NBTA Committee Assists Hotel and Government Per Diem Advisory Board

Alexandria, VA - The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today recognized the members of its Hotel and Government Contractor Committees for their work assisting the U.S. Government in developing accurate per diem standards.

The Government-wide Per Diem Advisory Board was created last year to review the current process and methodology used to establish the Federal per diem rates within the United States. NBTA's committees were asked to recommend a course of action to update the federal lodging program.

This joint effort of the NBTA Hotel and Government Contractor Committees proved fruitful in assisting the government in creating a more cohesive federal lodging program. "We offered our analysis of current government processes and made recommendations according to best practices developed by NBTA members," said Hotel Committee Chairperson, Beth Caligiuri.

In October 2002, NBTA's recommendations were delivered at a Public Meeting of the Advisory Board. Feedback on the presentation and its contents was very positive. After reviewing the recommendations, the Advisory Board recognized the exemplary efforts of NBTA's committees in assisting with their work.

"The Hotel and Government Contractors Committees should be commended for their efforts for the greater good of the industry," said NBTA President Kevin Iwamoto. "This achievement is just one more example of NBTA's continued efforts to successfully represent the business travel industry with policymakers."

"The members of these committees put in a tremendous amount of time and effort and the Government seems to be extremely grateful," added NBTA Executive Director Bill Connors. "I would like to recognize the time and commitment they contributed."

The final report from the Government Advisory Board will be published in March 2003.

The National Business Travel Association, established in 1968, represents over 2,400 corporate travel managers and travel service providers. NBTA members manage and direct more than 70% of expenditures within the business travel industry. NBTA is committed to the professional development of its members and offers educational and training opportunities. It is the source for critical information on the business travel industry.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals...