Meeting News - June 16, 2008 - (Page 30) Transportation & Services Visa-Free Travelers to Register Beforehand Washington, DC—Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in early June that the federal government will begin requiring visitors traveling on the visa waiver program to register their biographical details online at least three days before they travel. Chertoff said the move allows the U.S. to screen travelers, improving the security of the program. The changes will be phased in starting in August, with a mandatory ruling to go into effect by January 12, 2009. The U.S. allows nationals from 27 countries to enter the country without a visa, including most of Western Europe, Australia, and Japan. Eight more countries, including South Korea and Hungary, are expected to be added to the program. Visa waiver visitors are currently asked to fill out forms when they arrive; the new rule requires visitors to register once every two years, —CD Chertoff said. Twinsburg, OH—Ed Shartar, president and CEO of event management firm Experient since 2004, left the company on June 6. Shartar’s contract was up for renewal, but a “mutual decision” was made to hire a new CEO that would be focused on “execution and operational excellence” and who could reside near one of Experient’s offices. Shartar and his family live in Atlanta. Shartar was hired to lead a rebranding effort and extend Experient’s geographic footprint. He was also tasked to realign Experient to support an integrated service approach, grow revenue, enhance its presence in the corporate market, and enter the government market. Experient’s board chairman, Andrew Strauss, praised Shartar. “As a result of Ed’s commitment and passion, we are well on the way to making our vision a reality.” The board is looking outside the company for a CEO. George Benson, an operating partner at Riverside Company, the major shareholder of Experient, is interim president and CEO. In other Experient news, the company has released the results of a study it sponsored on strategic meetings management processes (SMMP) among corporations. Study results revealed that spending on large corporate meetings and events has not been part of a centralized budget in most corporations. According to the “Strategic Meetings Management” study by Aberdeen Group, a decentralized structure, combined with a lack of a comprehensive meetings management strategy, sets the stage for ineffective management and misspending. The study of Experient customers focused on practices in five areas: sourcing, attendee registration/management, developing a preferred supplier program, establishing standardized contracts, and controlling meeting spend. Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Experient Ends Shartar’s Reign as Prez & CEO Top corporations used unique company strategies and technology to manage their meetings and events, said the Ed Shartar report. “By utilizing meetings management technology and establishing a collaborative relationship between meetings and event planners and procurement, best-in-class enterprises are achieving better policy compliance and higher rates of cost savings,” said Andrew Bartolini, vice president of Aberdeen Group. “These corporate meetings and events management leaders are successfully using procurement strategies to improve program performance.” Complimentary copies of the study are available through —Corrie Dosh Experient. As United Scuttles Merger Thoughts, More Capacity Cuts & Layoffs Loom Chicago—United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton told employees that the carrier is abandoning merger talks with US Airways. Tilton reportedly changed his mind about the benefits a consolidation would bring and was concerned that labor opposition, antitrust issues, and record-high fuel prices would make the deal unwise. United was rejected by Continental Airlines earlier on a merger proposal. With the collapse of the United-US Airways proposal, further consolidation in the airline industry is unlikely this year, and carriers are turning to both capacity and fleet cuts to survive record-high fuel prices. At press time, United announced it will remove all its Boeing 737s and six fuel-guzzling 747s from service. The numbertwo airline also will lay off 1,100 more employees. American Airlines, which plans an 11- to 12percent capacity cut this year, announced as of Sept. 3, it will reduce its nonstop daily service to 30 MeetingNews June 16, 2008 San Juan, American will no longer serve Antigua, St. Maarten, and Santo Domingo. American Eagle is to reduce its Caribbean schedule from 55 to 33 daily departures out of San Juan. Trying Harder at Green: Avis Cuts Out Paper Parsippany, NJ—Avis Rent A Car will discontinue the printing of customer brochures and collateral marketing materials to reduce its paper consumption by 100 tons, saving 1,500 trees annually. Avis, in lieu, is placing emphasis on its website, www.avis.com, where promotions, deals, and preferred-supplier programs are offered, along with maps, vehicle descriptions, and other essential information for customers. Avis also has begun a company-wide initiative to reduce its environmental impact through water and energy conservation and other moves. The company rents out hybrid versions of the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, and Ford Escape among its vehicle fleet. r www.meetingnews.com United CEO Glenn Tilton in happier times. San Juan from six U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Flights to San Juan from seven other cities will continue, including New York’s JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Chicago. From Photo: AP/Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast http://www.avis.com http://www.meetingnews.com
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