Security seminar added to trade show’s agenda

Business travel manchester 2001

Security seminar added to trade show’s agenda

Report by BEVERLEYFEARIS

Report by BEVERLEYFEARIS

On alert: airline and airport workers have increased their vigilance after events in the US

IN light of the US terrorist attacks last month, a special session on airline safety and security has been added to the seminar programme of this week’s Business Travel Manchester 2001 trade show.

Centaur Exhibitions, organisers of the event being held at the G-Mex Centre on October 10-11, amended the agenda in response to calls from both airline exhibitors and delegates.

Centaur group event director Paul Robin said: “We felt we had a role to play in bringing the airlines and airports together with their key customers and hearing their concerns about safety.

“It will be a good opportunity for the airlines and airport authorities to explain what steps they are taking.”

Robin said he hoped senior airline and airport personnel would be able to attend the event, but names had not been confirmed as Travel Weekly went to press.

He added that 1,000 delegates had pre-registered for the show, which attracted nearly 1,500 visitors in total last year.

Robin said: “We were expecting events in the USto have impacted upon us but some of our exhibitors believe more people will attend as it becomes even more important for them to meet face to face.”

He said Centaur had also anticipated some fallout from exhibitors as they look to cut their promotional budgets, but no exhibitors had cancelled. However, he admitted that refunds could not be given for cancellations at such a late stage.

Middle East airlines Emirates and Royal Jordanian will both be exhibiting, as will United, Delta and Continental. American Airlines was not due to attend as it only exhibits at Centaur’s London show.

Robin said show organisers were also planning some kind of fundraising initiative in response to the tragic events in New York and Washington.

Prior to the terrorist attacks, corporate cost cutting was found to be the key concern in the minds of travel managers and buyers.

Before plans for the Manchester event were finalised, a survey of travel professionals showed that one-third believed the economic downturn would be the most significant factor affecting business travel this year.

So far, speakers at Business Travel Manchester 2001 include Nigel Bourke, head of client services for BTI UK; Karen Spence, TQ3 Britannic Travel Solutions account management director; and Keith Haynes, P&O Business Travel sales and marketing director.