The UK corporate travel sector has a new organisation to represent it after the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) changed its name to the Business Travel Association (BTA).
The new identity was unveiled to members at the GTMC, now BTA, conference in Noordwijk near Amsterdam on Tuesday.
The association also announced the election of Suzanne Horner (pictured), chief executive of Gray Dawes as new chair of its board, succeeding Paul Allan who stepped down following the sale of his company Ian Allan Travel in May.
More: GTMC expands board with three additions [Jan 19]
GTMC seals deal to help women in business travel [May 19]
Outgoing chief executive Adrian Parkes said it was “a step change for the association” but represented “an evolution”.
He said: “It allows us to more clearly communicate the board’s broadened strategy. The move comes after a brand equity study, gathering feedback from across the industry.”
Parkes argued the change would “be beneficial to our work with government, with industry regulators and in promoting the sector across academia.”
He added: “We are much bigger now than the GTMC allowed us to be. We have broadened our membership, our partners and what we do.
“[But] when we talk to an MP or a university, we spend the first 15-20 minutes explaining what we do.
“We wanted a name to be more inclusive and representative of the organisation. Business Travel Association explains exactly what we do.”
Parkes is due to depart the organisation at the end of this month, with a new chief executive yet to be announced.
He said: “I’m excited that one of the last things I do as CEO is to welcome the association’s first-ever female chair of the board.”
Horner said: “I’m thrilled to take up this role at such an exciting time for the association.
“The board has changed a lot. We have three women on the board and we plan to open it to as much diversity as we can.”
More: GTMC expands board with three additions [Jan 19]
GTMC seals deal to help women in business travel [May 19]
