Connect Agenda

Join your peers to participate in the first of many Reseller certification courses offered by Sabre. This thorough Monday morning session will give you the tools and training to better sell and demo GetThere components as well as provide a deep dive into the new Integrated Product Platform launching on Monday afternoon. This is an exclusive opportunity to network with your peers and gain the insight needed to be more successful in your role. Breakfast will be provided.
Presented by Denise Beckmann

If you’re new to managed travel, this session will give you an early opportunity to network with peers and meet with GetThere Customer Success Managers on building a strong framework to strengthen your program. Lunch will be provided.
Presented by Jeff Rausch and Jennifer Cruz

Florian Tinnus - VP of Traveler Experience

Ben Newell - VP, Product Management

Sean Menke - President, Sabre Travel Network

Get to Know the New Integrated Solution
Aligning your managed travel program with traveler expectations can be a constant battle. Staying ahead of the challenges and rising demands requires an endless commitment. Come learn how this new platform enables ultimate self-sufficiency when booking and experiencing travel, and, more importantly how it supports your program’s policies, preferences and negotiated rates. You’ll see how the integrated solution is convenient for you, your boss, and your traveler.
Note: This session will be offered once each day to ensure all attendees can attend.

Master Class: Maximizing Your Hotel Supplier Program
Do you feel you’re getting the most out of your annual hotel rate negotiations? If you’ve used the same approach to negotiating with the same hotel suppliers over the last few years, the answer is likely “no.” Take part in an interactive discussion on today’s relevant metrics, winning negotiation strategies, and the Sabre technologies and partnerships that can take your program to the next level.

P.O.I: Become a Person of Influence with the C-Suite
Your ability to talk about what you do in a meaningful way to the C-Suite may be critical to your professional success. Can you: communicate with confidence and ease, present yourself to senior leadership and command their attention, and share your ideas in a way that it moves the C-Suite to buy in? If the answer is a half-hearted yes, a confused “I’m not sure” or “I think I might, but tell me more” then this session is designed with you in mind.
You will learn tactics and strategies to become a P.O.I. We will consider:
- How you “show up in a room” can give you a competitive edge.
- How to organize and share your ideas so senior leadership listens.
- How to Think fast when questions, comments, and objections happen.

From Insight to Action – Planning for Today’s Digital Business Traveler
More than ever before, the business traveler is connected by technology. With this connection comes an expectation for a more consumer-like experience, and that they be able to do more from their mobile device. What are the latest trends and how can you best prepare?
Join us as we discuss the latest research from Sabre and GBTA on how mobile has transformed the digital traveler experience. From travel policy, disruption management, payment, duty of care, and personalization, these and other trends are impacting travelers and travel programs. Come learn actionable steps you can take, and contribute to the discussion in an interactive session that is sure to deliver new ideas to incorporate into your program.

Going Global - EMEA, APAC and LATAM
Are you considering taking your travel program to other markets? Whether your growth is the result of acquisitions, the opening of new offices, or just the evolution of your already international program, you will encounter many new questions as you go global.
Join us as we explore some of the key considerations and best practices for expanding your program to new markets, and learn what is needed to increase your probability for success.
Sponsored by Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Consumer Apps in a Business World
With wide accessibility to millions of apps, employees not only want to use their consumer apps in a business setting – they expect it. This session will discuss the consumer market today, and walk through the benefits and challenges of using consumer apps in a business environment.

Executing your Mobile Strategy with GetThere Mobile
Having a mobile strategy has never been more relevant than it is today. And mobile booking is a critical piece of that strategy. Researching, booking and experiencing travel on a mobile device for the corporate traveler is no longer the desired state, it’s the expectation. Enabling traveler self-sufficiency on a mobile device is necessary for meeting the needs of today’s always-moving business traveler. This presentation and demo aims to help you understand how the new GetThere mobile solution fulfills the needs of both the traveler and travel manager. You’ll see firsthand how travelers will be able to seamlessly flow through the new booking experience.

Maximizing Your Air
Air carriers continue to provide more options to individual travelers and corporations. Making these options available to travelers while still applying travel policy are critical for travel managers. Come learn more about Branded Fares, Air Extras, Ticket Manager and more as we explore how GetThere will continue to maximize air.

Join us for cocktails and a first look at the Connect 2016 Solutions Showcase. Meet with our product experts and gain a better understanding of Sabre technology and product innovation.

Ben Newell - VP, Product Management

Dustin Downing - Director, TripCase Partner & Supplier Product

Panel Moderated by Karen Taylor - Director of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Sabre Virtual Payments

Joakim Everstin - Head of Innovation & Technology Evangelist, Sabre Travel Network EMEA
Mark McSpadden – Director of Technology, Sabre Labs

Explore Solutions Showcase and take the opportunity to test-drive some of the most innovative products in corporate travel. Be sure to connect with our product experts, watch the demos and visit with our valued partners.

Get to Know the New Integrated Solution
Aligning your managed travel program with traveler expectations can be a constant battle. Staying ahead of the challenges and rising demands requires an endless commitment. Come learn how this new platform enables ultimate self-sufficiency when booking and experiencing travel, and, more importantly how it supports your program’s policies, preferences and negotiated rates. You’ll see how the integrated solution is convenient for you, your boss, and your traveler.
Note: This session will be offered once each day to ensure all attendees can attend.

