The Association of Corporate Travel Executives’ president Chris Crowley is among the speakers at the Guild of Travel Management Companies’ conference in Abu Dhabi in May.

With “Future Insights” as its theme, the conference diary will also feature Yves Galimidi, global travel purchaser for Ikea, and David Trunkfield, the senior travel sector analyst at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ CEO and Bryan Conway, Travelport’s global head of operations and supplier relations will present the keynote addresses.

Topics up for debate include the future role and business models of travel management companies (TMCs), as well as the impact of technology on the world of corporate travel.

The GTMC’s role as a lobbyist will also be discussed, in light of the new political landscape, future regulatory and taxation trends.

Anne Godfrey, GTMC’s CEO, said this year’s line-up has been created to reflect the new direction that the organisation is taking.

“The diverse line-up indicates how far along its journey the GTMC has come, with representation from buyers, TMCs and suppliers,” she said.

“This year’s GTMC Overseas conference promises to be one of the most interesting and insightful conferences for many years.”

The GTMC has worked over the past two years to become a more inclusive organisation, with a more transparent membership model, and to become a key voice for business travel at government level.