Embassy Suites Detroit Livonia/Novi

Please make your hotel reservation by calling hotel at 734 462-6000 requesting the MBTA room rate of $119.00 plus taxes. or booking online through link:

MBTA Embassy Suites Detroit Livonia/Novi Booking Page

GBTA has approved this session for 3 Credits for GTP Designation.

Meeting Agenda:

9:30am  – 10:00am  –  Registration & Networking

10:00am  – 11:30am  –  Morning Session: Cost & Savings In Travel Program – Where are they hiding?

Presenter: Cheryl Benjamin, Traveler Services Manager, Dart Container Corporaton

Cheryl is the Travel Services Manager for Dart Container, an international manufacturing company headquartered in Mason Michigan. She has been involved in the travel industry since 1988 and joined Dart in 2001. As the manager of a growing travel department and upon recognizing the savings and efficiencies to be gained, she successfully lobbied to create the CTD in 2006. In May 2012, Dart Container acquired Solo Cup Company and Cheryl successfully integrated Solo’s travel program into the Dart CTD. The Travel Services team is responsible for handling business travel needs for Dart associates worldwide, including meeting planning, fleet management, corporate housing, relocation, establishing travel policy, expense management and scheduling corporate aircraft. Cheryl serves as Vice Chair of the CTD Association.

Session Takeaways:

When executive leadership ask what your program costs the organization, do you know what they are really asking for? The cost of the travel program goes beyond travel spend. During this session, we will identify what should be included in your analysis and ideas on how to offset these costs. Attendees will leave with

• The ability to identify the key items to include in a cost analysis

• What cost savings or revenue streams you can use to offset these costs.

• New and innovative ideas to explore in the world of cost savings

• Ideas for engaging your travelers, suppliers and executive team to help drive down costs and savings

11:30am  – 12:00pm  –  MBTA Business Meeting & Committee Updates

12:00pm  – 1:00pm –  Lunch

1:00pm  –  2:30pm –  Afternoon Session

Presenter: Desiree French, Sr. Director Global Program Design and Delivery, TCG Consulting Partners, LLC

Desiree French leads TCG’s Global Program Design and Delivery Practice, directing global engagements to assist clients for strategic travel program development and enablement. She is responsible for managing client relationships, engagement delivery and practice service offerings. Desiree has more than 25 years of industry experience spanning travel supplier, corporate and consulting leadership roles.

Desiree’s Global Program Design and Delivery Practice specializes in agency benchmark and sourcing initiatives plus GDS and online booking tool development, implementation and integration across travel policy, operational delivery and supplier sourcing programs. She is a subject matter expert in the areas of travel program assessments, vendor compliance and centralized global travel program development and implementation.

In addition to industry involvement with organizations such as the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and the Global Business Travel Association, Desiree has been a Certified Travel Counselor for more than 20 years.

Session Takeaways:

This session will build on the morning session, with an additional perspective.  Desiree’s exposure to Travel Costs and Savings, as an experienced industry veteran and consultant, has provided her extensive insight which she will share in her session.

• Travel Buyers will gain further insight on metrics

• Travel Suppliers will understand what buyers need to drive compliance to their services.

• Reporting on savings to leadership, building on programs that are in place.

• Further ideas on ways to drive cost out of travel.

2:30pm – Meeting Adjourned  – Prize Drawing