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November 19, 2003 - Bountiful, Utah Former Track Star Leads Hess Sports Travel Management Team Mike Davidson Draws On Experience To Put Performance in Collegiate Sports Travel As a former All-American track star from Utah State University (USU) and the Idaho state high school champion in the 2-mile distance, Mike Davidson remembers what team travel is like. Now the general manager of Hess Corporate Travel, a leading travel management consulting and advisory firm specializing in business travel operations, and leader of the Hess Sports Travel Management division at the agency, Davidson relies on personal experience to provide a road map for top-notch service to his clients. "As an athlete, my approach to team travel is to think from their and coaches' perspective. To implement what is easiest for them is our main focus," said Davidson, who holds the USU track record for the 3,000-meter distance and recently ran his first marathon in less than three hours. "We want to reduce inconvenience and anticipate every aspect of a team's travel needs along the way." Back in college, Davidson was the elected track team captain for five years and planned the club's travel arrangements to meets. He quickly realized that this was a way to make a difference. As a self-described detail person, he enjoyed organizing events and found the intricacies of team travel fascinating. From booking blocks of airline seats, to assuring that equipment moves with the team, to smoothing out problems with airlines, to securing ground transportation from airports to events, to arranging hotel accommodations, Davidson and his team at Hess Sports Travel are dedicated. Their objective is to help collegiate athletic programs make the most of their resources and to relieve the administrative burden associated with team travel and cost management. "When Mike joined us five years ago, he brought the experience we needed to launch this program successfully," said Alan Hess, president and founder of Hess Corporate Travel, based in Bountiful, UT, since 1987. "We now handle the travel for several universities and various men's and women's athletic teams, including volleyball, soccer, tennis and, of course, track." As a representative of American Express Travel Services, Hess Corporate Travel is able to offer worldwide strength in travel solutions and provide collegiate programs with the lowest negotiated rates through relationships with preferred vendors. Because of advanced booking and profiling tools, Hess Sports Travel Management is able to contain costs, manage schedules and maximize utility from travel budgets. They currently handle travel for athletic programs at a number of western universities. "We have used Hess to book all of our track and field travel since 1995. They do an exceptional job of negotiating fares and handling all of our large group needs," said Gregg Gensel, head track and field coach at Utah State University. "I let Mike Davidson and his staff at Hess take care of our travel so I can concentrate on my job as coach." What Davidson would like to see happen next is to work with a collegiate football team. "They would fill a plane just themselves," he said. Hess Corporate Travel Founded in 1987, Hess Corporate Travel is a leading travel management consulting and advisory firm specializing in business travel operations. Based in Bountiful, Utah, Hess Corporate Travel integrates advanced technological tools, a partnering attitude and personalized service to deliver consistent results. A representative of American Express Travel Services, offering worldwide strength in travel solutions. Hess Corporate Travel is privately held and is affiliated with Travel Agency Management Services, an exclusive industry networking organization. For more information call toll-free 800.882.8028, or www.hesstravel.com. 
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