ProcureCon Travel 2026
June 1 - 2, 2026
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
DAY 1: Tuesday, May 14, Innovation in Corporate Travel
7:20 am - 8:20 am
Registration And Breakfast
8:20 am - 8:35 am
Welcome Remarks
Ryan Kulp -
Program Director,
WBR (ProcureCon)
8:35 am - 8:45 am
Chairperson Opening Remarks
Alon Zaibert -
Vice President, Sales,
Travel Leaders Corporate
8:45 am - 9:10 am
Keynote Case Study: IBMs Quest For Success; Innovations In Sourcing With Data
Szilard Simon -
Global Category Chair,
IBM
Out with the old, in with the innovation! Actionable data is redefining the industry across all categories. Szilard Simon will share how IBM is reshaping the way in which they’re looking to optimize the sourcing process using cognitive analytics. You’ll explore ways in which Szilard and his team are using data to reshape their approach to sourcing hotel, air & ground in this informative case study.
9:10 am - 9:50 am
Panel: Addressing Major Efficiency Gaps As Automation Increases; Avoid Falling Behind Your Competitors
Alon Zaibert -
Vice President, Sales,
Travel Leaders Corporate
Ann L. Dery -
Global Category Lead, Director, Travel & Meetings of Global Travel,
S&P Global
Malcolm Davis -
Sr. Manager, Indirect Procurement,
The Home Depot
Kim McGlinn -
Head of Global Strategic and Sourcing,
Workday
John Rizzo -
CEO and COO,
Deem
As you increase investment in artificial intelligence and machine learning, how can you be sure that greater automation will lead to more efficiency? If you still have doubts, make sure you voice them during this interactive discussion with a panel of experts.
•How is automation disrupting procurement roles today?
•Definition of A.I. and applying to travel (chat bots, data analysis, interpretation)
•5 major efficiency gains and losses as a result of newly automated processes
•How to adapt your existing procurement model to take full advantage of automation
•What will your travel procurement team look like in 5 years’ time?
9:50 am - 10:20 am
Presentation: Transforming Business Travel With Intelligent Analytics
Pradeep Nair -
Director Procurement Services,
NBA
Managing travel comes with many challenges and opportunities, one of which is how to best manage data to create a smart and efficient business travel program. With recent strides in data aggregation and consolidation, practitioners have had access to more usable data than ever. The key to unlocking its power is in a travel practitioner’s ability to interpret information, identify key trends and base decisions off traveler preferences and costs. Pradeep Nair from the NBA will discuss the transformation of business travel which has led to:
• Data driven changes to policy - Getting the buy in from employees
• Creating awareness and empowerment by providing the right tools
• Fact based changes to contracts – to avoid missed opportunities from spend
10:20 am - 11:00 am
Morning Mimosa Networking Break
Got a problem? You’ve come to the right place. During this break, attendees have the chance to connect with providers to learn the latest innovations to benefit your corporate travel program and travelers. Stop by supplier booths or network with your peers over a cup of coffee and tea. Enjoy!
11:00 am - 11:20 am
Presentation: Seamless Travel: The Quest To Create And Integrate Automation Into A Travel Program
Raquel Hefferan -
Director, Procurement Services and Strategic Travel,
KPMG
Travel managers and buyers are faced with more options than ever, including, but not limited to ways to improve the booking process, payments and rebooking. But with the overwhelming amount of choices to choose from, how can you seamlessly integrate them into your company’s way of booking travel and generate savings?
