More news21 March 2007 | Antony Barton
The Institute of Travel Management (ITM) is to introduce a training programme designed to benefit both suppliers and buyers.
Paul Tilstone, ITM executive director, said research conducted by an internal group of buyers, suppliers and intermediaries identified training in account management, negotiation skills and presentation skills as a top requirement in over 30 per cent of supplier members.
The training programmes, announced at today's ITM conference in Edinburgh, will cover these disciplines at introductory and advanced levels. ITM has teamed up with training firms to provide a series of three, one-day introductory courses and an advanced series of courses with six places and more intense training.
A spokesman for ITM told supplymanagement.com the courses, to be introduced later this year, would benefit travel buyers by improving the way suppliers work with them and handle their accounts.
He said this programme aimed to balance the training and assistance ITM provided to both sides, with buyers currently eligible to enter certification for corporate travel management and attend seminars throughout the year.
ITM's members comprise 400 suppliers and 600 buyers, with a £6 billion-a-year total spend.
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