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Business Travel, Meetings, and Spend Management

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leading B2B travel platform, providing software and services to manage travel, expenses, and meetings & events for companies of all sizes.

Business and Corporate Travel

The right solution is as distinct as your business. Explore Amex GBT's suite of solutions to see which can best help cover your needs. From simple to tailored to high-touch care - whichever way you go, they'll be behind you, helping to make every trip count.

Meetings & Events  

Amex GBT Meetings & Events provides unforgettable experiences created with our comprehensive management and suite of services for a single event or your entire meetings portfolio.

Amex GBT Neo1 (Neo1 TM )  

Neo1 is a single spend management platform enabling you to issue American Express virtual Cards to employees using your American Express ® Business or Corporate Card to help your business purchase, expense, and report on employee spending. 1 Enrollment required. Fees may apply.

1 Card enrollment required for eligible American Express Business and Corporate Cards. Separate enrollment with each of Neo1 and American Express is required to utilize combined product offering. There is no fee to generate American Express virtual Cards. Other fees on the Neo1 platform may apply. For you to make a Card payment through the service, the supplier must be an American Express accepting merchant. Please contact your Neo1 representative or email  [email protected]  to learn more.

GBT Travel Services UK Limited (GBT UK) and its authorized sublicensees (including Ovation Travel Group and Egencia) use certain trademarks and service marks of American Express Company or its subsidiaries (American Express) in the “American Express Global Business Travel” and “American Express GBT Meetings & Events” brands and in connection with its business for permitted uses only under a limited license from American Express (Licensed Marks). The Licensed Marks are trademarks or service marks of, and the property of, American Express. GBT UK is a subsidiary of Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE: GBTG). American Express holds a minority interest in GBTG, which operates as a separate company from American Express.

About American Express Global Business Travel 

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leading software and services company for travel, expense, and meetings & events. We have built the most valuable marketplace in travel with the most comprehensive and competitive content. A choice of solutions brought to you through a strong combination of technology and people, delivering the best experiences, proven at scale. 

With travel professionals and business partners in more than 140 countries, our solutions deliver savings, flexibility, and service from a brand you can trust – Amex GBT.   

Visit amexglobalbusinesstravel.com for more information about Amex GBT, and follow @amexgbt on Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram

American Express Global Business Travel

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT, legally, Global Business Travel Group, Inc. ) is a multinational travel management company headquartered in New York City. Amex GBT has 18,000 employees in more than 140 countries. [1] [2] American Express holds a minority interest in Amex GBT, but the travel company operates as a separate entity from the financial services group.

Acquisitions

In 2003, Amex GBT acquired Rosenbluth International from Hal Rosenbluth in a "mega deal" that combined two of the top global travel agencies at the time. [3]

In 2014 American Express divested their Global Business Travel division for an investment of $900 million to an investor group creating American Express Global Business Travel. The investment group was led by Certares LP and included Qatar Holdings , Macquarie Capital and funds managed by BlackRock and Teacher Retirement System of Texas . [4] American Express maintained 50-percent ownership of the newly created American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). [5]

In December 2021, American Express GBT announced plans to become a publicly traded company through a business combination with Apollo Strategic Growth Capital, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by Apollo Global Management . [6]

Following the completion of the business combination with Apollo Strategic Growth Capital on May 27, 2022, the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on May 31, 2022, with the symbol GBTG. [7] [8]

• October 2003: Rosenbluth International [3]
• August 2016: KDS [9] [i]
• May 2016: SMT Travel Agency [10]
• June 2017: Banks Sadler [11]
• February 2018: Hogg Robinson Group [12]
• August 2019: Kanoo Travel [13]
• June 2019: DER Business Travel [14]
• October 2020: 30SecondstoFly [15]
• January 2021: Ovation [16]
• May 2021: Egencia [17]
• March 2024: CWT [18]

Related Research Articles

American Express Company ( Amex ) is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation that specializes in payment cards. It is headquartered at 200 Vesey Street, also known as American Express Tower, in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. Amex is the fourth-largest card network globally based on purchase volume, behind China UnionPay, Visa, and Mastercard. 141.2 million Amex cards were in force worldwide as of December 31, 2023, with an average annual spend per card member of US$24,059. That year, Amex handled over $1.7 trillion in purchase volume on its network. Amex is one of the largest US banks, and is ranked 77th on the Fortune 500 and 28th on the list of the most valuable brands by Forbes . In 2023, it was ranked 63rd in the Forbes Global 2000. Amex also owns a direct bank.

