Advito introduces meetings management consulting service and releases white paper

Dallas and London, 17 October, 2007 – Advito, the independent consulting division of BCD Travel, today announced the launch of a meetings management consulting practice. The new offering is designed to help clients develop a baseline for their meetings-related activities, quantify the value of their meetings management programme and develop a roadmap to realise opportunities for efficiencies. The drive toward improved control and quantification also reflects the increasing involvement of travel managers and procurement departments in meeting-related initiatives.

In speaking of Advito’s meetings management consulting offering, Mary Ellen George, general manager of Advito, said: “Companies are increasingly under pressure to ensure that their meetings programme supports their long-term strategic goals and aligns with their organisational framework. As is key in today’s cost-conscious environment, we see significant savings and efficiency potential for organisations that fully understand and identify their programme’s maturity, requirements and capabilities.”

Data from the 2007 BCD Travel Client Benchmark Survey, released in July, revealed that better insight into and control over meetings management is key for survey respondents. When asked to rate their organisation’s priorities for meetings management, 57 percent cited “increase budget control for group and meeting expenses” as being a high or above-average priority. Also falling into the high or above-average category were “increase policy control over group and meeting activities” (51 percent) and “implement a strategic meetings management programme” (49 percent).

Advito’s meetings management programme engagements are tailored to each client’s needs, but can include one or more of the following elements:
• Comprehensive organisational framework assessment
• Spend analysis
• Savings opportunity analysis
• Benchmarking

To further assist organisations who may be seeking to cross-regionally consolidate their meetings management programme, Advito has published a white paper outlining the challenges and opportunities that accompany such an initiative. The white paper features advice and lessons learned from Advito and sister company BCD Meetings & Incentives subject matter experts and from corporate stakeholders.

George Odom, senior director for global business development, joined Advito earlier this year from his position as leader of travel and corporate meetings with Eli Lilly, where he was regarded as an industry pioneer in meetings consolidation. Odom said: “To date, strategic meetings management (SMM) discussions have focused largely around the North American market framework. However, our experience points to clear differences in meetings programme practices in the European market that require recognition and careful adjustment in the application of the traditional North American SMM framework.”

Strategic meetings management programmes of varying degrees and configurations across Europe are expected to grow at a steady pace over the next few years as global organisations seek to contain costs and increase operational effectiveness within all markets in which they conduct business. Released today, the Advito white paper, The View from the Other Side of the Pond: Hidden Challenges and Intelligent Solutions in Global Meetings Management Consolidation, outlines key business differences between Europe and North America and provides guidelines for successfully consolidating and aligning programmes outside of the North American market.

The white paper can be downloaded at www.advito.com.

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About Advito
Advito provides travel management consulting services that guide clients through a complex travel environment. Advito’s focus on consulting delivers proven value, unbiased counsel and a customised approach for every client and every engagement, together with industry expertise and access to data to drive quantifiable decision-making. Advito is headquartered in Dallas and operates in key business markets around the world. Advito is an independent operating unit of BCD Travel, the world’s third-largest travel-management company, owned by BCD Holdings N.V. For more information, visit www.advito.com.

About BCD Travel
As a leading provider of global corporate travel management, BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the business of travel. This benefits our client’s organisation on every level: from the bottom-line to the business traveller. BCD Travel operates in more than 90 countries on five continents, with US$12 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide work force in excess of 12,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.

About BCD Holdings N.V.
BCD Holdings N.V., a Dutch family-owned company founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen, is a market leader in the travel industry and successful niche player in the financial services industry. The BCD Holdings companies are BCD Travel (global corporate travel management), Park ‘N Fly (off-airport parking), TRX (travel transaction processing and data integration services), Airtrade (leisure travel) and Primary Capital (real-estate financing). The company employs approximately 14,000 people and operates in more than 90 countries with total sales, including franchising, of US$ 13 billion. For more information visit: www.bcd-nv.com.