• RPA and machine learning
• Knowing the needs of you company
• Understanding the solutions
• Spending to save
11:20 am - 11:40 am
Fireside Chat: Transportation As - A - Service: The Future Of Business Travel
Jennifer King -
Associate VP of Account Management,
Lyft Business
Katie Loudon -
Americas Travel & Meetings Manager,
Major Automobile Manufacturer
From rideshare to bikes, scooters, and autonomous vehicles, an organization’s people have never had more options to get from Point A to Point B—whether their organization endorses particular transportation methods and vendors or not. These trends pose challenges and opportunities for procurement professionals. Join Jennifer King to learn how to get ahead of the transportation-as-a-service hockey stick before your peers and competitors. Jennifer will share real-world success stories and practical tips to:
•Reduce ground transportation costs by 30 to 50%
•Ensure your travel policies are followed
•Select a ground transportation partner and negotiate favorable deals
•Ensure your organization consistently receives quality service
11:40 am - 12:20 pm
Panel: The World Of Business Travel: Adapting In An Evolving Environment
Andrew W. Menkes -
Senior Vice President-Global Client Solutions,
BCD Travel
Jo Ellen Geurts -
Senior Manager, Global Travel & Supply Chain,
KLA-Tencor
Jeanine C. Davis -
Category Manager,
Raytheon Company
Christina Wrobel -
Vice President of Digital Strategy,
Carey International
Tomorrow belongs to those who prepared for today. Over the past few years, technology and social aspects of our everyday lives have redefined what we know as “travel”. The future is fast and effortless. From pre-trip to post, travel management companies shape the way in which your travelers go from A to B with a variety of new tools, technology and solutions. Despite doubt about whether their continued existence is even justified, TMCs are evolving and delivering opportunities and efficiencies in the following key areas:
•AI and automation in the booking process.
•Building new tools
•Data = Spend analysis
•Margin v Cost avoidance savings
•Mobility in travel booking
•Leveraging strong relationships to build a better TMC
12:20 pm - 12:40 pm
Presentation: The Age of Travel Data Enlightenment: Why Now is the Time to Re-Think Your Travel Spend Management
Michael Smith -
Chief Revenue Officer,
Yapta
Jeff Daily -
Director of Global Travel,
Sanmina
Advanced new technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence are beginning to have a dramatic impact on the travel industry, ushering in unprecedented insights, deeper understanding, and remarkable efficiencies. And for many companies, it has forever changed the way they manage their travel spend. Michael Smith, Chief Revenue Officer of Yapta, and Jeff Daily of Sanmina, will explore how advanced analytics are creating new advantages for corporate travel managers as they navigate supplier negotiations and streamline costs. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn new best practices for managing travel spend, and understand how data-driven travel programs have succeeded at reducing costs.
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm Lunch
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm EHI Private Lunch
1:40 pm - 2:40 pm
Roundtables: Insight Into The Latest Tech & Services In The Corporate Travel Market
Monyrith “Mony” King -
Director of Sales and Marketing,
Yotel
Joe Di Re -
Director of Sales,
ABODA by Reside
Sue Shouldis -
Director of Business Development,
Dinova
Gyasi Edwards -
Corporate Partnerships,
Booking.com
Colleen Black -
Business Development,
Tripkicks
Monique Mardinian -
CEO & Founder,
Zii Travel Technologies
Stephen Puente -
Global Sales and Account Manager, Corporations,
Amadeus
Steve Belkin -
Evil Genius,
www.BookYourAward.com
Negotiating a new contract? Looking for a better agreement with your solution provider? ProcureCon Travel has pulled together a comprehensive list of solution providers who will give you insight into the latest technology and programs available. This is your opportunity to network with industry peers that have similar challenges, interests and responsibilities.
Roundtable Topics:
1. Hotel Trends: What’s Happening Now & Next Year: Hosted by, Monyrith “Mony” King, Director of Sales and Marketing,Yotel
2. The Future of Corporate Housing – Why Only Offering Traditional Apartment Options Won’t Cut It
Anymore With Business Travelers: Hosted by, Joe Di Re, Director Of Sales, ABODA by RESIDE
3. Minding Millennials: Generational Differences and Changes in T&E, Recruitment and Dining: Hosted by, Sue Shouldis - Director of Business Development, Dinova
4. Advancements In Booking Platforms For Corporate Travel: Hosted by Gyasi Edwards - Corporate Partnerships, Booking.com
5. How Will The Top Trends In 2019 Impact Your Travel Program: Hosted by, Colleen Black – Business Development, Tripkicks
6. Changing Behavior In Travel And The Death Of Reporting : Hosted by, Monique Mardinian - CEO & Founder. Zii Travel
7. Demystifying NDC: Hosted by, Stephen Puente – Global Sales and Account Manager, Corporations, Amadeus
8. Beat the Airlines and Credit Card Companies at their Own Game: Earning Points and Redeeming Awards Strategies: Hosted by, Steve Belkin - the Evil Genius, www.BookYourAward.com
Track A: Back To Basics
2:40 pm - 3:30 pm Panel: Managing The Sellers Marketplace. Impact On Organizational Cost
Brian Beard - President & CEO, DVI, Inc. Robert Goodman - Executive Director Global Sourcing, Travel Category, Warner Media Kim McGlinn - Head of Global Strategic and Sourcing, WorkdayThe cost of travel is expected to rise… again… It’s more important than ever to know where to save in a rising market. In this workshop, we’ll discuss ways to find extra money to put back into your companies pockets.
