This event was rescheduled from Feb 23 (postponed due to weather.)

Agenda Information

Sponsored by

GBTA GTP Credit apply for this meeting – 2

The 2023 Professional Development Day & Sponsor Appreciation Event will kick off 2023 on March 16 at the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel.

Our keynote speaker, Kevin Iwamoto, is an award-winning speaker, author of two books including Your Personal Brand, Your Power Tool to Build Career Integrity, and a consultant in business travel/meetings/events and personal branding.

The day’s highlights will include:

o Personal Branding Insight with Kevin Iwamoto: A strong brand can help you stand out and can lead to more opportunities. Come listen to Kevin and find out how to strengthen your brand.

o Ladders (GBTA mentorship program): Members will share about this program and how they have learned from others’ experiences/perspectives and grown their network through Ladders.

o A Mini Tradeshow: This is a great place to connect with a new travel vendor or current one and say thank you for all they do for us.

o 2023 Charity Partner: Every year we choose a charity to give back to the community.

GBTA Ladders is a unique team mentor program that affords members an opportunity to not only expand their professional development within the travel and meetings industry, but to also gain true lifelong colleagues and friends. 

This session will dive into the GBTA Ladders program. We will hear from a past Ladders team on their experience with the program, see firsthand what a Ladders project is made of, and end with a lively Q&A about what it takes to become a part of this exciting and valuable experience. 

Kevin Iwamoto — Bizly
Lisa Hoehn — Altour
Jamie Meek — BCD Travel
Amanda Mahan — WNCO
Andrew Slaiby — Raytheon Technologies

8:00 am – 9:15 am: Direct Member Benchmarking Session

8:45 am: Registration, Networking, & Sponsor Expos

9:45 am: Welcome Announcements

9:50 am: Sponsor Presentation: Bishop International Airport

Autumn MacClaren, Director of Marketing, PR, and Air Service 

10:00 am: GBTA Ladders TAMS Search/Ability

• What is Ladders – an overview of the program then we'll lay the groundwork for the presentation.
• Program participants’ presentation and candid talk about what the Ladders program has brought to them.
• Q&A with Kevin & participants

11:15 am: Break, Networking, & Sponsor Expos                                             

11:30 am: Chapter Business Meeting

12:00 pm: Lunch, Networking, & Sponsor Expos

1:00 pm: Kevin Iwamoto presents Your Personal Brand

2:00 pm: Group Discussion & Project 

3:15 pm: Conclusion & Drawing

Sponsor Expo:

Get ready to meet some of our Annual Sponsors! These companies have already committed to having a table at the event and they're ready to talk to you about your travel needs.

Annual Sponsors, if you previously did not register for an expo table, there's still time! Contact Shirley Randall to arrange for your table.

Benchmarking Session:

8:00 am — 9:30 am

Direct Members, for information about the format of our benchmarking session or to offer discussion topics, contact Paula Flowers, Procurement Manager: Travel & Expense, Kelly Services. Be sure to answer the question during registration, "Will you be attending the Benchmarking Session?" (Hope the answer is "YES!")

Registration Information

If you were previously registered for the Feb 23 date, you are already registered for this event. If you are no longer able to attend, please contact Megan Craig to cancel your registration.

Registration must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 10. Registrations received after this time will incur a $10 late fee. 

Guest Room Block

The Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel has set aside a block of rooms at the special rate of $134 + tax. Please reserve your room at your soonest convenience to guarantee the group rate.

Event name: GBTA Michigan 2023 Kick Off and Sponsors Appreciation Event
Start Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
End Date: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Last Day to Book: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Click here to reserve: Book Your Group/Corporate Rate | Marriott International

The hotel offers complimentary self-parking in the lot adjacent to the hotel.

*Note: agenda times for this event may shift slightly and more details will follow with program specifics.