Carlson is an American privately held company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States. Its primary subsidiaries is Carlson Private Capital Partners, a family office that manages the owners' wealth. It previously held interests in hotels, including Radisson Hotels, and restaurants, including TGI Fridays. The company is owned by Barbara Carlson Gage and Marilyn Carlson Nelson, daughters of the founder, Curt Carlson.

Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide.

A reverse takeover ( RTO ), reverse merger , or reverse IPO is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. Sometimes, conversely, the public company is bought by the private company through an asset swap and share issue. The transaction typically requires reorganization of capitalization of the acquiring company.

Expedia Group, Inc. is an American travel technology company that owns and operates travel fare aggregators and travel metasearch engines, including Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Ebookers, CheapTickets, CarRentals.com, Expedia Cruises, Wotif, and Trivago. Over 3 million lodging facilities and flights on over 500 airlines are bookable on the company's websites. It has 16,500 employees, and its headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington.

ITA Software is a travel industry software division of Google, formerly an independent company, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company was founded by Jeremy Wertheimer, a computer scientist from the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Cooper Union, with his partner Richard Aiken in 1996. On July 1, 2010, ITA agreed to be acquired by Google. On April 8, 2011, the US Department of Justice approved the buyout. As part of the agreement, Google was required to license ITA software to other websites for five years.

CWT is a travel management company that manages business travel, meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions, and handles event management.

Hogg Robinson Group was a business active in the insurance and latterly the corporate travel management sectors. It was acquired by American Express Global Business Travel in July 2018.

Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American asset management firm that primarily invests in alternative assets. As of 2022, the company had $548 billion of assets under management, including $392 billion invested in credit, including mezzanine capital, hedge funds, non-performing loans, and collateralized loan obligations, $99 billion invested in private equity, and $46.2 billion invested in real assets, which includes real estate and infrastructure. The company invests money on behalf of pension funds, financial endowments, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as other institutional and individual investors.

Corporate travel management is the function of managing a company’s strategic approach to travel, the negotiations with all vendors, day-to-day operation of the corporate travel program, traveler safety and security, credit-card management and travel and expenses ('T&E') data management.

The Gores Group, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in acquiring and partnering with mature and growing businesses. The company was founded in 1987 by its CEO and chairman, Alec E. Gores.

Cvent Holding Corp. is a Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company that provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for meetings, events, and hospitality management. Their web-based platform caters to in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, offering functionalities like online registration, venue selection, event management tools, and attendee engagement features. Cvent also provides software for hotels and venues to manage group bookings, including corporate travel, and source new group business. Previously a public company, Cvent was acquired by investment firm Blackstone Inc. for $4.6 billion in June 2023.

Philip C. Wolf was an American entrepreneur and executive known for his work in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The founder and former CEO of travel industry research firm PhoCusWright, Wolf served as board director and advisor to multiple travel and technology companies.

KDS is a SaaS technology provider for online business travel booking and expense management. It is also known as the Neo Technology Group (NTG) since its acquisition by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). Yves Weisselberger founded the company in 1994 and served as its CEO until 2011. Dean Forbes took the position of CEO after Weisselberger. The company is based in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France with additional locations in Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Trip.com is a multinational travel service conglomerate with 45,000 employees. It is one of the world's largest online travel agencies with over 400 million users worldwide, and also the parent of Skyscanner. It is headquartered in Singapore.