•How to gain leverage when negotiating air/hotel/ground contracts
•Finding last minute deals with hotels/air
•Analyzing expense reports
Track B: Going From Good To Great
2:40 pm - 2:50 pm Chairperson Opening Remarks
Alon Zaibert - Vice President, Sales, Travel Leaders Corporate2:40 pm - 3:30 pm Panel: Going Global: Maximizing The Influence Of Your Global Supplier Network
Alon Zaibert - Vice President, Sales, Travel Leaders Corporate Marc Newman - Procurement & Business Services, Senior Manager, Novo Nordisk Inc. Alicia King - Global Category Manager, Commercial Air and Ground Transportation, ChevronConstructing and maintaining a truly global travel program isn’t always easy. This panel will provide strategies and insight in how to optimize your global travel supplier network
•Determining which aspects of your travel program can/should use global contacts and suppliers
•Aligning key stakeholders across regions
•Ensuring your offices have the resources to execute
•Standardization and best practices to analyze data
•What can your TMC do for you?
Track C: Meetings and Events
2:40 pm - 2:50 pm Chairperson Opening Remarks
Ann O'Brien - Senior Enterprise Account Manager, Cvent
2:40 pm - 3:30 pm Panel: What’s New? New Tools And Tactics To Generate Savings Meetings and Events
Ann O'Brien - Senior Enterprise Account Manager, Cvent Jennifer Kern - Procurement Category Manager, Travel and Meetings, BAE Systems Brenda Crocker-Pierce - Senior Manager, Operations, GE Jay Reilly - Vice President, Sales, GroupizeGetting better visibility into your meetings and events spend can better help you track costs to generate savings. Sourcing the right tools to help you do so, can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to the implementation fees. During this panel, we’ll bring sourcing to the front of the stage and examine:
•Tools for sourcing events.
•Approach to adoption
•Reading reports and the dashboards used to view data of transient and group spend
•Avoiding reactionary procurement
•Maximize resources and time.
•Quantify ROI
•Knowing where you can negotiate
3:30 pm - 4:10 pm
Coffee & Conversation Networking Break In The Solutions Zone
4:10 pm - 4:50 pm Case Study Interactive: Mastering The Art Of Negotiating In A Limited-Leverage Environment
When your travel spend isn’t as high as your big-company peers it can be extremely difficult to get attention from and negotiate the best price with suppliers. This case study will explore how one company negotiated fair and balanced evaluations and contracts, along with best practices in negotiations today. Afterward, you’ll be encouraged to conceptualize your own revamped negotiation strategy.
•Determine the right balance of relationship and power - how many suppliers do you really need to retain buying power? And how low can you go without handing it all over?
•Explore best practices for getting through to suppliers
•Determine the outcome you need, and where you’ll be willing to compromise before negotiation begins
•Balancing supplier market pricing power
4:50 pm - 5:10 pm Presentation: A Look Into Schedule Planning - How Your Data Plays A Key Role In Airline Decisions
Brian Znotins - Vice-President, Network Planning and Alliances, WestJetRequested to sign a Data Release Agreement (DRA) time after time. What is the big deal about my data anyway and why does every airline need to have it? Take a closer look into how your data is used for more than just airline contracts. Brian Znotins will walk us through how his team uses data every day to adjust network schedules and even choose new destinations.
