Alexandria, VA | The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the largest association of business travel professionals – announced today that more than 1000 corporate travel buyers have registered for the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition, which is directly on par with registration numbers compared to previous years.

NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, said, “Corporate travel professionals across the globe truly do see the NBTA Convention as the Business Travel Event of the Year. They come together from across the United States and more than 40 other nations to learn the latest trends, test the most advanced technologies, and share best practices within all industry sectors.”

So that Convention attendees can make the most of their time in San Diego, NBTA is offering tools to help delegates prepare and connect before arriving on site. Via the My NBTA Convention online social networking tool, registrants can search for colleagues, schedule meetings with connections, and create a personal calendar of Convention engagements and education sessions. Registrants can also utilize the new NBTA Online Exposition to discover new products and services, and users can connect with customers or suppliers to schedule meetings or demonstrations on the show floor.

Maguire added, “In today’s volatile economy, connecting with clients and networking with colleagues is more important that ever. We know that many corporate travel professionals consider the NBTA Convention to be the most valuable meeting of the year – where they can open new doors and seal new deals – and we want to do as much as we can to help them succeed.”

For more information about the 2009 NBTA Convention, to be held August 23-26 in San Diego, please visit www.nbtaconvention.org.