British Airways' 'Face-to-Face' Campaign continues; 250 West Coast Entrepreneurs sent off by Local Dignitaries including Dario Gomez, Los Angeles Mayor's Office, and Dame Barbara Hay, British Consul General

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Close to 250 West Coast business owners and entrepreneurs will fly to London and points beyond today, courtesy of British Airways, as part of the airline's "Face-to-Face" campaign. The campaign, which was launched in July of this year, seeks to underscore the importance of in-person meetings for revitalizing business. The airline solicited stories from U.S. businesses on how a face-to-face meeting overseas could help them grow; the winning entries received free travel on special flights from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to make their meetings a reality.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091013/NY91896)

Today's flight, departing from Los Angeles International Airport, is the second "Face-to-Face" flight operated by British Airways to connect entrepreneurs with one another as well as with U.S. and U.K. civic and business leaders. The event will be supported by local dignitaries including Dario Gomez, Director of the Mayor's Office of International Trade; Dame Barbara Hay, British Consul General and representative of UKT&I, a government organization that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy and helps overseas companies bring high quality investment to the UK's economy; as well as Richard Stanaro and Jill Scott, California representatives for Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London.

"British Airways has made a firm commitment to rewarding entrepreneurship and giving businesses the chance to expand their reach worldwide. This is an effort that has been met with unanimous support from the U.S. business community as well as government officials who clearly see the link between international travel and the revitalization of the global economy," said Simon Talling-Smith, Executive Vice President, Americas, British Airways.

On September 15, Mayor Boris Johnson of London addressed the first group of contest winners at an event at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The third and final flight for this campaign is scheduled to depart in November from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

AN UNRELENTING COMMITMENT TO HELPING U.S. BUSINESSES GROW

Recently, British Airways launched the second phase of the "Face-to-Face" campaign. Business Opportunity Grants further underscore the airline's commitment to helping U.S. businesses grow by giving 100 companies free travel for one year to anywhere in the world that British Airways flies, to attend crucial meetings.* The call for entries for this portion of the campaign has closed and winners will be announced the week of November 30. In addition to transport provided by British Airways, sponsors of the program include: The Regus Group, British Airways World Cargo, Canon USA, Inc. and Courtyard by Marriott.

*Flights are to anywhere in the world that British Airways flies to.

About the "Face-to-Face" Campaign

The "Face-to-Face" competition by British Airways invited U.S. business people to make their case for an unmet business travel need and win free travel to London, or anywhere in the world that British Airways flies, to attend a crucial meeting. Competition winners not only receive a trip overseas, they also receive the opportunity to connect with other business people traveling on special British Airways flights and forge relationships that can further their own business objectives. With nearly 1,000 passengers from all over the U.S. on board planes leaving from New York, Los Angles and Chicago, it is only fitting to call this experience a networking, or salon, event at 38,000 feet. Events surrounding the departure and arrival of these special flights will also serve to underscore the importance of relationships in business. Business leaders and senior government officials in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London will address winners at "power networking" events.

To help reinforce the idea that in-person meetings do drive business, British Airways commissioned a survey of Harvard Business Review readers to gauge perceptions within the international business community about the importance of face-to-face meetings. In a time when business travel has been severely cut, the study aimed to uncover the impact that virtual meetings have had on business growth and relationship building. Results from the survey of over 2,300 Harvard Business Review readers concluded that 95 percent of businesspeople said they believe that face-to-face meetings are key to success in building long term relationships, and 89 percent agree face-to-face meetings are essential for "sealing the deal."

About British Airways

British Airways is one the world's largest international airlines, carrying approximately 33 million passengers to over 157 destinations around the world. Also, one of the world's longest established airlines, it has always been regarded as an industry-leader.

The airline's two main operating bases are London's two main airports, Heathrow (the world's biggest international airport) and Gatwick. The airline operates the majority of its domestic UK, international and intercontinental flights from its home at Terminal 5, Heathrow.

Whether customers are in the air or on the ground, British Airways takes pride in providing a full service experience.

SOURCE British Airways

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