5:10 pm - 5:50 pm Panel: Is It R.I.P. For The RFP? Exploring Modern Methods And Alternatives
Kevin Betts - Strategic Sourcing Director, The E. W. Scripps Company Nancy Murray - Vice President of Sourcing, Procurement & Travel Operations, Endeavor Jessica Banish - Senior Commodity Manager, Travel, Fleet and Living, GE Dana Davies - Supplier Governance Relationship Manager, The Standard InsuranceRFPs are a standard reality of sourcing - or are they? Where we have choice in the market, an RFP can provide vital intelligence on available options while creating a competitive tension among suppliers to claim the best offer - but too often the typical RFP ends up being too general, resulting in a "check the box" approach from vendors interested in winning the business. Companies often tend to cast a wide net so as not to miss out on an opportunity, but in the end, you're left with canned responses and the natural conclusion is just to select lowest price tag, not necessarily the best value. So can you still have real success with the traditional RFP, or are there alternative methods that will get even better results? Explore both sides in this in-depth panel.
4:10 pm - 4:50 pm Case Study Interactive: Making The Case For A Consultant
Could you? Should you? Can you? Every travel program is shaped differently. Some travel procurement professionals wear more hats than others and have more tools and resources. When does it make sense to bring in a consultant to help you out? This case study will illustrate how and when the decision was made to bring in a consultant, the ways in which the data was interpreted and how Cognizant saved.
4:50 pm - 5:10 pm Presentation: The Formula For Changing Travel Behavior
Ryan Plemmons - Head of Transient Sales, IHGOne of the most underestimated threats to your travel program’s success is the inability to control traveler behavior. Join Ryan to learn how IHG is helping customers overcome location, loyalty and legacy preference. During our time together, we will review the application of the formula by a Fortune 50 customer who has changed traveler behavior, eliminated inefficiencies and realized their cost savings objectives.
5:10 pm - 5:50 pm Workshop: Travel Policy Leakage And Patching The Holes
Your stakeholders and travelers understand the policy you have in place. They know the rules and regulations you set… BUT you still have those employees who still don’t follow. How do you reduce the number of employees who take this course of action? It’s time to investigate challenges presented to your travel managers and the tricks you can use to curb rogue travelers.
• Risks of booking away from TMC
• Supplier solutions and technology
• Ways to get travelers to comply
• Exceptions to the rule
• Using data to your advantage
• Can gamification help?
4:10 pm - 4:50 pm Workshop: Squeezing the Dime! Finding New Ways to Manage Spend & Generate Savings
Judy Payne - Director, Meetings and Travel, GameStopMy executives expect more meeting … for less money. Sound familiar? Today’s standard is more excitement, more attendees but no more money. It’s time to think outside-the-box when it comes to your program. In this session, you’ll take-away real examples of event cost reduction and create ways to add sponsorship opportunities that you can apply to your next event.
• Data review to help create cost-saving solutions to your existing program
• Knowing where hotels & meeting venue are willing to negotiate
• Contracting elements that increase engagement but lower budget
• Partner sponsorships that will shift the spend
4:50 pm - 5:10 pm Presentation: Making Virtual Travel A Reality: What’s Happening In The Marketplace Today
Ryan Grabau - Sr. Director, Visa Business SolutionsJoin Ryan for a discussion that will focus on virtual travel use across key T&E categories (hotel /airline) and its expansion into the mobile space. You’ll learn how it can benefit organizations and their business travelers.
5:10 pm - 5:50 pm Case Study Interactive: Working around the most expensive cities, or finding ways to make it work.
High Demand cities in the US make for the most challenging places to secure events for M&E. Corporate travel and meeting costs continue to rise in high demand areas What’s the best tactic for procurement?
• Control what you can and ditch what you can’t
• Identify alternatives solutions
• Ideas to help save.
5:50 pm - 6:50 pm
Carnival Cocktail Hour! - Hosted by BLS Limo
Games, entertainment and drinks!
Sponsored by: BLS Limo
