Hillary Rodham Clinton to Deliver Keynote Address at GBTA Convention 2013

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)—the voice of the global business travel industry—today announced that former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver the Wednesday General Session keynote at the GBTA Convention 2013.   The GBTA Convention 2013 will be held August 4-7, 2013, in San Diego, CA.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110609/DC16833LOGO)

"Hailed as the most traveled Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton is a testament to the value of travel and face-to-face meetings," said Michael W. McCormick executive director and COO of GBTA.  "She visited more than 112 countries as Secretary, and in doing so, demonstrates the key role that travel plays in diplomacy, government and business."

Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States from January 2009 until February 2013, after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, first lady, and Senator.

As first lady, Hillary Clinton advocated for health care reform and led successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children's Health Insurance Program. She also traveled to more than 80 countries as a representative of our country, winning respect as a champion of human rights, democracy, civil society, and opportunities for women and girls around the world.

In 2000, Clinton made history as the first, first lady elected to the United States Senate.  She worked across party lines to expand economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care for wounded service members, veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves. After September 11, 2001, she advocated for rebuilding New York and addressing the health needs of first responders who risked their lives at Ground Zero.

In 2007 and 2008, Clinton made her historic campaign for President, winning 18 million votes, and more primaries and delegates than any woman had before. 

In her four years as Secretary of State, Clinton played a central role in restoring America's standing in the world and strengthening its global leadership.  Her "smart power" approach to foreign policy elevated American diplomacy and development and repositioned them for the 21st century -- with new tools, technologies, and partners, including the private sector and civil society around the world.  As America's chief diplomat and the President's principal foreign policy adviser, Clinton spearheaded progress on many of our greatest national security challenges, from reasserting the United States as a Pacific power to imposing crippling sanctions on Iran and North Korea to responding to the challenges and opportunities of the Arab Awakening to negotiating a ceasefire in the Middle East.  She pushed the frontiers of human rights and demonstrated that giving women the opportunity to participate fully is vital to security, stability, and prosperity.

The GBTA Convention, with nearly 7,000 attendees, is the largest, most comprehensive annual gathering of business travel and meetings managers, meeting planners, procurement professionals and suppliers anywhere in the world. The Business Travel Event of the Year ®  features: more than 70 industry-leading education sessions organized into 20+ specialized tracks geared to specific levels of experience and a variety of disciplines; a 400+ company Exposition showcasing market choices not available at other industry gatherings; sessions featuring world-renowned speakers and industry leaders; a wide selection of professional development opportunities; and, much more. For more information on the GBTA Convention, visit gbta.org/convention.

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings organization. Collectively, GBTA's 5,700-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 21,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. For more information, visit gbta.org

SOURCE Global Business Travel Association