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Almost One-Third of Consumers Will Spend More on ... American Express Press Releases
Among the 39 percent of Americans who plan to travel this holiday season, almost one-third (30%) say they expect to spend more than last year according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. On average, travelers plan to spend $460 per person with that figure jumping to $500 per person among young professionals and $560 among affluents. While most travelers will take to the roads and skies for Thanksgiving (19%) and Christmas (19%), one-tenth (10%) will take an off-peak trip before the end of the year and 6% will travel to ring in the New Year.
This month's American Express Spending & Saving Tracker surveyed consumers about end-of-year travel plans and spending intentions. The research sample of 2,005 adults included the general U.S. population, as well as two subgroups – the affluent and young professionals.
Home for the HolidaysThe number one reason Americans will travel between now and the end of the year is to visit family and friends. However, the majority will not stray far. Most travelers (88%) will stay within the U.S., and actually within their geographic region. As a result, driving is the most popular form of transportation (74%) and more than a quarter (28%) plan to fly. While the number of people traveling to see family is up from 52 percent in 2009 to 64 percent this year, a sliver of respondents (2%) will do the very opposite and travel to avoid seeing family this year.
Whatever the motivation, almost one-third (30%) of travelers expect to spend more this year compared to last and will do so on:
Taking a longer trip (23%)
Dining out (20%)
Activities and entertainment (20%)
Traveling with more people (19%)
Staying in better accommodations (16%)
Going to a more expensive destination (15%)
Flying first or business class (8%)
"From hotels to restaurants, there will be many winners this holiday season as consumers plan to open their wallets to enhance their holiday travel experience," said Claire Bennett, senior vice president, American Express Travel. "Our research shows consumers are investing more in the areas that are most meaningful to them – like traveling home for the holidays -- while looking for clever ways to offset their costs elsewhere."
Consumers Remain Value ConsciousAlthough many consumers expect to spend more than last year on end-of-year travel, the majority (77%) are still looking for ways to cut costs when possible. The most popular ways consumers will save is by staying with family and/or friends (50%) and driving instead of flying (28%) followed by:
Traveling during off-peak dates (13%)
Using loyalty/rewards points (11%)
Waiting for last minute deals (8%)
Borrowing from the blockbuster "The Holiday," starring Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, some travelers will even swap homes this holiday season to save money (3% among the general population, 1% among affluents, and 5% among young professionals).
The 61 percent of people without end-of-year travel plans cited a variety of reasons why they will stay put, including:
Not having money for travel (30%)
Family/friends are traveling to them instead (11%)
Plan to use money saved for travel on other things, such as holiday gifts, local activities, and necessities (12%)
Feeling travel around the holidays is too hectic or stressful (9%).
Young Professionals and Affluents Especially on the GoYoung professionals are almost twice as likely as the general population to travel between now and the end of the year (72% versus 39% for the general population) and are also more likely to travel than affluents (55%). Many plan to ring in the New Year away from home, with 22 percent planning a New Year's trip, compared to just six percent of the general population and 10 percent of affluents. Affluents are most likely to take an off-peak trip before the end of the year (17%) versus the general population (10%) or young professionals (9%). Of these trips, 14% will be international destinations.
About the American Express Spending & Saving TrackerThe American Express Spending & Saving Tracker research was completed online among a random sample of consumers aged 18+. The research sample of 2,005 adults surveyed the general U.S. population, as well as two sub-groups – the affluent and young professionals. Interviewing was conducted by Echo Research between October 4 and October 8, 2010. Overall, the results have a margin of error of +/- 2.2 (or 4.3 among affluents and 4.4 among young professionals) percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. For access to previous American Express Spending & Saving Tracker results, please visit americanexpress.com/aboutus.
About American ExpressAmerican Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
American Express Reports Third Quarter EPS of $0.... American Express Press Releases
American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) today reported third-quarter net income of $1.1 billion, up 71 percent from $640 million a year ago. Diluted per share net income was $0.90, up 70 percent from $0.53 a year ago. 
Consolidated total revenues net of interest expense were $7.0 billion, up 17 percent from $6.0 billion a year ago.  The increase reflects the consolidation of securitized cardmember loans and related debt onto the balance sheet in the first quarter(3). Revenues also reflect higher cardmember spending and higher travel commissions and fees, offset by lower interest income due to a smaller loan portfolio and lower yields on both the securitized and non-securitized portions of the portfolio.  
Consolidated provisions for losses totaled $373 million compared to $1.2 billion in the year-ago period, reflecting continued improvement in credit quality for the charge and credit card portfolios(3).
Consolidated expenses totaled $5.0 billion, up 28 percent from $3.9 billion a year ago, reflecting higher investment in business building initiatives and higher rewards costs.
The company's return on average equity (ROE) was 25.9 percent, up from 11.7 percent a year ago.
“Cardmember spending rose a strong 14 percent with the largest increases coming from businesses where we’ve been making significant investments: charge and premium co-brand products, corporate cards and cards issued by our bank partners,” said Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and chief executive officer.
“Lending volumes, however, remain below pre-recessionary levels as cardmembers continued to manage their finances carefully and pay down outstanding debt. While this translated into lower net interest income, it also helped to improve our overall risk profile.
“Our credit indicators, in fact, continued to lead the market and our write-off rate dropped below 5 percent in September for the first time since early 2008.
“Against the backdrop of regulatory and legislative changes that are reshaping the industry, we have been able to improve our competitive position relative to those issuers who rely more heavily on revolving credit and back-end fees.
“While we remain cautious about the economic outlook, we plan to capitalize on that advantage by investing to strengthen relationships with high spending cardmembers and the merchants who accept our products.”
Year-ago results included a non-recurring $180 million ($113 million after-tax) benefit associated with the company’s accounting for a net investment in consolidated foreign subsidiaries.
The effective tax rate was 33 percent compared to 30 percent in the year-ago quarter.
Segment ResultsU.S. Card Services reported third-quarter net income of $595 million, compared with $158 million a year ago. 
Total revenues net of interest expense increased 23 percent to $3.7 billion from $3.0 billion. The increase reflects the consolidation of securitized cardmember loans and related debt onto the balance sheet in the first quarter(3). Revenues also reflect higher cardmember spending, offset by lower interest income due to a smaller loan portfolio and lower yields on the portfolio.
Provisions for losses totaled $274 million, down 68 percent from $850 million a year ago. The decline reflects continued improvement in credit quality for the charge and credit card portfolios(3).
