opening Reception Join your fellow conference go’ers for an opportunity to meet, mix and mingle before the conference kicks into full-swing. NEW this year, the reception will take place on the conference Expo Floor so you can informally preview the exhibitors!
Location: Expo Hall
Networking Breakfast & Registration
Light continental breakfast
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
The Power of Loyalty Loyalty programs drive consumer behaviour. In today’s world of traveller empowerment, business travellers are trying to optimize for value at each moment of their travel experience. The power of loyalty programs; how they influence consumer behaviour, shift share in travel programs, increase (or challenge!) compliance and produce overall happiness among business travellers today. Speaker: Efrem Berman, Vice President, Global Loyalty, Radisson Hotel Group
CEO Talk President and CEO of Air Canada, Calin Rovinescu, will be addressing GBTA Conference delegates in a candid discussion on the health and future of Canadian air travel. Speaker: Calin Rovinescu, CEO, Air Canada Made possible by:
10:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Tech Talks Technology innovators are changing the travel landscape as we know it. This series of 15-minute power Tech Talks will enlighten you on the latest and greatest travel tech offerings
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Education Sessions (30 mins) Choice of 3 concurrent education sessions:
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Education Sessions (30 mins) Choice of 2 concurrent education sessions:
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Day 1 – Centre Stage & Lunch
Innovation Series Spotlight
Innovation Series Companies: BagsAway and HelloGbye Made possible by:
Keynote Speaker – Ben Mulroney Co-Host of CTV’s Your Morning and Anchor of CTV’s etalk, Ben Mulroney is one of Canada’s most recognized television personalities. His credits include coverage of renowned events such as the Oscars, the Golden Globe Awards, the Emmys, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Juno Awards, as well the host of Canadian Idol for its first six seasons. Made possible by:
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Expo Hall
Engage with our largest and most diverse offering of exhibitors ever.
Optimize your expo experience by:
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Big Night Out!
Toronto’s fun hot spot, The Rec Room – Back by Popular Demand!
We will EVOLVE by day and go RETRO by night at this year’s Big Night Out! GBTA’s evening celebration will have conference delegates Party-to-the-Max, 80’s style! Bring on your 80’s inspired look for this evening of retro entertainment, bodacious food, and awesome fun. Tease-up your hair, wear that MJ glove and pull out those shoulder pads, as we will be awarding the nights most Rad 80’s look!
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM
BUYERS ONLY – Direct Talk – Part 2
Breakfast included
Calling ALL Buyers! Continue the conversation… This is your chance to be behind closed doors in a room of your peers for a Direct Talk session. Guided by Buyers from GBTA Canada’s Advisory Board, with topics identified that are of current importance to YOU, this Direct Talk session will prove to be a valuable opportunity to share best-practices, discuss current issues and trends and come together. As a travel buyer, you will have valuable feedback from your peers and make lasting connections on relevant business fronts. Made possible by:
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Titans of Travel A discussion on women’s journey to the executive level in the travel industry. This panel, led by women who have become Titans of Travel, will with share personal stories, obstacles overcome and key messages of success, intended to inspire women in leadership, empowerment and workplace diversity. Panelists: Dorothy Dowling, CMO of Best Western Chrissy Taylor, COO of Enterprise Holdings Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Senior Vice President, People, Culture and Communications, Air Canada Made possible by: How Far Has Your Data Travelled? Personal data and its protection are critical in today’s world. Data breaches happen all too often and put society at risk. As business travelers, we expose our personal data regularly. This panel will discuss personal data in travel, where the risks are and how to mitigate them. How easy it is for hackers, how unaware we all are on what is happening and how damaging a hack can be on a company’s reputation, and future. Essentially discussing, How far has your data travelled? Panelists: Daniel Tobok, CEO, Cytelligence Inc Matthew Paull, Sr. Director, Technology Management, Best Western International Craig Maccubbin, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO),WestJet
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Tech Talks Technology innovators are changing the travel landscape as we know it. This series of 15 minute power Tech Talks will enlighten you on the latest and greatest travel tech offerings
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Education Sessions (30 mins) Choice of 3 concurrent education sessions
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Closing Centre Stage & Sit Down Lunch Keynote speaker: Arlene Dickinson
Venture capitalist, TV personality, renowned marketer, entrepreneur and CEO, Arlene Dickinson, is one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women and has been awarded such many times over. CEO of Venture Communications, yet most widely known across Canada as a Dragon on Dragon’s Den, Arlene will impart with our conference delegates, her business savvy wisdom derived from lessons from the ‘Den’: Succeeding at Business and Being an Entrepreneur.