Best Practices for a Successful Virtual Payment Program
Virtual payments are evolving the business travel experience and solving common pain points across the entire payment process. By protecting your company from fraud, providing better control of traveler expenses and drastically speeding up the reconciliation process, virtual payments have earned their place in the industry and are here to stay!

Balancing Service and Self-Service for Today’s Mobile Traveler
Are you delivering the right mix of service and self-service to your clients? Travelers today not only expect more service and personalization, they also expect to be able to do more themselves in-transit from a mobile device. Is this the beginning of the end of travel agencies as we know them, or a new age for traveler service and support? Come learn what this increased traveler autonomy means for agencies, and how you can use mobile to drive a better traveler experience. Also included will be a special overview on what tools are available in TripCase today to help you enhance your traveler service.

Peer to Peer: New Expectations for Travel Risk Management
Now more than ever, travel managers are faced with increased pressure to manage the vigorous demands and risks of employees traveling both domestically and internationally. Join us for a peer to peer discussion facilitated by Sabre and iJet International, the premier integrated risk management firm, where you'll gain the tools necessary to identify and mitigate against these risks. We'll dive into specific duty of care hot topics as well as generate conversation between corporations using scenarios and best practices for creating your own duty of care solution.

Buyer Think Tank - News or Noise? What You Need To Know About Today’s Hot Topics
Buyers today are overwhelmed by the amount of information available to them. With new traveler technologies, trends, and industry buzz words popping up almost daily it’s challenging to keep up with what’s truly newsworthy and needs attention versus what is just noise and distracting. With a travel manager’s time becoming increasingly spread thin, it is more important than ever to focus on those things that will truly impact your program. In this session we will explore four of the biggest topics being discussed today:
- Personalization in Business Travel
- Integrated Travel and Expense Management
- Traveler Friction
- Virtual Payments
Join us for a lively, interactive and open discussion as we explore some of today’s most debated hot topics. Be prepared to ask questions and share your opinion on these and other dynamic topics during this buyer-only session.

Decoding TripCase
Join our TripCase product specialists as they take you through the fundamentals of using TripCase and how to drive adoption with your travelers. You’ll learn tips and tricks that will delight your travelers, as well as get up-to-date on new features and functionality available with TripCase.

Is Lowest Always Logical
The evolving airline landscape is creating increased complexity for corporate travel buyers in their air procurement processes. In a search for simplicity some programs are adopting a lowest logical airfare policy that encourages travelers to select the lowest priced option available without regard for preferred suppliers or negotiated agreements. This eliminates the need for some of the upfront sourcing work, but do those benefits outweigh the discounts that are being given up? Some buyers are touting the success they are achieving with this strategy, while others say that it leaves money on the table. Come join this open and active discussion as we hear from some of your peers on this hot topic. We'll hear both perspectives and discuss the pros and cons of each so you can determine which strategy is the right fit for your program. Attend this session if you are an experienced air category manager or analyst, or corporate travel manager interested in learning more about new strategies in airline contracts, agreements, and travel policy.

Travel Smarter Not Harder - How to Maximize Travel Policy and Smart Messaging
Learn the latest enhancements in Smart Messaging and other tactics to maximize your travel policies. We'll look back at the changes from last year as well as focus on what to expect in 2017.

This event is now being hosted at the rusticTexas Spice onsite at the Omni Dallas. Attendees will enjoy cocktails, Texas country music and great fall weather on the expansive patio complete with fire pits. Keep the Texas theme going by wearing your best denim and diamonds!

Moderator: TBD

Get to Know the New Integrated Solution
Aligning your managed travel program with traveler expectations can be a constant battle. Staying ahead of the challenges and rising demands requires an endless commitment. Come learn how this new platform enables ultimate self-sufficiency when booking and experiencing travel, and, more importantly how it supports your program’s policies, preferences and negotiated rates. You’ll see how the integrated solution is convenient for you, your boss, and your traveler.
Note: This session will be offered once each day to ensure all attendees can attend.

Enhancing Communication Within Your Team Using the True Colors Method
Stephen Covey says seek first to understand, then be understood. Leaders know that communication is the key to success. But, when team members have different communication styles, it makes communicating effectively very challenging. True Colors is a personality-based leadership assessment that unlocks the secrets about four different communication styles. Learn more about your own style and how to work with other styles of team members to increase performance and synergy within the team.

Speaking the IT Security Love Language
As with all relationships, understanding your audience is important for effective communication. In this session, we will explore the IT Security “Love Language” by uncovering common terminology and provide helpful insight into how to work effectively with this team. You’ll gain valuable techniques to properly engage IT Security while also reducing surprises and roadblocks when managing your travel program.

This is final session for the 2016 Solutions Showcase! Check out some of the most innovative products in travel.

Dr. Michio Kaku is one of the most widely recognized figures in science in the world today.
Among his notable awards and honors, he holds the Henry Semat Chair in Theoretical Physics at the City University of New York, has authored several internatio

Florian Tinnus - VP of Traveler Experience