Alexandria, Va.| Bill Marriott, Chairman and Chief Executive of Marriott International, will address attendees at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives' (ACTE) Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C., 5-7 April. Mr. Marriott will give a state of the industry speech on the economy, its effect on the hospitality and meetings sectors, the outlook for the business travel industry and Marriott's green initiatives. He will take questions from the audience following his remarks.

An op-ed piece by Mr. Marriott published in today's The Washington Post, "Memo to Business: Let's Meet," discussed the recent public backlash against the business travel industry and the importance of legitimate meetings to drive revenue and keep people working.

"ACTE supports Mr. Marriott's nuanced comments that a healthy travel industry is a powerful stimulus to economic growth," Susan Gurley, ACTE Executive Director, said.

Last week, ACTE invited members of the U.S. Congress to attend the Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C., including a special session on strategic meetings management.

Continued Gurley, "Having members of Congress and their staff participate in an industry education event is to see firsthand the value of corporate travel industry education and meetings. By attending the ACTE conference, Congress can see that the majority of us in the business travel industry are not given to excess, but are committed to accountability, transparency and best practices."

Mr. Marriott will speak at the ACTE Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday, 5 April at 4:15 p.m. Mr. Marriot will also be the recipient of the association's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award at the conference. The award is given to those business travel industry executives who incorporate eco-sensitive business practices into their companies or organizations. It is admirable that Marriott International remains committed to its green initiatives despite the challenging global economic climate.