The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is counting its first Latin American education conference, held in Mexico City at the end of October, as an indication of the growing importance of the region in the global economy
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is counting its first Latin American education conference, held in Mexico City at the end of October, as an indication of the growing importance of the region in the global economy. Latin America is one of the leading growth areas in the world. In the first eight months of this year, US trade with Latin American alone reached a total of $435 billion.
The conference drew registrants from Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain and the United States as well as from 10 South American nations - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
More than 270 people attended the event, one third of them corporate buyers.
"We are very gratified that ACTE's first Latin America Education Conference has attracted the attendance it has, not only from this region, but from North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific," says Ricardo Ferreira, director of ALATUR and the region's representative on the Assocition's global board of directors. "ACTE recognized this region's immense potential and has expanded the scope of our education events, and created a board position. It is this foresight that ACTE has continually demonstrated — to identify those global regions with the greatest potential for the business travel industry — that has made us the leader in education for the corporate travel manager."
ACTE has hosted eight educational events in 2008 throughout Latin America in the cities of Bogotá, Mexico City, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, San Jose de Costa Rica and Guadalajara. In July, ACTE held an Executive Forum in Mexico City with keynote presenter Elizondo Everardo, noted Mexican economist and deputy governor of Banco de México. In April, ACTE held an event in Costa Rica, which also drew record attendance.
"Companies are looking for solutions, new strategies, and more effective ways to reduce costs without impeding growth potential," notes Ferreira. "ACTE has spent the past year developing an educational agenda that addresses these issues globally and for specific regions. As a result, we have been able to provide companies with the options they require during these difficult times. This, coupled with the fact that the timing of this conference was perfect for bringing the industry together, contributed to the outstanding turnout of the first ACTE Latin America Education Conference."