Formerly, NBTA and ABGEV partnered in the creation of The Latin America Corporate Travel and Technology Exchange (LACTTE), the largest business travel event in Latin America, and have grown this multicultural event into a must-attend for industry leaders in South America and around the world. NBTA and ABGEV are extending their partnership, building off the success of LACTTE and its solid revenue sharing principles that has benefitted both organizations. The sixth annual LACTTE event will take place February 20 -22 to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

"NBTA and ABGEV have a successful partnership and are committed to continuing the advancement of travel and meetings management in South America and around the world," said Mike McCormick, Executive Director and COO, NBTA. "As Brazil and South America continue to play an increasingly critical role in the global economy, there is a clear demand for greater education and training on business travel and meetings best practices. Similarly, there is significant interest in traveling to and working with Brazil and South America from countries in North America, Europe and Asia. By partnering, NBTA and ABGEV can meet both of these needs to further support the development and enrichment of the industry."

Members from both organizations will be accorded membership in both NBTA and ABGEV. Additionally, all members will receive discounts for attendance at each other's events, access to both membership data bases, as well as expanded peer networking opportunities through each of their web sites.

"We look forward to the advancements that NBTA and ABGEV will continue to create together – having already created the highly successful LACTTE event. This extended partnership will mean both our members will continue to have access to the best resources available, both for educational development but also for networking purposes between both groups," said Viviânne G. Martins, President of ABGEV.

As part of the agreement, NBTA will provide developmental funding and technical assistance towards creating a new and improved ABGEV web site, utilizing NBTA's core technology infrastructure.

About the Associação Brasileira de Gestores de Eventos e Viagens Corporativas | ABGEV – Founded in 2003, The Brazilian Association of Event Managers and Corporate Travel is a nonprofit organization with interests in the corporate travel and events industry. ABGEV represents buyers and industry suppliers in Brazil and Latin America. Its mission is to represent and defend the interests of corporate travel managers, and to develop strong relationships between all stakeholders in the corporate travel industry. ABGEV has about 400 members. For more information, visit www.abgev.org.br