Get ready to go courtside with GBTA Michigan as we kick off our Travel Tech Tip‑Off! This February, we’re bringing March Madness energy to the world of travel innovation with our first‑ever Travel Tech Bracket Challenge. Eight travel technology topics will go head‑to‑head argued by some of the Travel industries GREATEST tech contributors, and YOU get to decide who advances. Join us for an engaging, interactive session where fresh ideas, bold solutions, and friendly competition collide as we crown this year’s ultimate champion.

Evening Prior Cocktail Reception: 

48226

Join us for an evening reception to unwind, connect, and get competitive! Our reception will include: 

• Private Space
• Private Bar 
• (3) Golf Simulators
• Light Bites 

Speakers: 

*THE* Referee 🏀 Jen Bankard 

Executive Director, Conference Content & Strategy: The BTN Group 

Jen's mission is to transform the way corporate travel managers succeed, helping them empower their travelers, elevate their companies, and advance their careers to run best-in-class travel programs. Jen draws on 25+ years of experience in non-profit and association sectors, specializing in training and development. Currently with The BTN Group, she was named one of the 2024 WINiT Top 50 where she was recognized as a Global Leader with Global Impact for her groundbreaking work in corporate travel education. Before joining The BTN Group, Jen served as Manager of Global Education at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), where she built industry-leading learning experiences based on cutting-edge research and best practices.

Brook Armstrong

Co-CEO & Co-Founder Blockskye

Brook combines 19-years of experience in startups and venture capital with over a decade in travel innovation. He drives Blockskye’ s blockchain-powered solutions that simplify payments and reduce costs for corporate travel programs.

Mike Daly

Co-Founder BizTrip

Mike Daly has more than 30 years of experience shaping travel technology across corporate and leisure markets. He began his travel career at United Airlines in 1994 and went on to play a formative role in the rise of online corporate booking through GetThere, Travelocity, and Sabre. Before the pandemic, Mike held senior leadership roles at Freebird and Deem, helping scale both companies through growth and into successful acquisitions by Capital One and Enterprise Holdings. In 2019, he joined Serko to help drive global expansion with a focus on North America, serving as VP of Sales and later being promoted to SVP in 2023.

A frequent industry speaker, Mike regularly presents at GBTA (global and local chapters), ProcureCon, Phocuswright, TAMS, and BusinessConnect. He served as a GBTA Board Member, is a former Chair of the GBTA Technology Committee, a GBTA Ladders mentor, and Co-Chair of WINiT’s Education and Development Committee. He also currently sits on the GBTA Project, Crew, and Team Travel Committee, as well as the GBTA AI Subcommittee.  Outside of work, Mike supports JDRF, the YMCA, and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, and coaches youth sports, including baseball with the Team Georgia Baseball Academy.

Chloe Carver

Acquis Consulting: Corporate Travel Practice

Chloe Carver leads Acquis' Corporate Travel Practice. She focuses on creating better traveler experiences in everything she does, whether it's enabling organizations to achieve greater ROI on their meetings or partnering with leading suppliers to transform their service delivery. Chloe and her team combine people-first strategies with innovative digital solutions to help travel managers and travel suppliers optimize every touchpoint across the traveler journey. Today, she is the Co-Chair of the GBTA WINiT Education & Development Committee, the Committee Lead for the GBTA Ladders Historian Committee, and a mentor for NYU's Hospitality Innovation Incubator. She was named to the WINiT Top 50 in 2024 and received the WINiT Future of the Workforce Award in 2023. 

Sam Hilgendorf 

Chief Information Officer: Fox World Travel 

Sam Hilgendorf has served as the chief information officer (CIO) at Fox World Travel since 2018. He is responsible for the vision and execution of Fox’s technology portfolio, which includes IT, business intelligence, product development, and project management.  Under Sam’s direction, Fox has been awarded the Magellan award from Travel Weekly for innovation with Colby AI and has also been recognized as a Distinguished Partner from SAP Concur for custom integration work with the Concur Travel platform. In 2023, Sam was awarded CIO of the year from Wisconsin CIO. Sam exemplifies a passion for leveraging technology to catalyze positive change. 

Sam has been happily married for 20 years and is a proud parent of a wonderful pre-teen daughter. When it comes to hobbies, he describes his family as “a real-life version of the TV show The Big Bang Theory.” They love playing Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop board games, reading comic books, dressing up for Renaissance fairs, and indulging in just about every other nerdy hobby imaginable. These quirky interests bring them joy, excitement, and a whole lot of stories to tell!

Agenda: 

               

Venue Information & Sleeping Room Block: 

48226

GBTA MI Sleeping Room Block

Cutoff Date: February 16, 2026 

GBTA | Michigan Chapter Event Cancellation Policy

We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel your registration for an event, please notify us as soon as possible.

• Cancellations received at least 5 business days prior to the event will receive a full refund.
• Cancellations received fewer than 5 business days prior to the event are non-refundable due to venue guarantees and meal commitments.

• No-shows will not be refunded.

If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to transfer your registration to another individual within your organization at no additional charge. Please contact us with the replacement’s name and email address.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we aim to deliver high-quality events for our members and partners.

Contact [email protected] with questions on event or membership pricing.

Note: The agenda is subject to change as education sessions are finalized.