Total expenses increased 26 percent. Marketing, promotion, rewards and cardmember services expenses increased 39 percent from the year-ago period, reflecting increased rewards costs and investments in marketing and promotion. Salaries and employee benefits and other operating expenses increased 12 percent from year-ago levels, primarily reflecting increased technology and partner-related investments.
The effective tax rate was 39 percent compared to 28 percent in the year-ago quarter.
International Card Services reported third-quarter net income of $153 million, up 15 percent from $133 million a year ago. 
Total revenues net of interest expense were $1.2 billion, comparable with the year-ago quarter.
Provisions for losses totaled $64 million, down 74 percent from $250 million a year ago. The decline reflects continued improvement in credit quality for the charge and credit card portfolios.
Total expenses increased 25 percent. Marketing, promotion, rewards and cardmember services expenses increased 42 percent from year-ago levels, reflecting increased investments in marketing and promotion and higher rewards costs.  Salaries and employee benefits and other operating expenses increased 13 percent from year-ago levels, primarily reflecting increased technology investments.
The effective tax rate was negative 6 percent compared to 2 percent in the year-ago quarter.
Global Commercial Services reported third-quarter net income of $159 million, up 56 percent from $102 million a year ago.
Total revenues net of interest expense increased 17 percent to $1.1 billion, from $975 million, reflecting increased spending by corporate cardmembers and higher travel commissions and fees.
Provisions for losses totaled $22 million, down 45 percent from $40 million a year ago. The decline reflects continued improvement in credit performance.
Total expenses increased 12 percent. Marketing, promotion, rewards and cardmember services expenses increased 36 percent from the year-ago period, primarily reflecting higher rewards costs. Salaries and employee benefits and other operating expenses increased 9 percent from the year-ago period.
The effective tax rate was 34 percent compared to 31 percent in the year-ago quarter.
Global Network & Merchant Services reported third quarter net income of $259 million, up 4 percent from $248 million a year ago.
Total revenues net of interest expense increased 15 percent to $1.1 billion, from $976 million, reflecting higher merchant-related revenues driven by an increase in global card billed business, as well as an increase in revenues from Global Network Services’ bank partners.
Total expenses increased 19 percent. Marketing and promotion expenses increased 32 percent from the year-ago period, reflecting increased network and merchant-related investments. Salaries and employee benefits and other operating expenses increased 14 percent, primarily reflecting increased technology-related and professional service expenses, as well as incremental hiring to support business growth.
The effective tax rate was 39 percent compared to 33 percent in the year-ago quarter.Corporate and Other reported third-quarter net expense of $73 million compared with net income of $1 million a year ago. The results for both periods reflect income of $220 million ($136 million after-tax) for the previously announced MasterCard and Visa settlements.
The year-ago quarter included the previously mentioned non-recurring $180 million ($113 million after-tax) benefit associated with the company’s accounting for a net investment in consolidated foreign subsidiaries, offset by a higher tax expense due primarily to a revision in the company’s estimated annual effective tax rate.
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.  Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
(3) Upon the adoption of new accounting guidance governing the accounting for transfers of financial assets and consolidation of variable interest entities on January 1, 2010, the company began consolidating the assets and liabilities of its previously unconsolidated American Express Credit Account Master Trust (Lending Trust). Among the changes arising from the consolidation of the Lending Trust, expenses related to written-off securitized cardmember loans moved from revenues net of interest expense into provisions for losses.
 
The 2010 Third Quarter Earnings Supplement will be available today on the American Express web site at http://ir.americanexpress.com. An investor conference call will be held at 5:00 p.m. (ET) today to discuss third-quarter earnings results. Live audio and presentation slides for the investor conference call will be available to the general public at the same web site.  A replay of the conference call will be available later today at the same web site address.
 
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties.  The forward-looking statements, which address the company’s expected business and financial performance, among other matters, contain words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “optimistic,” “intend,” “plan,” “aim,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “likely,” and similar expressions.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made.  The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the following:
changes in global economic and business conditions, including consumer and business spending, the availability and cost of credit, unemployment and political conditions, all of which may significantly affect spending on the Card, delinquency rates, loan balances and other aspects of our business and results of operations;
changes in capital and credit market conditions, which may significantly affect the company’s ability to meet its liquidity needs, access to capital and cost of capital, including  changes in interest rates; changes in market conditions affecting the valuation of our assets; or any reduction in our credit ratings or those of our subsidiaries, which could materially increase the cost and other terms of our funding, restrict our access to the capital markets or result in contingent payments under contracts;
litigation, such as class actions or proceedings brought by governmental and regulatory agencies (including the lawsuit filed against the company by the U.S. Department of Justice and certain state attorneys general), that could result in (i) the imposition of behavioral remedies against the company or the company’s voluntarily making certain changes to its business practices, the effects of which in either case could have a material adverse impact on the company’s financial performance;  (ii) the imposition of substantial monetary damages in private actions against the company; and/or (iii) damage to the company’s global reputation and brand;
legal and regulatory developments wherever we do business, including legislative and regulatory reforms in the United States, such as the Dodd-Frank Act’s stricter regulation of large, interconnected financial institutions, changes in requirements relating to securitization and the establishment of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, which could make fundamental changes to many of our business practices or materially affect our capital requirements, results of operations, ability to pay dividends or repurchase our stock; or actions and potential future actions by the FDIC and credit rating agencies applicable to securitization trusts, which could impact the company’s ABS program;
changes in the substantial and increasing worldwide competition in the payments industry, including competitive pressure that may impact the prices we charge merchants that accept our Cards and the success of marketing, promotion or rewards programs;
changes in technology or in our ability to protect our intellectual property (such as copyrights, trademarks, patents and controls on access and distribution), and invest in and  compete at the leading edge of technological developments across our businesses, including technology and intellectual property of third parties whom we rely on, all of which could materially affect our results of operations;
data breaches and fraudulent activity, which could damage our brand, increase our costs or have regulatory implications, and changes in regulation affecting privacy and data security under federal, state and foreign law, which could result in higher compliance and technology costs to ourselves or our vendors;
changes in our ability to attract or retain qualified personnel in the management and operation of the company’s business, including any changes that may result from increasing regulatory supervision of compensation practices;
changes in the financial condition and creditworthiness of our business partners, such as bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, involving merchants that represent a significant portion of our business, such as the airline industry, or our partners in Global Network Services or financial institutions that we rely on for routine funding and liquidity, which could materially affect our financial condition or results of operations;
uncertainties associated with business acquisitions, including the ability to realize anticipated business retention, growth and cost savings or effectively integrate the acquired business into our existing operations;
changes affecting the success of our reengineering and other cost control initiatives, which may result in  the company not realizing all or a significant portion of the benefits that we intend;
the effectiveness of the company’s risk management policies and procedures, including credit risk relating to consumer debt, liquidity risk in meeting business requirements and operational risks;
changes affecting our ability to accept or maintain deposits due to market demand or regulatory constraints, such as changes in interest rates and regulatory restrictions on our ability to obtain deposit funding or offer competitive interest rates, which could affect our liquidity position and our ability to fund our business; and
factors beyond our control such as fire, power loss, disruptions in telecommunications, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorism, “hackers” or fraud, which could affect travel-related spending or disrupt our global network systems and ability to process transactions.
