Business Travel’s Future Takes Center Stage at GBTA Convention 2025 With Powerful Insights, Strategic Learnings and Meaningful Connections

Denver, CO ─ Against the backdrop of an evolving global landscape and economy, the Global Business Travel Association's 2025 Convention convened 5,375 business travel professionals from 52 countries in Denver for three transformative days of innovation, insight, and industry-defining dialogue. As the world’s largest gathering of the global business travel community, the event showcased the sector’s strategic importance and a collective vision for managing growth, navigating uncertainty, and optimizing technologies.

Held July 21–23 at the Colorado Convention Center, attendees included 1,141 travel buyers representing 680 buyer companies as well as 372 travel industry exhibitors. The GBTA Convention focused on the industry’s unique position in the worldwide marketplace as emerging technology, geopolitical issues and shifting international supply chains have all converged to highlight the impact the business travel industry has on the global economy.

The Convention reinforced a unified vision for the future of business travel: collaborative, innovative, with purpose-driven growth. It’s clear that business travel is here to stay ─ the travel purchasing power of companies at Convention represented annual business travel spending of at least $77.8 billion. As we navigate through times of uncertainty and change, GBTA’s mission in business travel’s continued success is make sure we move forward with purpose, driven by collaboration, strategy and insights. Suzanne Neufang, CEO GBTA

Key Announcements and New GBTA Research

GBTA released its 2025 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook – Annual Global Report and Forecast (GBTA BTI™) made possible by Visa. Now in its 17th year, the GBTA BTI™ report is a comprehensive five-year forecast on business travel spending covering 72 countries and 44 industries and includes insights from 7,300+ global business travelers. Highlights from the report include:

• Global business travel spending is expected to reach USD $1.57 trillion in 2025, marking moderate growth amid ongoing trade policy uncertainty and economic risks. Despite slower growth this year than in 2024, spending is projected to rebound and surpass $2 trillion by 2029, influenced by shifts in trade, investment and corporate travel behaviors. (Read the 2025 GBTA BTI launch announcement here).
• Business travel spending is projected to grow globally by 6.6% in 2025, slowing from previous double-digit gains, with a rebound to 8.1% growth expected in 2026. Long-term forecasts remain uncertain due to geopolitical and economic volatility.
• The U.S. is expected to lead business travel spending in 2025, followed by China, Germany, Japan, and the UK. Sectors like Manufacturing face risks from trade tensions, whereas Arts & Entertainment and Professional Services exceed pre-pandemic levels.
• Traveler sentiment and behavior towards business travel remains positive with 86% of respondents rating trips as worthwhile and increased average trip spending. Adoption of corporate expense systems, AI booking tools, corporate cards, and mobile wallets is rising globally.

Download the GBTA 2025 BTI Executive Summary and watch the launch video here.

GBTA Hosts First-Ever VentureConnect Event

During Convention, GBTA hosted its inaugural VentureConnect, a showcase that brought together 14 travel tech startups (who we also featured at the AI & Innovation Pavilion), 13 travel buyers and six global investors for “Shark Tank”-style pitch sessions.

The event culminated in the VentureConnect Buyers Choice Award, presented to emPath Travel & Expense, a single platform to manage all travel & expenses for non-profiled travelers. The award includes a $50,000 funding opportunity and advancement to the due diligence stage with Techne Infinity Venture’s Scaler Program and positioning for potential further investment or partnership.

Education and Speaker Excellence

The Convention education program expanded its offerings with 16 educational tracks, including the debut of “Artificial Intelligence” and “Future of Workforce” tracks for a total of 95 education sessions on topics ranging from data-driven decision-making to organizational resilience.

Highlights from the three Main Stage Sessions included deep dives into sustainability, traveler experience, and risk management. Keynote speakers and their topics corresponded with each day’s theme of Insight & Inspiration, Business Transformation, and Innovation:

• John Amaechi, Founder and Leadership Transformation Expert at APS Intelligence: The Promises of Giants – Leadership at its Finest
• Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor at The Times of London: The Global Economy – Insights, Trends & Impacts
• Jeremy Gutsche, Chief Executive Officer at Trend Hunter: Create the Future - How to Innovate in Times of Chaos, AI & Change
• Nicholas Fernholm, AI Founder at Föreläsare & Författare: Lessons Learned from Missed Opportunities in AI – and How you Can Stay Ahead
• Heather E. McGowan, Future of Work Strategist: Learning – The Real Future of Work

Celebrating GBTA’s Global Volunteer Network

GBTA also recognized a group of exceptional volunteers whose leadership and dedication are helping to advance the mission of the association and drive progress across the business travel industry. They are:

• GBTA Direct Member of the Year Award: Sue Spear, Manager, Corporate Travel & Fleet for Cengage and former Chair, GBTA Canadian Advisory Board
• GBTA Allied Member of the Year Award: Kelly Ferrigno, National Account Manager for United Airlines and President, GBTA New York City
• 2025 GBTA President’s Award: Peter Koh, Chair GBTA APAC Advisory Board

In addition, GBTA leadership and regional directors, along with association volunteers and GBTA Global Leadership Professional (GLP) program recipients around the globe were celebrated at the Global Leaders Reception on July 20 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Morgan Lautrédoux, Corporate Travel Contract Performance Manager EMEA​, Shell International, received the GBTA Committee Member of the Year Award, and 22 other members from across North America, LATAM, EMEA and APAC received Business Travel Service Awards.

Breaking News and Making News at Convention

During GBTA Media Day on July 24, 14 industry companies announced their breaking news and industry firsts. A full replay of Media Day is available here.

Throughout Convention, the GBTA Broadcast Studio also hosted nearly 60 executive interviews with some of the leading and most innovative companies in the business travel industry. Studio interviews will be posted on GBTA’s YouTube channel in the coming days.

Community, Well‑being & Special Events

• Welcome Reception & Networking. Convention 2025 kicked off with “Art at Altitude,” Monday’s welcome reception reflected Denver’s creative ethos and set the tone for a high-energy event.
• Wellness Lounge & 5K Run/Walk.
  Wellness programming—such as the expo floor lounge and the Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk—underscored GBTA’s commitment to attendee well-being and self-care.
• New Peer-Driven Networking. Braindate consisted of buyer-only sessions that convened small groups around chosen topics, fostering meaningful collaboration and resulting in 226 hours of learning and 1,221 onsite connections made. The launch of Buyer Buzz offered buyer-only pulse-check sessions that sparked candid conversations on industry priorities.
• Sustainability in Practice. GBTA advanced its environmental commitment with the debut of an aviation supplier scorecard tool and ongoing eco-friendly event efforts. Highlights included sustainable sourcing, and reduced single-use plastics, reflecting industry calls for greener travel.
• Paying it Forward. Attendees also had a chance to help the community by stopping by the GBTA Zone in the Expo Hall to assemble activity kits for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver, which provides a comfortable, cost-free "home away from home" for families with children receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals. Local GBTA volunteers delivered 300 activity kits, which included coloring books, puzzles and other pastimes to entertain residents.

Looking Ahead to Upcoming GBTA Events

GBTA will sustain the momentum at Convention throughout 2025 by hosting regional events around the world including the GBTA LATAM Conference in Mexico City September 24-25, and the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference in Hamburg November 10-12. Conferences in 2026 include the GBTA Canada Conference in Toronto April 27-29, and the GBTA APAC Conference May 12-13 in Singapore.

GBTA Convention 2026, as previously announced, will take place August 3-5 in Chicago.