NBTA and Amadeus Team Up On Improved Masters Program

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), together with Amadeus, announced a partnership to transform the Masters Program into a global thought-leadership forum for C-level and senior executives as well as a think tank for the travel industry.

A sign of the transformation is the addition of business icon Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric, to the 2011 Masters Program.

In 1999, Fortune named Welch the “Manager of the Century,” and the Financial Times recently named him one of the three most admired business leaders in the world. He has also launched the “Jack Welch Management Institute,” an on-line MBA program aimed at giving students around the world and at every career level the tools to transform organizations of the future.

The announcement was made at last week’s NBTA International Convention & Exposition in Houston, where the NBTA also revealed that the association has acquired and taken full control of the Masters Program, an established business-travel industry conference in which NBTA has been a long-time strategic partner.

NBTA executive director and CEO Michael McCormick said, “NBTA has been involved in The Masters Program for more than eight years, helping corporate-travel professionals to navigate the ever-evolving business world. Now with 100% ownership and the… support and vision of Amadeus, we are committed to building on the legacy of this established industry event and investing to create an even higher level of programming.”

Philippe Chérèque, Executive VP – Commercial for Amadeus, added that the NBTA Masters Program partnership is indicative of Amadeus’ on-going commitment to the travel marketplace. “Thought-leadership, collaboration, and a clear future vision are all critical to the continued advancement of the global travel industry. That is why Amadeus is delighted to be joining forces with NBTA to bring about this unique event featuring some of the top leaders and visionaries in business, such as Jack Welch.”

The Masters Program by NBTA will next be held Feb. 8-9, 2011 at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, DC.

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