A further description of these uncertainties and other risks can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31 and June 30, 2010, and the company’s other reports filed with the SEC.
American Express OPEN Recognizes Business Owners ... American Express Press Releases
Today at the Government Contracting Procurement and Networking Event in New Orleans, American Express OPEN®, the small business division of the financial services company, recognized three small business owners for their outstanding achievements in government contracting with the first-ever Victory in Procurement (VIP) Awards.
“Today we are celebrating the persistence and ingenuity of three unique small businesses. Our award winners exemplify what it takes to thrive in government contracting and are proof that small businesses can be profitable when working with the world’s largest customer,” says Karen-Michelle Mirko, Director of Customer Advocacy at American Express OPEN. “Persistence and starting with small contracts are two important factors to success and can lead to larger opportunities, according to contractors who participated in OPEN’s VIP survey.”
In 2009, the U.S. government spent $96.8 billion on products and services supplied by small businesses, including $33.5 billion with small, disadvantaged firms and $16.4 billion with women-owned small businesses.
At today’s event, hundreds of business owners were given the opportunity to network and learn the tools and strategies around marketing their business to the government, planning for federal contracting as a revenue stream  and executing tactics such as teaming and subcontracting to better their chances of securing contracts.
Award winners present at the event are being recognized in the categories of Government Contractor of the Year, Woman Contractor of the Year and Teaming Contractor of the Year.  Nominees for the VIP awards were selected in collaboration with partners, Business Matchmaking (www.businessmatchmaking.com), Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) (www.giveme5.com) and SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" (www.score.org). Candidates provided details about their work and success in government contracting via a detailed application which were then deliberated over by a panel of judges who looked at criteria such as growth, strategy and community involvement. The winners are:
Contractor of the Year awarded to Janice M. Hamilton of New York, NY-based JMH Education Marketing, a firm specializing in creating customized education programs on behalf of corporations, government agencies, and not-for-profits. Revenues from government contracting in 2010 are estimated at $4.29 million.
Woman Contractor of the Year awarded to Evelyn Graham of San Francisco, CA-based Presynct Technologies Inc., provider of forms-based incident reporting software for public safety and law enforcement.  Presynct Technologies, Inc. was founded by Ms. Graham after 15 years providing services and technology in healthcare.  Revenues from government contracting in 2010 have risen 76% year-to-date over 2009.
Teaming Contractor of the Year awarded to Michael Nicholas of Washington, D.C.-based NIMS Services, Inc., a full service energy marketing firm providing fuels, lubricants, oils, greases, waxes, hydraulic, transmission and brake fluids. Revenues from government contracting in 2010 are estimated at $6.5 million.
The VIP awards are part of American Express OPEN’s Victory in Procurement™ (VIP) for Small Business initiative. Launched in 2009, VIP is a national program designed to help small business owners capitalize on the enormous growth opportunity provided through government contracts. By partnering with WIPP, SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" and Teaming USA (www.teamingusa.com), a partnership with Business Matchmaking, the program is helping business owners at every level of contract readiness.
Three additional business owners will be recognized with VIP awards at an American Express OPEN event in Chicago on Friday, November 5, 2010. The free Government Contracting Procurement & Networking Event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago starting at 8:30 a.m. Business owners who would like to attend can register at www.vipgovtcontracting.com.
About American Express OPENAmerican Express OPEN is the leading payment card issuer for small businesses in the United States and supports business owners with products and services to help them run and grow their businesses. This includes business charge and credit cards that deliver purchasing power, flexibility, rewards, savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners and online tools and services designed to help improve profitability. Learn more at www.OPEN.com and connect with us at www.openforum.com, www.facebook.com/open and www.twitter.com/openforum.
American Express is a global servces company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.  Learn more at www.americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
Increased Airfare and Hotel Rates Across the Glob... American Express Press Releases
American Express Business Travel today announced pricing projections from its annual Global Business Travel Forecast, indicating increases are expected up to ten percent for airfare and hotel rates in key markets around the world. Flat to slightly down prices are expected in car rental rates on average in North America and Europe, but up in Asia Pacific.
"Throughout 2010, companies have lifted travel restrictions brought on by red bottom line fears and this is expected to continue into 2011 as firms look more toward growing the top line. Yet pricing power will swing back to air and hotel suppliers for the first time in two years in 2011 as more competition for limited seats on planes and increased occupancy levels at hotels are expected," stated Christa Degnan Manning, director of eXpert insights and research, American Express Business Travel. "As a result, companies should re-examine program strategies and policies undertaken in the past few years and look to manage budgets and cost-control tactics competitively to protect them from the significant rate increases expected."The annual Forecast, produced by American Express Business Travel’s Global Advisory Services research practice, eXpert insights, includes pricing predictions for 89 types of air fares (business and economy class tickets for long-haul, short-haul and trans border flights originating in 21 countries), as well as expected negotiated hotel rates for mid-range and upper-range properties in 317 North American cities, 36 Latin American cities, 127 European and Middle East cities and 55 Asia-Pacific cities. The Forecast also contains pricing trends related to ground transportation and meetings spending in key regions around the world, and a section on what companies and managed travel category managers should be doing to curtail their impact on companies’ bottom and top lines today.Global Pricing Trends Based on continued economic growth, increased demand, and constrained capacity, airfare and hotel rates are expected to grow up to high single digits in 2011, effectively bringing prices back to pre-recession levels. Asia is expected to lead pricing increases with established Western economies seeing less pricing expansion.
