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International corporate travel services company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) is bringing current industry issues and opportunities to the forefront at the inaugural ACTE Educational Conference in Johannesburg on 10-11 November 2008.
Education and Best Practice
Recognising the growing importance of Africa in today’s global marketplace (the ACTE conference will include delegates from 16 different countries), HRG is keen to help shape the future of the corporate travel industry across the region, taking an active role in helping to educate and share global best practice combined with local expertise. With this in mind, senior HRG speakers at the conference will include:
- Kathy Harris, Managing Director of HRG Rennies Travel (HRG’s strategic partner in Africa), will be leading an ‘Industry Perspective’ looking at thedynamics of the industry in the region, working across borders and latestcorporate travel developments
- Olufemi Adefope, Managing Director of HRG Nigeria, will be moderating a session on‘Fundamentals of managed travel and the value of the TMC’ as well asparticipating in a discussion on ‘Strategic payment solutions’.
Technological Advancements
Known for its technological expertise, and having successfully implemented a number of solutions for both large multinational and smaller national clients throughout Africa, HRG will also be demonstrating a number of tools and solutions as part of TransACTE, the conference’s technology showcase. Aligning HRG’s technology expertise to some of the key topics raised during the conference, one of the main features will be
HRG Travel WatchTM, the company’s web-enabled strategic traveller tracking and reporting tool. HRG will also highlight its proprietary self-service reservation tool,
HRG OnlineTM and HRG i-SuiteTM, its web-based portal (an upgraded version of which was launched at the ACTE Global Education Conference in Rome, Italy last month).
Carbon Conscience
HRG has been designated a ‘green’ exhibitor at the ACTE conference. The Company is committed to helping clients achieve their corporate environmental objectives and reduce (where practicable) their own carbon footprints as they relate to business travel, offering a number of environmentally-focused solutions and services.
As a result HRG will be demonstrating its in-house developed CO2 Calculator which helps clients to assess – in one free, simple and easy to use tool – the environmental impact of their travel choices and provides an indicative value of the cost of ‘offsetting’ those emissions by making a charitable donation. The Company will also showcase its comprehensive emissions reporting capabilities (down to individual traveller level as required) designed to help clients assess and limit their environmental impact.
Regional Strength
Building on its strength in the region and to coincide with the conference, HRG has also announced the appointment of Bamako-headquartered Wani Tour as its new partner in Mali. Wani Tour operates dedicated travel management operations in Bamako and within Mali’s international airport. The company is also in the process of establishing an office in Brazzaville (Congo).
A landlocked nation in West Africa (the 7th largest country on the continent), located South West of Algeria, Mali is undergoing significant development including road and transport infrastructure improvements. The country is one of the most politically and socially stable in Africa and the Malian government has continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment programme that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment.
HRG’s presence in Africa is well established with strong contracted partners across the continent. In line with HRG’s focus on providing outstanding service on a global basis, an additional 11 partner operations have joined the HRG worldwide network in Africa this year, taking the number of African countries in which HRG has a presence to 26. Depending on client needs and expectations, more partners will be contracted to join HRG in the region over the coming months.
Kathy Harris, Managing Director of HRG Rennies Travel, commented: “It is less than 10 years since ACTE held its first meeting in the continent of Africa.
“Since that time the African travel management industry has transformed almost beyond recognition. There is now a significant difference between the ticketing services provided by local travel agencies and the intellect of the large corporate travel services companies such as HRG.
“As a continent Africa is rich in natural resources and the region continues to develop and mature at a rapid rate. This creates the need for continued, and increased, travel region-wide with an ongoing focus on consolidation and efficiencies by large multinationals. As the corporate travel industry continues to become ever-more complex, HRG can help cut through the confusion to provide clarity, expert advice and solutions to help its clients meet their business objectives.”
To find out more about HRG’s products, services and solutions, and the company’s expertise both in Africa and worldwide, visit the HRG stand at the ACTE Educational Conference in Johannesburg from 10-11 November.
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For further information:
HRG South Africa
Lynda Green
General Manager Marketing
Tel +27 11 407 2852
Email: Lynda.green@renniestravel.com
Hogg Robinson Group
Laurie Waugh
PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 1256 312623
Email: laurie.waugh@hrgworldwide.com
Notes to Editors:
Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) is the award-winning international corporate travel services company. Founded in 1845 by a wine merchant and an insurance broker, HRG has over 60 years specific corporate travel expertise. Its corporate services interests include owned or controlled corporate travel operations in 25 of the key driver and growth markets throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Supported by contracted partners, the HRG worldwide network extends to over 100 countries.
Totally committed to a value offering for clients, HRG offers a comprehensive range of corporate travel services including Corporate Travel Management, Consulting, Events & Meetings Management and Sports as well as Expense Management through its Spendvision operation.