The Los Angeles Business Travel Association (LABTA) held its annual trade show for corporate travel managers in Los Angeles at the Westin Hotel Long Beach with about 100 suppliers and the same number of travel managers.
President of LABTA, Craig A. Banikowski, Director of Global Travel Management for Hilton, stated that he was pleased with the turnout and reported that the organization was focusing on the needs of their direct members who manage travel for their companies who of many of the nation’s largest corporations headquartered in the Los Angeles area.
He said LABTA is planning an upcoming meeting entitled, “Travel Managers Executive Forum” that will be for corporate travel managers and planners only.
“The resounding feeling from speaking to all the suppliers exhibiting at the trade show was that the economy and cost of fuel were contributing to a slowdown of business travel as well as some leisure travel in the industry,” reported Fran Kiradjian, CEO, TravelMole.com, North America.
She added: “There was the sound of anxiety in their voices when being questioned about their current state of business. While no one was throwing in the towel, there was certainly cautious optimism about the future.”