Global -- 2011 Forecast
Region
Airfares
Hotel Rates
 
Domestic/Short-Haul (Economy Class)
International/ Long-Haul (Business Class)
Mid-Range
Upper-Range
North America 
2% to 6%
3% to 7%
1% to 5%
2% to 6%
Europe/Middle East 
4% to 9%
5% to 9%
1% to 6%
2% to 6%
Latin America 
3% to 7%
3% to 8%
1% to 5%
2% to 6%
Asia-Pacific 
3% to 8%
5% to 10%
5% to 10%
5% to 10%
Meetings ProjectionsCompanies will likely increase spending and frequency of meetings, however they will likely spend less per meeting on average as meeting size decreases and sourcing efficiencies increase. Aligning with this prediction, more meetings are expected to be held on local or regional levels, and will continue to have fewer amenities, with audio/visual services being the only exception. As planners incorporate virtual alternatives and supplements to face-to-face experiences, investments in these technologies are expected to continue to go up. Setting the Agenda for 2011In spite of the nearly across the board increases in business travel prices next year, most procurement and travel departments will still be expected to return incremental year-over-year savings to the business. This calls for a re-examination of many corporate policies and procurement procedures, such as lowest logical airfare selection, as travel suppliers offer fewer promotions and corporate negotiated rates resume importance in containing costs over time. Manning continued, "Even with the expected increases in rates, businesses can preserve travel budgets and efficiencies by staying knowledgeable about industry pricing trends, planning appropriately, and supporting travelers to make the best decisions of how to spend those dollars. For example, average daily rates of hotels are expected to rise above 10% in many locations in 2011, however, corporate negotiated rates will be lower as hoteliers compete for corporate loyalty business and lock in volume business commitments. Companies will likely forfeit a lot of savings when employees book outside preferred agreements and channels and end up paying consumer rates in 2011." Strategies for identifying savings in 2011 include:
Maintain Budget Competitiveness:A recent study produced by American Express Business Travel eXpert insights and the National Business Travel Association has linked both growth and contraction in corporate revenues to travel budget expenditures. Companies want to maintain a competitive budget for their industry by understanding the right level of spend to reach optimal revenue returns. Benchmarking travel expenditures to others in similar industries and peers is key to understanding a company’s competitive position in using travel to drive business in the marketplace. Understanding the competitiveness of supplier contracts, corporate policies, demand management and compliance techniques also helps to get the most trips out of those budgets and will help companies avoid absorbing expected price increases completely.
Fare IQ; Lowest Logical Fare vs. Preferred Fare Strategy:One of the areas where travel program tactics will likely need to be reexamined in 2011 is an approach called "lowest logical fare" in air booking. As airlines aggressively ran promotions to fill seats as people stayed home last year, many companies encouraged employees still on the road to take the lowest air fare available even with restrictions, as the cost to change a ticket plus the lower promotional seat base cost combined would likely be less than a more flexible but higher corporate negotiated fare. With fewer promotional fares expected to be available next year, a more likely strategy to reduce air costs will be more advanced booking, to both ensure a lower priced corporate ticket as well as availability on popular business flights. Airlines are expected to keep capacity constrained so business travelers will have to book out sooner for both cost and convenience purposes.
Book Transport and Lodging Together:Typically half of all air bookings with travel management companies today for an overnight trip do not include a hotel booking, leading to tremendous gaps in savings potential. As hotel occupancy goes up next year, hotels will also do less promotion and room block wholesaling to discounters, as well as carefully monitor yields to recoup the dramatic drops in rate they experienced over the last 2 years. Hotel cost-savings could be accomplished by ensuring employees book preferred hotels with an air reservation when appropriate, as well as drive volumes to preferred partners as a whole. This also helps plug potential security gaps in knowing where travelers are staying when they are on the road, hard lessons many learned during the ash cloud crisis in Europe in 2010.
Black-out dates increase in corporate hotel programs:Even with an aggressively managed hotel program from the traveler side, companies should be cautious during the hotel negotiation season of increasingly stringent terms and conditions that hotels are adding to their corporate contracts. Terms such as adding requests for cancellation fees and including more black-out dates on rooms and negotiated rates when availability may be tight are increasingly common. Volume commitment thresholds are likely to also be managed closely by hotel suppliers so vigilance is required when driving compliant traveler behavior in order to get the lower increases than what is expected from walk-up travelers next year.
A Decade of Air Fare Change"Looking at the last decade, the industry has seen increased rates across all travel categories, with one exception: U.S. domestic base rates which are more than 16% lower than they were in 2000," said Manning. "This is likely a result of airlines supporting base rates through ancillary fees, making it more difficult for travelers and travel managers alike to calculate the true cost of flying. This point highlights the importance for travel buyers to be diligent in considering unbundled fees along with base rates in managing travel spending. However, we see that travel as a whole has not kept up with the rate of inflation in the US. With oil four times the rate of inflation over the last decade, travel prices are likely to continue to increase for the foreseeable future, making savvy travel management from both the supply and demand sides more important than ever."As a whole, North America has already experienced a significant rise in rates in 2010 with domestic airfares up 39% for business class and 21% for economy short-haul; therefore only modest increases in airfare rates are expected for 2011. The hotel industry in North America is encountering higher occupancy levels and as suppliers look to regain loyalty among business customers and increase rates, average booked rates are expected to trend higher. Corporate negotiated rates will likely increase 1%- 5% for mid-range properties and 2%-6% for upper range hotels while non-negotiated average daily rates are expected to rise. Car rental rates are projected to be flat or decline in 2011 by up to 2% resulting from strong competition in the industry coming out of the recession and excess inventory. However, higher cancellation charges and new taxes and fees could drive the actual price per trip higher.
