2023 Conference

Virtual

November 10, 2022

The Big League Group (BLUG) is composed of travel agency staff involved in the operation of the GlobalWare accounting software. The user group first met in 1994 in Austin Texas and has met every year since in a different city in the US. Most annual meetings are held in the fall of each year. Locations are varied to provide fairness in travel distances as attendees’ locations range from Alaska to Florida.

Attendees come from travel agencies throughout the United States that have multiple users in a network environment, and often several branch locations. The topics discussed at the meetings generally focus on larger network travel agencies however some issues could be relevant to single location travel operations.

Our meetings are focused on the sharing of ideas and solutions that will enhance the daily operations of GlobalWare. A typical meeting will have in depth presentations by Travelport staff as well as third party vendors who have created programs that support GlobalWare functions. A good deal of time is spent in breakout sessions where specific topics of interest are discussed, and efforts are made to find solutions to various operational issues. Commission tracking, reporting tools, and network connectivity are some of the interest areas that are annually on the agenda.

Additionally each year, BLUG is able to provide Travelport staff with suggestions for future GlobalWare enhancements and provide feedback on upcoming releases.

These meetings bring great benefit to agency owners/managers, accounting staff and information technology personnel because of the wide array of information gathered at our conferences. The meetings provide a great opportunity to meet colleagues, share ideas and garner new insights into the operations of GlobalWare. A directory of contacts is provided at each meeting to provide attendees with information to follow up and ask questions after the meeting has concluded.

The meetings are organized by members of the group on a voluntary basis. Input from the attendees influence the structure and agenda of future meetings. We have settled on a format of meeting for 2 1/2 days, starting on a Wednesday morning and ending at noon on Friday. In 20 plus years over 60% of the attendees are returnees. This is testament to the valuable information that is obtained at these meetings and the dedication of the Travelport staff to support the product.

Comments from Past Attendees

I feel the collective power of the group, is a tremendous benefit for making the software we all use fit our needs. To have changes made based on the majorities needs and the ability to communicate those needs, concerns, directly to the GlobelWare staff from Travelport is so beneficial. Also, the sharing of information and camaraderie between the group, gives you ideas, a different prospective and saves you time by not always having to re invent the wheel.

Mary Licata, USTravel

Great opportunity to meet and network with like-minded individuals from other Travel Agencies.

Rick Neuenschwander, AAA East Central

This is a great group to discover best practices with regards to the travel industry. Very informative group of people with various levels of knowledge in different areas.

Roseann White, Automobile Club of Southern California

Big League Users Group is beneficial to our organization for the following reasons: 1. Discuss issues/problems with other users and find solutions that other users may have already come up with instead of reinventing the wheel. 2. Chance to talk directly with the developers of GlobalWare and find solutions for problems that are unique to our organization. Many of the enhancements were the direct results of our feedback. 3. Learn about new methods/ideas to increase productivity and reduce costs.

Parvez Kamal, Trans Am Travel