Booking Holdings Inc. is an American travel technology company incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and based in Norwalk, Connecticut, that owns and operates several travel fare aggregators and travel fare metasearch engines including namesake and flagship Booking.com, Priceline.com, Agoda, Kayak, Cheapflights, Rentalcars.com, Momondo, and OpenTable. It operates websites in about 40 languages and 200 countries.

Serko Limited , known as Serko , is a travel management and expense technology company headquartered in New Zealand.

Vista Global Holding Limited is a private aviation group based in Dubai. It was founded in 2018 by Thomas Flohr.

System1 is an American Internet advertising company. Formerly known as OpenMail, it was founded in 2013. It describes itself as operating a "Responsive Acquisition Marketing Platform", and cites privacy as one of its principal foci, although it has been criticized for its influence on privacy-focussed properties, including search engine Startpage.com. It is headquartered in Marina del Rey, California.

Dean Forbes is a British business executive. Since February 2021, he serves as chief executive officer at Forterro, a software solution company which focuses on providing ERP software across Europe, based in London, England. Prior to his appointment, he was president at The Access Group responsible for people division, since May 2020. Between 2011 and 2016, Forbes was the CEO at the KDS. Forbes served at Primavera Systems as vice president for 9 years, from April 2000 until January 2009.

• ↑ "About Us" . Amex GBT – United States . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• 1 2 "AmEx to acquire rival Rosenbluth" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2024-03-07 .
• ↑ Sharf, Samantha. "American Express To Spin Off Business Travel Division Into Joint Venture" . Forbes . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ Ramkumar, Amrith (2021-12-03). "WSJ News Exclusive | AmEx Global Business Travel Going Public Through $5.3 Billion Merger With Apollo SPAC" . Wall Street Journal . ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ "AmEx Global Business Travel to go public via $5.3 bln Apollo SPAC deal" . Reuters . 2021-12-03 . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ "American Express Global Business Travel Becomes Publicly Traded Company" . investors.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com . Retrieved 2022-06-22 .
• ↑ "Amex GBT Acquires KDS" . www.businesstravelnews.com . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ "Amex GBT buys Finnish firm SMT: Travel Weekly" . www.travelweekly.com . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ Ltd, Jacobs Media Group. "American Express Global Business Travel acquires Banks Sadler" . Travel Weekly . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ Whyte, Patrick; February 9th, Skift; EST, 2018 at 5:38 AM (2018-02-09). "American Express Global Business Travel Agrees to Buy Hogg Robinson Group" . Skift . Retrieved 2022-03-23 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link )
• ↑ Sheivachman, rew; August 13th, Skift; EDT, 2019 at 12:00 PM (2019-08-13). "Amex GBT Signs Deal With Kanoo Travel in Middle East Push" . Skift . Retrieved 2022-03-23 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link )
• ↑ "Amex GBT Acquires German Small & Midsize Enterprise Travel Agency" . www.businesstravelnews.com . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ Parsons, Matthew; October 12th, Skift; EDT, 2020 at 8:00 AM (2020-10-12). "Amex GBT Pushes Ahead Into Automated Bookings With a Chatbot Acquisition" . Skift . Retrieved 2022-03-23 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link )
• ↑ "Amex GBT Acquires Ovation Travel Group" . TravelPulse . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ "Amex GBT Completes Egencia Acquisition" . www.businesstravelnews.com . Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
• ↑ "Amex GBT Buys Rival CWT in $570 million deal" . www.businesstravelnews.com . Retrieved 2024-03-25 .

American Express Global Business Travel

Media: Martin Ferguson Vice President Global Communications and Public Affairs [email protected]

Investors: Barry Sievert Vice President Investor Relations, American Express Global Business Travel [email protected]

Apollo Strategic Growth Capital

Media: [email protected]

Investors: [email protected]

Business Travel Made Simple

Experience moments that matter, with american express global business travel, at gbta 2019.

• August 5-7, 2019
• Chicago, Illinois
• McCormick Place Convention Center

With Business Travel Made Simple, we make business travel easy. For you and for your travellers.