North America - 2011 Forecast
Region
Airfares
Hotel Rates
 
Domestic / Short-Haul(Economy Class)
International / Long-Haul(Business Class)
Mid-Range
Upper-Range
United States 
 2% to 6%
3% to 7%
 1% to 5%
2% to 6%
Canada 
 2% to 5%
3% to 6%
 2% to 6%
4% to 8%
North America
2% to 6%
3% to 7%
1% to 5%
2% to 6%
The Global Business Travel Forecast 2011 is available for purchase for $495 per individual user for existing American Express Business Travel clients and $995 per individual user for non-Business Travel clients. It is also included in the annual subscription to eXpert insights research, a series of more than 75 managed travel industry advisory publications and benchmarks offered at $1,500 per subscriber per year. To obtain a copy of the Forecast or subscribe to eXpert insights, please email advisoryservices@aexp.com or visit www.businesstravelconneXion.com.Forecast MethodologyThe 2011 Forecast is based on a number of primary data sources, including proprietary data from the American Express Business Travel Monitor, the American Express contracted rates database, aggregate transaction reports, and outside licensed data sources including Smith Travel Research (STR) Global Hotel Reviews and National Business Travel Association (NBTA) research on travel expenditures. Projections were based on a combination of these primary sources and interviews with American Express category and regional experts. All ranges represent forecasted year-over-year increases. Although the forecasts and projections provided in the report are based on information gathered from internal and external sources that American Express Business Travel believes to be reliable, no representation or warranty is made as to the accuracy of the forecasts or projections made herein. In addition, actual changes in business travel costs could vary significantly from forecasted data, particularly as a result of unforeseen future political, economic, and/or environmental events. About American Express Business TravelAmerican Express Business Travel (www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel), a division of American Express Company, is committed to helping its clients maximize the return on their travel investment through cost savings strategies, world-class customer service, and greater spending control. With clients ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, American Express Business Travel provides a combination of industry-leading technology, travel management consulting, and strategic sourcing and supplier negotiation support, alongside global customer service available online and offline. The Company also provides a dynamic online community (www.businesstravelconneXion.com) harnessing the collective intelligence of those in the business travel industry with a variety of perspectives, best practices, current research and industry news. American Express operates one of the world’s largest travel agency networks with locations in more than 140 countries worldwide. Total travel sales volume in 2009 was $21.5 billion, including proprietary volume, volume processed through joint ventures, and American Express branded volume processed through its partner network. American Express Company is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
American Express and SAP Join Forces to Launch In... American Express Press Releases
American Express and SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced a joint effort to develop an integrated solution enabling SAP customers in the United States to process electronic payments more seamlessly with American Express. Through this collaboration, the companies aim to clear roadblocks that can delay or deter corporate adoption of electronic payments, such as high costs of deploying and connecting a myriad of third-party systems. Companies today use many different system interfaces for electronic transactions between their banking partners’ and corporate suppliers’ systems as well as between their own enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Often based on a wide variety of protocols, proprietary standards and technologies, these point-to-point interfaces can involve costly custom-developments as well as maintenance costs averaging anywhere from $50,000 to more than $500,000 for large global corporations.Designed to help organizations drive process efficiencies without the need for large-scale, up-front development investments, the combined solution will feature a “plug-and-play” utility to enable SAP customers to adopt electronic payments quickly and easily. By integrating payments solutions with the underlying technology that powers an organization’s business processes, corporations can enhance controls and optimize the timing of their payments, thereby improving their working capital. The integrated solution combines the power of the Buyer Initiated Payments solution from American Express with process integration (PI) technology from the SAP NetWeaver® technology platform. PI technology will maintain payment data integrity and the workflows and approval processes that customers are already running on SAP software.“Corporate clients typically have a fragmented base of treasury workstations, trading systems, accounts payable solutions, payroll processors, and other financial solutions that exchange data internally and externally with banks and corporate suppliers,” said Jeanne Capachin, research vice president, IDC Financial Insights, an independent research and consulting company. “More standardization of data and better connectivity between buyers and suppliers are needed. Recognizing the pain their corporate clients experience managing multiple third-party systems, SAP and American Express are working together to increase ease of use and reduce costs for customers deploying and maintaining payment solutions.” “Automated payment solutions can be critical to companies seeking to save money, but have historically required significant investments in resources and time to implement,” said Jaromir Divilek, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Global Commercial Card. “With this joint effort, we will be able to offer SAP and American Express clients a faster and more cost effective way to recognize the benefits of electronic payments. “With its broad customer base of the world’s leading companies, SAP is an ideal partner – one that shares our deep commitment to delivering business value and innovation to customers.”“SAP’s global reach and business process expertise in the financial services sector put us in a unique position to help customers ease connectivity with American Express payment services,” said Don Trotta, senior vice president and global head of Financial Services, SAP AG. “The collaboration with American Express underscores the proven business value of our software and further upholds our promise to help customers continually tap new potential from their SAP deployments.”As part of the agreement, American Express will license SAP NetWeaver PI technology and SAP will be the first company to deploy the new integrated Buyer Initiated Payments/PI solution. The companies plan to make the solution available in the first quarter of 2011.Next Major Event: Sibos 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 25 – 29Join SAP at stand number A445 at Sibos 2010, the world’s premier financial services event, to exchange insights with industry and solution experts and learn about latest developments in the SAP® for Banking portfolio.About American Express Buyer Initiated PaymentsAmerican Express’ Buyer Initiated Payments solution is an integrated web-based automation tool for companies focused on improving every aspect of the payment process. Benefits include:
Extend Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), or float, maximizing short-term cash
Increase the volume of electronic payments, reducing costs associated with paper checks and supplier inquiries
Enhance payment security, minimizing fraud
Benefit from world-class dedicated customer service
About SAP NetWeaver® Process Integration A core component of the SAP NetWeaver® platform, process integration (PI) is a middleware technology used to facilitate data exchange between a company’s internal software and that of external parties. Based on service-oriented architecture (SOA), SAP NetWeaver PI serves as an integration broker to mediate exchanges between a company’s own IT systems and those of external parties. It is also used to integrate and automate service-enabled business processes across such heterogeneous IT landscapes. SAP NetWeaver PI serves as an enterprise services bus (ESB) to mediate exchanges between systems using varying data formats and protocols. More than 3,500 SAP customers are using PI productively to perform application-to-application (A2A) and business-to-business (B2B) integration and to run service-enabled business processes. About American Express Global Commercial CardThrough its Global Commercial Card group, American Express provides the Corporate Card, Corporate Purchasing Solutions, including vPayment and Buyer Initiated Payments, and other expense management services to mid-sized companies and large corporations worldwide. In the U.S., it is the leading issuer of commercial cards, serving more than 70% of the Fortune 500, as well as tens of thousands of mid-sized companies. American Express issues local-currency commercial cards in more than 40 countries, and International Dollar Corporate Cards in an additional 100+ countries. For more information, visit www.americanexpress.com/corporate.About SAPSAP is the world’s leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 102,500 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol “SAP.” For more information, visit www.sap.com.  
(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, and related applications.Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.Copyright © 2010 SAP AG. All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.
