In an effort to continuously improve the global corporate travel industry, ACTE Global (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) announced today that it is expanding its research capabilities, which contributes to the educational content created by the organisation.

ACTE Global has long been committed to providing cutting-edge research and insights to its members, leading the way in identifying industry trends before they become mainstream practices. 2018 saw a significant expansion of the research projects ACTE has explored. Incorporating qualitative studies, instant polling and interactive focus group formats has proved to demonstrate a wider range of contribution and perspective.

"ACTE exists to serve the corporate travel manager and, by extension, the business traveller, and research is a critical component of this mission," said Greeley Koch, executive director, ACTE Global. "Our strategic goal for 2019 is to build upon the success of our research programme to tackle even more complex and timely issues, including expanding our investigation into the topics that most impact our members and furthering our Instant Issue polls, which allow us to get an immediate pulse on breaking industry news."

As part of its investment in research, ACTE is building out its Research Business Unit, hiring Fitzgerald Draper as Research Director, effective 1 November 2018. A 16-year veteran in market research, Draper most recently served as Research Director for Child Care Aware of America. He has a diverse background executing all aspects of market research, including: identifying emerging issues; developing research options, white papers, surveys, focus groups and market research reports; and working with specialty vendors.

"I am excited to offer my knowledge in market research to enhance ACTE's development of successful strategies and solutions, and better understand the trends and issues affecting the business travel industry. Knowledge is power, and I look forward to working with ACTE and its members to make sure this power is used to strengthen our industry," said Draper.

Draper will join ACTE's team of industry-leading researchers to develop and implement the enhanced offerings of the organisation's community-centered, focused, and driven research aimed at helping business travel professionals develop stronger, more successful and cost-effective programmes.

"Expanding and refining ACTE's research capabilities, including bringing Fitzgerald on board, is essential to our long-term strategic plan," said Leigh Bochicchio, president, ACTE Global. "Having dedicated research resources will allow us to improve our already-strong offerings through new methods of collecting data and new ways to share our insights.

Contributed by ACTE Global