As I reflect back on GBTA, 2022 in San Diego, I am reminded of how big the corporate travel industry actually is, but how small it can sometimes seem. As the new kids on the block with GetThere back in 1996 at NBTA, we were a bit intimidated. Every booth and display overwhelmed ours and of course there were thousands of travel executives roaming the floor, none of whom we knew. But it was exciting. It was a great atmosphere and an amazing opportunity to connect, and ultimately, it was one of those defining moments where we realized we had something very special.

Fast forward twenty-five or so years, and we are once again the new kids on the block with BTP Automation. There were huge, glorious booths, (not ours!) thousands of travel execs roaming the floor and fantastic education sessions. Coming out of Covid, it was great to see so many people smiling and greeting friends and colleagues they hadn’t seen literally in years. This time around, we were right in there with those happy, handshaking and hugging corporate travel folks. We saw so many familiar faces and reconnected with acquaintances; colleagues, customers and competitors alike. I mean, it was FUN. For a young company, it was a great event for us. We had a lot of visibility, solidified some great partnerships, generated a ton of leads. And at the end of it all, just like twenty-five years ago, we came away with the realization that, once again, we have something very special.