For more information, please contact:Molly Faust, American Express, 212-640-0624, molly.faust@aexp.com, EDTSoenke Moosmann, SAP, +49 (0)6227 7-40529, soenke.moosmann@sap.com, CET 
American Express Launches Healthy Living in Singa... American Express Press Releases
American Express today launched its Healthy Living programme for Singapore employees. Healthy Living is a global wellness programme developed specifically to help its employees and families understand, achieve and maintain good health.
Healthy Living also supports the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) upcoming National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) theme of Healthy Together, where all Singapore residents are inspired to share the joys of having a healthy lifestyle, especially when they do it together, across their social networks.
Singapore is the first American Express market in East Asia to launch Healthy Living, having launched it in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico and India.
The programme is customized for Singapore employees and built upon three key pillars: Be Active, Eat Healthy and Stay Balanced - to create a culture of healthy lifestyle. In line with these key pillars, American Express will offer employees the use of biometric measurement, online health risk assessments and health & wellness coaching to encourage them to make more informed decisions in adopting a healthier lifestyle.
"Healthy Living is a long-term investment in employees designed to inspire and enable real behavior change. American Express is already witnessing tangible benefits from this programme in other countries, including reduced healthcare costs and superior customer service from healthier employees. In Singapore, we are delighted to be collaborating with the Health Promotion Board on its comprehensive line-up of workplace health promotion programmes," said American Express Singapore Country Manager Simon Kahn.
American Express is working closely and in consultation with HPB in terms of employee education and communication efforts. Some examples include using "Healthier Choice" food products at vending machines and introducing HPB's Healthier Restaurant and Healthier Catering programmes to employees.
Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lam Pin Woon, CEO of HPB, said: "We are very glad to have American Express support our upcoming NHLC 2010 theme of Healthy Together. Their Healthy Living programme for their employees not only shows their commitment to promote good health among their staff, they are also leading the way to encourage staff to get Healthy Together with their family, colleagues and friends, which makes their journey to health more fun and sustainable. Promoting workplace health is one of several key pillars of Healthy Together, and HPB looks forward to partnering with American Express to help spread the joy a healthy lifestyle can bring."
In conjunction with the launch of Healthy Living in Singapore, American Express employees and families will attempt to make history in the Singapore Book of Records by building the country's longest healthy sandwich. The sandwich will be 250 feet long, made with wholemeal bread, lettuce, capsicums, olives, tomatoes, chicken and dressings.
Employees and their families can also learn about Healthy Living at an Interactive Healthy Living House. As attendees wander through the Kitchen, Home Gym, and other rooms, they will learn how Healthy Living can be brought in to all facets of family life. Attendees will help make tasty, nutritious smoothies, take part in exercise demonstrations, receive basic biometric data, share what Healthy Living means to them and their families and have access to tools, resources and information to make Healthy Living a reality in their own homes.
The Healthy Living Programme for 2011 will be extended to include complete health screening for all employees, subsidies for gym membership and those who regularly engage in fitness activities, educating employees about healthier eating choices around the workplace and having educational materials sent to employees' homes so that it reaches their families.
About American ExpressAmerican Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
About Health Promotion BoardThe Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a statutory board formed under the Ministry of Health, Singapore. HPB is the key national driver for health education, promotion and disease prevention programmes for children, adults and the elderly in Singapore. The vision of HPB is a nation of healthy and happy people, while the mission is to promote health excellence by empowering individuals to take ownership of their health. With its partners, HPB creates a supportive environment, and provides health education and preventive health services to empower Singaporeans to attain the best possible health throughout life.
About Healthy TogetherHealthy Together, the theme for National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign 2010, inspires all Singapore residents to share the joys a healthy lifestyle can bring – especially when we do it together, across our social networks. The campaign taps into our collective desire to build brighter futures for our families, friends and neighbours.
New American Express Commercial Card Tool Gives B... American Express Press Releases
Some of Europe's leading companies are now focusing more closely on carbon business travel emissions thanks to a new reporting system provided by American Express Commercial Card.
Launched today, American Express' Carbon Savings Assessment Manager (Carbon SAM) is an innovative method for organisations looking to measure air travel CO2 emissions at the touch of a button. Some of Europe's leading companies are already piloting Carbon SAM to measure, track and reduce their business travel emissions.
The system, which American Express is providing to its new and existing Commercial Card customers in Europe, suggests a range of travel alternatives to reduce CO2 emissions. The reporting system designed to be used by a host of stakeholders, from Travel and Procurement Managers to Finance Officers, measures the emissions on airlines, class of travel, route and time of travel*, and identifies a list of lower emission producing travel alternatives.
Carbon SAM integrates with an existing range of American Express' reporting tools that support customers by providing advice on purchasing & process management programmes. Covering all airline routes visible from the customer's Card programme, Carbon SAM provides retrospective reports, assessing any business air travel completed with a reporting scope of from one month up to a year.
Karen Penney, Vice President, Business Strategy and Solutions, at American Express, said: "Carbon SAM is a real step change for businesses looking to improving their sustainability. We've spent 18 months developing the most robust system so that businesses can be confident the reporting on their business travel emissions is truly comprehensive.
In addition to retrospective information, we can provide clients with emission data on alternative routes, mode and time of travel to aid their decision making in the future."
About American Express Global Commercial CardThrough its Global Commercial Card group, American Express provides the Corporate Card, Corporate Purchasing Solutions, and other expense management services to medium sized companies and large corporations worldwide. American Express issues local-currency commercial cards in 40 countries, and International Dollar Corporate Cards in an additional 100 countries. For more information, visit www.americanexpress.com/corporate.
About American Express' Environmental PoliciesAmerican Express takes its own social responsibility extremely seriously. In addition to piloting Carbon SAM internally, it has measured its own carbon footprint and has committed to a reduction target of 10% by 2012, from a 2006 baseline assessment. It has also established an Office of Environmental Responsibility that serves to guide and focus its environmental activities around the world.
*Based on International Civil Aviation Authority data
Small Business Owners Poised to Capitalize on Gro... American Express Press Releases
In spite of continued concerns over the economy, small businesses' hiring plans are stable compared to the spring, with one-in-four planning to hire over the next six months, according to the American Express OPEN® Small Business Monitor, a semi-annual survey of business owners now in its ninth year. Concurrently, small business owners' view on the economy has deteriorated. Roughly four-in-ten (45%) have a positive outlook on the economy and prospects for their business, down from more than half in spring (51%) and last fall (55%).