We listened carefully to what is needed for a successful business travel programme and created Business Travel Made Simple. Quite simply, it’s business travel in a box. An end-to-end solution that brings together the best in travel technology and services and is packed full of products that give you exactly what you need to take the hassle out of your business travel programme. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Business Travel Made Simple will have your travellers booking travel and saving you money in no time at all. PRICING Want to push your online adoption? Prefer to pick up the phone? We provide simple and straightforward pricing based on how you and your travellers like to book. IMPLEMENTATION From start to finish, we will provide you with a dedicated team as well as a complete suite of tools to make sure you are up and running quickly and efficiently. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Easy-to-tailor employee communication tools will help you educate your travellers about your new business travel programme. KNOW-ME TECHNOLOGY A personal, seamless experience for every traveller, whether booking online or speaking to one of our consultants, 24/7/365. SAVINGS AND COMPLIANCE Encourage your travellers to only book within your business travel policy, maximising your savings and making sure you know where your travellers are, giving you peace of mind. REPORTING A clear and comprehensive dashboard gives you access and reports when you need them so you’ll know how to optimise your business travel policy. ON THE ROAD When your travellers face delays, we contact them and provide the right support to get them moving again as quickly and as safely as possible.

Get In Touch * Denotes required field.

The power behind the trip..

Our innovative suite of booking solutions gives travelers and travel managers the ability to seamlessly book business travel.

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CONTACT SALES To find out how we can help you optimise your business travel programme, gain visibility into travel spend, improve your traveller experience and more, complete the form on the right and we’ll be in touch.

At American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), we believe in the strength of meaningful connections because when people are in front of people, anything can happen. We’re capturing these moments that matter at GBTA. Come join us and see how we’re propelling businesses forward with breakthrough technology, proven savings methods, best-in-class traveler care, and global consistency and security.

Don’t miss the opportunity to snap and share a selfie on your public Twitter or Instagram using #momentsthatmatter, for the chance to be part of our mosaic – a one-of-a-kind work of art. While you’re at the event, you’ll find out how the travel landscape is evolving, network with travel professionals, see live demos, and enjoy refreshments.

WE’RE AT BOOTH #2021

Monday, august 5, 2:30pm to 6:00pm, tuesday, august 6, wednesday, august 7, 9:00am to 11:30am, click here to access the full convention schedule.

Let’s meet one-on-one

Arrange a meeting with one of our consultants and enjoy a surprise gift.

JOIN US FOR THE AFTER-PARTY!

YOUR MOMENT

August 5, 2019, field museum, enjoy an unforgettable evening with dancing, open bar, and live performances., better than ezra, and featuring dj madrid.

Arrive early! We expect a packed party.

GBTA badge required for admission

We make business travel easy

• for you and for travellers.

See how easy business travel can be:

We understand that business travel isn’t always easy. After speaking to businesses like yours, we created a unified end-to-end travel and expense solution, designed on a single platform to minimise your costs and help you manage of your business travel programme.

MAXIMISE YOUR SAVINGS

Spot cost saving opportunities quickly. Our unified platform offers accurate forecasting and visibility of spend BEFORE and AFTER travel. It helps you see what your travellers are spending, meaning you can make informed decisions to set spending limits and optimise your business travel policy.

MAKING COMPLIANCE EASY

Eliminate travel and expense separation. We provide one place where all business travel and related expenses can be easily managed. Door-to-door booking via our online booking tool means you have sight of total trip activity and a smart graphical timeline to help you keep track of compliance and spending.

EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Put your travellers at the heart of the business travel experience with intelligent caller ID and designated support at their fingertips or just a phone call away 24/7. Proactive disruption management also anticipates your travellers’ needs and gets them where they need to be with minimal fuss.

DUTY OF CARE

Tools configured to your policy help locate your travellers, to identify where they are in case of disruption in their journey. Plus, we offer support with destination-specific advice, especially in emerging regions where your travellers may need extra guidance.

