Academy for Travel (AFT), an online learning platform for the corporate travel sector, officially launched on October 29, 2026, ahead of the FACTS 2026 conference at ICC Sydney scheduled for November 25-26. Founded by Peter Harbison, Derek Sadubin, and Jamie Harbison—co-founders of the FACTS Conference—the platform transforms the two-day event’s knowledge into a year-round self-paced education resource for travel managers, buyers, suppliers, and industry newcomers.
Platform Features and Course Delivery
AFT offers dynamic, practitioner-led courses designed to adapt to the fast-evolving corporate travel industry. Content is authored by experienced travel professionals, including FACTS speakers who contribute new material regularly. Learners access training at their convenience,
supported by an AI assistant named Sofia. This design addresses the need for ongoing education as the sector shifts due to innovations like agentic AI and changes in procurement and traveller expectations.
Mini-MBA and Course Portfolio
The flagship program, Mini-MBA: Corporate Travel in Australia, contains 10 modules and delivers over 13 hours of learning focused on economic, operational, and strategic aspects of corporate travel within Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Variants tailored to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States are also available, alongside a buyer-oriented Mini-MBA for Australian procurement teams. Additional courses cover Scaling AI in Corporate Travel for TMCs, logistics
for Formula 1 events, and international yacht race logistics. Future courses in development include GDS distribution and NDC targeting travel managers.
Industry Background and Training Needs
The Academy’s creation responded to a gap in structured professional development within corporate travel. With rapid industry change driven by new technologies and shifting demands, existing education options proved insufficient. The platform aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the sector’s complexity and to keep content current through regular updates. Virginia Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Partnership Travel Consulting and a FACTS advisory board member, highlighted the lack of a dedicated training pathway prior to the Academy’s introduction.
Statements from Founders and Stakeholders
Derek Sadubin said,
“We’re here to launch the Academy, which is very exciting because it’s a great new initiative to give people who are new to travel, or who have been in travel for a long time, access to really good short-course training and professional development that they can do in their own time, at their own pace.” Peter Harbison noted, “The genesis of Academy for Travel was actually FACTS. We came to the realisation that there’s such a thirst for knowledge, and there’s no product out there that describes the whole travel industry, all its really complex parts and how they’re changing
so fast. Because we’ve got dynamic courses, we can keep up with that change online.” Fitzpatrick added, “Academy for Travel is a much-needed source of professional training for anyone working in corporate travel. For too long, our industry has lacked a dedicated, structured development pathway, even as more talented people enter and progress through corporate travel and the need for ongoing education grows.” An unnamed university travel program manager commented on the rapid change, stating, “If you really want up-to-date information, an organisation such as Academy for Travel can prepare people to be work-ready, so they can join an organisation
and hit the ground running.”
FACTS 2026 Conference and Discount Offer
FACTS 2026, held at ICC Sydney on November 25-26, expects over 2,000 attendees, 150 exhibitors, and 200 speakers covering content on eight stages without sponsored material. Delegates to the conference have access to a 50% discount on all AFT courses until midnight AEDT, November 26, reducing the Mini-MBA course price from A$995 to A$497.50. This offer aims to extend professional development beyond the two-day event.
