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Membership drive and shake-up for GTMC
Monday, 22 Jan, 2010
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The Guild of Travel Management Companies is to instigate its first recruitment drive as part of a shake-up of the organisation.
New chairman Michael Hare (Portman Travel) unveiled plans to restructure the guild’s partner and associate status by redefining the partner criteria and abolishing associates.
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Speaking at a lunch following the guild’s annual meeting in London, Hare announced that the new GTMC membership criteria will be simplified, with the previous £7,000 one-off joining fee being abolished in favour of a slightly higher annual membership rate.
GTMC membership will no longer be strictly by invitation and travel management companies across the sector will be encouraged to apply.
Next month’s Business Travel & Meetings Show will act as the launchpad for the membership recruitment drive.
“As part of our commitment to change, the GTMC has agreed a more open and transparent membership model,” said Hare.
“We have abolished the joining fee and hope to welcome a number of new members during 2010. We will retain our commitment to quality and best practice whilst ensuring that we become a strong representative voice for the business travel sector.”
Relationships with suppliers will be simplified – the associate status will be discontinued and existing associates will be encouraged to become partners.
GTMC partners receive benefits including priority access to members and a place at the annual overseas conference.
Hare said: “The difference between a GTMC associate and partner was becoming blurred and it made sense to discontinue the associates in favour of a clearly defined partner status.
“Our emphasis moving forward will be on quality of partners rather than quantity of partners and Associates.
“Partners receive unrivalled access to our members, who between them account for some 80% of business travel spend in the UK and facilitate over 11 million transactions a year.
“By engaging members and partners we will ensure effective communication about the issues that face our industry and work together to deliver great service to the business travellers who are our customers.
“We will be leaders of the industry in negotiations and co-operative initiatives with the key suppliers to the sector.”
He also introduced his deputy, Carlson Wagonlit’s Andrew Waller who is in line to take over from Hare following his two – year tenure.
Two new members were welcomed onto the executive council – Peter Drummond (Horncastle Executive Travel) and Anthony Rissbrook, (Co-Operative Travel Management).
Hare named the new chairmen for the GTMC’s working parties:
- Air – Alan Spence, FCM
- Hotels – Anthony Rissbrook, Co-Operative Travel Management
- Technology – Richard Boardman, Reed & Mackay
- Surface Transport – Paul Allan, Ian Allan Travel
- Regulatory – Graham Ramsay, ATPI
New GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey will chair the HR working party.
Hare paid tribute to his predecessor Travel by Appointment’s Maurice Veronique who now becomes treasurer.
Veronique introduced several new initiatives during his tenure and also stepped up the organisation’s parliamentary lobbying campaign which two years on will see the launch of the GTMC Business Travel Manifesto ‘Making Travel Work’ next Tuesday.
by Phil Davies
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