INSIGHTS AND REPORTING

See a clearer picture. And act decisively.

Knowledge is power. And our analytics and reporting products deliver through robust data, insights, and benchmarking so you can clearly understand your entire travel program— including your carbon footprint.

A tool built for you and your team:

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Authorise spend requests with pre-and post-approval.

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HOTEL MONITOR

Did you know Europe is experiencing a hotel development boom?

Our latest Hotel Monitor report examines how the region is responding to traveller demands despite an uncertain global economic outlook.

ACTE WHITEPAPER

Do your travellers demand a consumer experience when using your OBT?

They aren’t alone. In this whitepaper we’ve partnered with ACTE to explore the issues, concerns, and objectives around online booking.

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TERMS OF SERVICE | PRIVACY STATEMENT

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American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leading software and services company for travel, expense, and meetings & events. We built the most valuable marketplace in travel with the most comprehensive and competitive content. A choice of solutions brought to you through a powerful combination of technology and people, delivering the best experiences, proven at scale.

With initiatives like GHP, and a corporate client base of 19,000 across 140 countries, we make it easier for suppliers like you to connect with valuable customers.

All users of our online services are subject to our Privacy Statement and agree to be bound by our Terms of Service .

GBT Travel Services UK Limited (GBT UK) and its authorized sublicensees (including Ovation Travel Group and Egencia) use certain trademarks and service marks of American Express Company or its subsidiaries (American Express) in the “American Express Global Business Travel” and “American Express GBT Meetings & Events” brands and in connection with its business for permitted uses only under a limited license from American Express (Licensed Marks). The Licensed Marks are trademarks or service marks of, and the property of, American Express. GBT UK is a subsidiary of Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE: GBTG). American Express holds a minority interest in GBTG, which operates as a separate company from American Express.

This document contains unpublished, confidential, and proprietary information of American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT). No disclosure or use of any portion of these materials may be made without the express written consent of Amex GBT. © 2024 GBT Travel Services UK Limited.

Business travel that works for you.

Tailor-made travel management.

Business travel doesn’t have to be complicated. From booking and expenses to traveler care and strategy, Amex GBT Select (Select TM ) simplifies everything, adapting to the needs of your business and travelers — effortlessly.

Contact sales to book a demo of Select.

From savings to service, your needs drive our solutions.

Businesses that want to transform their corporate travel experience choose Select. And for good reason. With Select, you get the best travel products and services based on the needs of your company. Whether you’d like a cost-efficient travel program or consultative advice, you can count on us for help.

Get started with a self-service online booking tool pre-loaded with booking options (including over 2 million properties) at preferential rates. You can access those same options through our travel counselors.

Discover scalable solutions that work for you, your teams, and the diverse needs of your business. Select also easily integrates with your existing travel program and technology.

Streamline processes with automated tools that use your program data to help enhance your savings, simplify workflows, and keep travelers in the know.

Personalized

Support travelers on a personal level with itinerary-specific information, proactive traveler care, and 24/7 digital assistance, all delivered by our travel counselors.

Manage travel, your way.

Get the right mix of corporate travel solutions to balance the needs of your business with the needs of your travelers.

Insights to savings

Quickly spot opportunities to save through valuable reporting tools that show your travel program data. Put the data in context by comparing your travel spend to industry peers so you can activate change and boost savings.

Booking and expenses

When combined with our travel and expense tool, Amex GBT Neo, Select lets you manage bookings and expenses in a unified platform. Take advantage of over 2 million accommodations and preferential rates on everything from flights to hotels to car rentals.

Risk Management

Rest easy knowing travelers get a proactive flight disruption service, complete with notifications and automatic rebooking. Managers can also pinpoint the location of travelers to minimize risk, help them feel supported, and fulfil the company’s duty of care responsibility.

Book a demo.

Whether you’re considering business trips, or you already have a travel program in place, see how Select could transform your business. Get in touch to book a demo today.