Business Travel Expo Hong Kong 2004 Closes Seminars Advance Bookings

South East Asia’s business travel buyers, managers and arrangers are keener than ever for tips on how to save corporate travel dollars.

That’s the message from this year’s Business Travel Expo Hong Kong 2004, where a programme of educational seminars presented by travel industry insiders was fully-booked two weeks before the event.

Response to the two-day programme of training seminars being staged in conjunction with the expo was described as “overwhelming” by the organizers.

“We’ve never experienced such demand for practical advice on how to manage corporate travel more effectively and make budgets go further,” said Paul Robin, Director of BT Expo Hong Kong.

A record number of visitors have pre-registered for the March 30-31 Expo at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“There is also an overwhelming interest in keeping travel budgets tight,” said Mr Robin, “Asia may be getting back to business, but the pressure is obviously on to keep corporate travel expenses down.”

Places at the seminar sessions had been offered free to those who pre-registered, but due to overwhelming response pre-registrations had to be closed, but a limited number of seminar places will still be available at the door, priced at HK$300 each, sold on a first come first served basis.

The seminar programme on the first day of BT Expo Hong Kong 2004 includes a “step-by-step guide to cutting travel costs” by NBTA – while AirPlus International and MasterCard International will explain the benefits of centralized payment systems.

OAG will present a ‘Beginner’s Guide to Travel Management’, including tips on both buying and negotiating corporate travel rates while Jonathan Kao of Corporate Traveller AIT will discuss short-haul discount airlines.

The programme for Day Two continues with Ian Dockreay of Buying Business Travel magazine explaining how to use the web for travel management – including “10 best sites to make your life at work easier!” Speakers from Marriott and Carlson Wagonlit discuss negotiating with hotels, while Galileo’s Kurt Kanckstedt evaluates corporate booking tools.

Also addressed is the “key to successful conference buying” and “What to look out for when sending your travellers to China”. The answer, says Carlson Wagonlit’s Greg Treasure, is to “expect the unexpected!”