Over the last eighteen months, business owners have been streamlining business operations and cutting costs. Now, as a result of those tough decisions, many business owners appear to be in stronger financial position to jump on growth opportunities that might materialize. Fewer report having cash flow issues (53%, down from 60% this spring), and while hiring plans remain stable overall, the number of business owners who plan to hire full time employees in the next six months has doubled to 10% versus spring 2010.
While their confidence in the overall economy declined, more business owners said they thought sales over the next six months would be higher compared to last year (39% vs. 34% in the spring) and employee morale has shown modest improvements.
Business owners are also increasingly tapping into social media to reach customers and prospects. Four-in-ten now indicate they use at least one social media platform; Facebook is by far the most popular platform, with 27% of relevant businesses on board. By comparison, only one-in-ten business owners a year ago were using online social networking to market their businesses.
"Over the last two years, many business owners shelved investment and hiring plans and dipped into cash reserves and personal assets to stem the tide of declining sales," said Susan Sobbott, president, American Express OPEN. "Now entrepreneurs are driving more business with existing customers through regular follow-up and better customer service. They're also tapping into relevant and low-cost marketing tools like social media."
Hiring Driven by Growth Opportunities: Welcome Back Full-TimersSmall business owners remain cautious on hiring, opting to do so only when business growth warrants it. Of those business owners looking to hire (26% overall), more than three-quarters say the reason is "to handle growing business." By comparison, only 29% said they would hire for a "new business venture."
The Small Business Monitor indicates that those employed by a small business are happier than they were a year ago. Seventeen percent of business owners reported that the morale of their employees has improved, nearly double from a year ago. The survey also showed a correlation between hiring plans and additional investments in their businesses. Overall capital investment plans remain low (38% plan to make investments over the next six months). That number jumps to 61% among businesses with hiring plans.
Cash Flow under Control; More Looking to Access CapitalAn outcome attributable to business owners' belt-tightening is a better handle on cash flow. The number of businesses with cash flow concerns has essentially dropped to pre-recession levels (53% versus 49% in fall 2007), and business owners have adjusted the way they deal with issues that do arise.
Small business owners are just as likely to address cash flow issues by putting off purchases as they are to use personal or private funds (28% and 27% respectively). This is a subtle shift compared to a year ago when more were accessing personal funds than putting off purchases (32% vs. 25%). Six-in-ten entrepreneurs also say they find themselves holding onto cash for their business more now than in the past.
With cash flow concerns declining, the number of business owners who are confident they can access the capital they need to grow their business has remained steady (57% vs. 60% in the spring). The number of entrepreneurs looking for ways to access capital jumped to 62% compared to 45% last fall). In addition, their sources of capital have also shifted.
Generating Customer Demand: Service and ValueOverall, business owners say that increased customer demand is by far the most important factor in driving business growth (50%) compared to tax cuts (23%), access to capital (14%) and the ability to hire more employees (6%). To help boost demand, they're focused on two key strategies: deepening relationships and creating value.
72% are working to build better relationships with existing customers through regular follow up, and 34% are actively using social media to keep connected with customers
25% are highlighting how their products or services can save customers either time or money, 24% are bundling products or services to add greater value, 20% are establishing loyalty programs, 18% are establishing rewards/incentive programs, and 14% are offering free trials of their products and services
This focus on service and value could strike a chord with consumers, who reported in American Express OPEN research that price, proximity and personalized service were the three biggest drivers in choosing where to shop.
The apparent exponential growth in the use of social media by business owners is rooted in the need to drive demand. When asked about the primary benefit of using social media for their businesses, nearly four-in-ten entrepreneurs (39%) said it increases the exposure of their business.
Social media is a lower cost marketing channel through which business owners can talk directly to consumers, who say they're more than willing to listen when it comes to special promotions and deals. In fact, consumers said they were most interested in hearing about small business loyalty programs (59%), followed by free trials (49%), rewards or incentive programs (44%) and invitations to new product launches or special shopping days (39%).
"For business owners, social media ultimately should be a two way street. It's about business owners connecting with customers and customers connecting with businesses," Sobbott added. "More than 10% of consumers we surveyed reported posting a review of a small business through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, and of these posts, two-thirds say the reviews have been positive."
Findings by Geography, Gender and Industry The Monitor also looked specifically at key, bellwether states Texas, Florida, New York and California, as well as women entrepreneurs, small business owners by generation, and by industry. Some of the notable findings include:
In these bellwether states, Texas business owners are the only ones who say that tax cuts are the most important factor in driving business growth
More than half of entrepreneurs in New York say their customers are taking more time to pay over the last 60 days (54% in NY vs. 32% overall)
More than four-in-ten Florida entrepreneurs offer healthcare benefits to employees, up from three in ten this spring
California business owners are increasingly optimistic about the economy and their business prospects (54% vs. 45% in the spring) and the most optimistic compared to these other states (39% in NY, 36% in Texas and 49% in Florida)
One in five women entrepreneurs say employee morale has worsened at their firms, twice as many as last fall
Generation Y has the most positive outlook on the economy; Generation X are the most likely to pay themselves a salary and Baby Boomers are most likely to have cash flow issues
Among industries, manufacturers possess the most positive outlook on the economy
Services businesses are the most likely to have hiring plans and retailers are least likely to have cash flow issues
Additional survey results are available by contacting American Express OPEN.
Survey MethodologyAmerican Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, released each spring and fall, is based on a nationally representative sample of 726 small business owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees. The anonymous survey was conducted via telephone by Echo Research from August 25- September 15, 2010. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.6%.
The American Express OPEN Consumer Survey was completed among a random sample of 1,009 consumers representative of the US population aged 18 and over. The anonymous survey was conducted via telephone by Echo Research between September 17- 20, 2010. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
About American Express OPEN®American Express OPEN is the leading payment card issuer for small businesses in the United States and supports business owners with products and services to help them run and grow their businesses. This includes business charge and credit cards that deliver purchasing power, flexibility, rewards, savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners and online tools and services designed to help improve profitability. Learn more at OPEN.com and connect with us at openforum.com and twitter.com/openforum.
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
American Express Unveils Sugarland as Next "Unsta... American Express Press Releases
American Express announced today that Grammy® award-winning country music sensation Sugarland will perform at the Best Buy Theater in New York City on October 18 as part of "Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express." It was also announced that award-winning filmmaker Kenny Ortega (This is It, High School Musical, Dirty Dancing) will direct the performance. The show represents the third installment of American Express' "Unstaged" program, which launched in July, and is the latest offering from American Express in partnership with VEVO, the leading premium music video and entertainment service, and YouTube, to feature five live-stream concerts with some of today's most talented musicians and directors. The performance, which will feature surprise musical guests, will be live-streamed at 9:00PM/ET at www.youtube.com/sugarlandvevo and coincides with their highly anticipated fourth studio album, The Incredible Machine, arriving in stores on October 19.
