Who you’ll meet at #GBTA2023: Billy McDonough, President, FCM Americas
GBTA Convention…three days of fast-paced corporate travel knowledge sharing, sales pitches, and some well-deserved downtime. For corporate travel professionals, it’s a yearly calendar staple. And everyone has their own reasons for attending.
But in our opinion, one of the best reasons to attend is because of the opportunity to get facetime with senior and C-Suite leadership that are often just names and LinkedIn profiles to most people. This couldn’t be truer for FCM, who will be bringing over a dozen leaders from this category from across FCM and our parent company, Flight Centre Travel Group.
One of these leaders is very important to our operations here in the USA, and that’s Billy McDonough, President of FCM Americas; He is responsible for overseeing all the FCM businesses across the Americas. He’ll be one of the many faces you’ll see at booth #2538. Before the event kicks off, we sat down with him to ask a few questions about why he loves GBTA, what he enjoys most about FCM attending, and what he's most excited for us to showcase at 2023’s expo.
Billy’s take on #GBTA2023
Billy’s number one reason for attending GBTA convention every year? “It’s just a great opportunity to get a pulse check on what’s going on in the overall industry, all in one place,” he said. “You get to see firsthand what advances are being made across suppliers, whether they be TMCs, airlines, hotels, tech providers, and more.”
But Billy made a point to highlight the importance of learning about what’s coming up. “It’s also about what’s new and what’s next,” he said. “GBTA does a great job about making space for education and not just regurgitating the same talking points. It’s not just ‘let’s talk about NDC’ it’s ‘let’s discuss the nuances of NDC in 2023 and what can you do about it.’”
But obviously, while Billy enjoys the overall event, his favorite part? “Whatever booth FCM is at…which this year is #2538.” All jokes aside, he understands and appreciates the important opportunity for FCM. “I like that we get to showcase, person-to-person, face-to-face, story-to-story, what we are all about,” Billy said. “FCM tells a big story, that we are the alternative to status quo travel management. And when buyers get to meet our people, that’s where that story becomes reality. We really do challenge what’s out there, and it shines at events like this.”
Billy noted that buyers can already get a clear picture of who FCM is from existing to-market messaging, but that in-person context is the secret sauce. “There’s just something about people getting to see our tech in action, to hear from our team about our success stories that make us proud, that prove we can provide measurable and actionable results for our clients,” he said. “Simply put, our presence at GBTA is a ‘live demo’ of our alternative energy.”
Another reason why Billy enjoys FCM at GBTA? “Getting to connect with our current clients and partners, and hopefully meeting new ones!”
What he's most excited about this year
We can’t wait to show buyers what we’ve had cooking since our last appearance at GBTA in 2022, but what is Billy specifically excited for attendees to experience at FCM’s booth? “The FCM Extension,” he said. “It may sound overly simple, but it’s honestly just such a cool tool. The advancements we’ve made, including the real-time notifications and AI support, are just amazing. I know buyers will be blown away by it when they see it in action at the Tech Bar.”
While tech is cool and shiny, Billy knows service and specialized offerings are just as important. “I’m really excited that FCM Meetings & Events is getting its own spotlight this year at the booth. Our M&E offering is the perfect complement to the fantastic service that our transient teams already offer, and I’d love for buyers to stop by and see how we can consolidate both for you.”
Not to be left out, FCM Consulting also made an appearance in Billy’s answer. “FCM Consulting is also center stage this year, especially with the education session where we’ll showcase our successful NDC case study,” he said. “FCM Consulting truly highlights our expertise in the industry. We’ve been around for 40 years…we know what we’re talking about.”
On to the event!
If you’d like to say hi to Billy, ask a few questions about operations in FCM Americas, and experience the FCM hospitality that makes us who we are, ensure you stop by booth #2538 during GBTA 2023. We’ll be having a kickoff happy hour on night one of the convention! And remember, if you’re looking for a more personalized demo experience, book an appointment with one of our Business Development Managers and Solutions Engineers!