BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS: A statement from the previous owner

In the second leader for this issue BTN’s new owner Rob Burgess has alluded to a publication called BTN Europe, an offspring of the New York based Northstar Travel Group which is now the owner of The Business Travel Show.

BTN supported the Business Travel Show (BTS) when the proprietor was Centaur Plc and for three shows took a stand.

The show director was David Chapple, a position he retains under the new ownership.

During the lead-up to the 2020 offering BTN publicised the event virtually every edition with Chapple ON THE SOAPBOX for the issue 3 February 2020.  

In the weeks prior to the show the editorial team at BTN tried to interview Chapple, as in previous years, but he was “too busy” which was accepted at face value.

It came as a complete shock to BTN’s staff and loyal readers (and it may have been also for the American owners) that on the opening day of the show BTN Europe was unveiled, a head-to-head competitor to BTN.  The reluctance of Chapple to speak was obvious.  BTN plus BTN Europe would have made a perfect partnership.  The route taken by David Chapple was in my opinion devious, and some would say unscrupulous.   

Make up your own mind.  BTN lives on as Travel News Update by BTN due to be published in November.    

MALCOLM GINSBERG

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