"I am excited to immerse myself in Sugarland's magnetic energy and look forward to helping them bring this concert experience to life for so many music lovers," said filmmaker Kenny Ortega.
The Incredible Machine is a soaring album elevated by sky-high choruses, ringing guitars and pulsing drums steeped in a myriad of hypnotic melodies and fun anthems – all drawing inspiration from the iconic music and films of the 1980s.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome the talented and inspirational duo Sugarland to the Unstaged series," said Courtney Kelso, vice president, Sports and Entertainment Access Strategy, American Express. "By providing this intimate access to some of the industry's top talent, American Express continues to create unforgettable on-site and live-stream music experiences to Cardmembers and music lovers alike."
Dana Vetter, YouTube's music marketing programs manager states, "The excitement around the ‘Unstaged' series continues with this third installment.  We're thrilled to have the entertaining duo Sugarland as the latest act to be live streamed to fans worldwide."
"From indie-rock with Arcade Fire to soulful R&B with John Legend & The Roots and now contemporary country with Sugarland, the American Express Unstaged series is reaching  a broad range of musical tastes and fans everywhere," said David Kohl, executive vice president, Sales and Customer Operations, VEVO. "Streaming live performances from artists who are red hot in their respective genres makes this series more than timely and relevant to fans, it puts it in a class by itself."
American Express® Cardmembers and music enthusiasts can digitally connect to these live music experiences in ways that further blur the line between an at-home and in-concert experience:
Choose Your Cam: The audience can control their viewing experience throughout Sugarland "Unstaged" by switching between the director's main stream and alternate "front row" vantage points of the night;
Vote for the Encore: Fans at the concert and the online audience can collectively decide on the encore performance of the night through real-time Web and mobile voting;
Digital Mementos: Viewers who participate via mobile phone will receive Sugarland "Unstaged" downloads, including exclusive photos of the night, wallpapers, and more;
On-line Pre Show: Building anticipation of the night, viewers who tune in early to the live-stream will catch an exclusive segment on Sugarland;
Tweet The Band: Fans can tweet questions to #amexsugarland for a chance to have them answered by the band during the Pre-Show; and
"Fly Away" Sweepstakes: Via mobile phone, fans can enter to win a VIP trip to see Sugarland on their Incredible Machine Tour, anywhere in the continental US.*
Leading up to the October 18 performance, fans can purchase advance tracks of the new album through the iTunes "Countdown Room," and receive insider updates on the performance – including news on surprise guests – by following American Express on Twitter, via @AmericanExpress.
About "Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express"Bringing both the in-concert and at-home viewing experiences to entirely new heights, "Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express" features some of the music industry's most breakthrough artists playing at landmark venues across the country, while tapping some of today's most influential filmmakers to direct the live-streams and using digital and social media to connect the online audience to the live shows in unexpected ways. For more information about American Express and music, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
About American ExpressAmerican Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.  Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.
About VEVOVEVO is the leading premium music video and entertainment service with over one billion worldwide streams and nearly 60 million unique visitors in the U.S. and Canada each month. VEVO's programming is made available across the VEVO Network, which includes VEVO.com (the service's marquee destination site), VEVO Mobile, VEVO on YouTube, and a VEVO-branded embedded player. The service also serves as a syndication platform for additional internet destination sites, including AOL and CBS Interactive Music Group, expanding the reach of the VEVO Network across the worldwide web. VEVO was created in partnership by Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and the Abu Dhabi Media Company. It is operated independently by a dedicated management team with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. Explore VEVO at http://vevo.com. Journalists/Bloggers can stay updated on VEVO news at http://twitter.com/VEVO_Media
About YouTubeYouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. Our mission is for YOU to discover and shape the world through video. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, CA and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
*NO PURCHASE OR TEXT MESSAGE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND OR TEXT MESSAGE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Message and data rates may apply for each text message, sent or received. Refer to your rate plan for complete details. If you enter via text messaging, you will incur charges for at least three text messages and, if the potential winner, you will also incur charges when you are notified via your mobile phone. Text-messaging may not be available through all wireless carriers.
First National Bank of Omaha and American Express... American Express Press Releases
First National Bank of Omaha and American Express today announced a new card-issuing partnership, whereby First National Bank will issue American Express-branded cards on the American Express merchant network. First National Bank expects to begin issuing the new cards during the first half of 2011.
"Our new card-issuing partnership with American Express will help us significantly broaden our cobrand opportunities, particularly in the premium segment," said Stephen Eulie, President, First National Credit Card Center. "With American Express' vast knowledge and expertise in delivering differentiated products and services, we will be able to deliver exciting new benefits, services and product offerings that will appeal to our mass-affluent customer segments."
"We are excited about our new relationship with First National Bank of Omaha, and we are looking forward to helping them target new customers and cobrand partners with a compelling new product range," said William Stredwick, Senior Vice President and Head of North America, American Express Global Network Services. "First National Bank is a highly respected financial services institution, and we are confident that we can add tremendous value to First National Bank's product portfolio as it further deepens its penetration into the premium segment."
Under the terms of the agreement, First National Bank of Omaha will issue the cards, manage customer relationships and be responsible for all marketing, billing, charge authorizations and credit management. American Express will process the transactions through its merchant network, and the cards will be welcomed at millions of locations worldwide.
First National Bank of OmahaFirst National Bank of Omaha is a leader in the credit card partnership arena. With more than 600 financial institution, co-brand, and affinity partners, First National Bank's history in the partnership space spans over 42 years. As a Top 15 issuer of credit cards, First National Bank is committed to its customers, offering quality products and superior service to help them to achieve their goals. First National Bank is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First National of Nebraska has grown into the largest privately-owned banking company in the United States. First National and its affiliates have $17 billion in managed assets and more than 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.
American ExpressAmerican Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Since 1996, American Express has been pursuing a strategy of opening its merchant network and card product portfolio to third party issuers around the world. By leveraging its global infrastructure and the powerful appeal of the brand, American Express has gained even broader reach for its network worldwide. American Express has now established 129 partnerships in 130 markets across the world. Learn more at www.americanexpress.com/gns.
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