This is a sample letter from a travel and events manager. Written by Brazil-based Fernão Loureiro, Philips Latin America regional business travel manager, it is a didactic way to generally illustrate to travelers and travel arrangers the difficulties of the travel management profession. Dear colleague, I am responsible for the travel area of our company….
There is much to think about when selecting an online booking tool for your corporate travel program. A good choice is one that travelers will want to use and travel management companies can effectively support — today and tomorrow. Travel management consultant Tony O’Connor recommends taking the long view and highlights a few things to…
Former Amadeus, American Express and TRX leader Vic Pynn is enthusiastic about opportunities for companies to improve their appreciation and nurturing of human resources. Continuing his contributions to industry dialogue on leadership, mentoring and talent retention, here he highlights the reasons for putting people first and how to do so. I am amazed at the amount…
Corporate online booking tools have their detractors. Everyone has an opinion on how to make them better. That includes Festive Road managing partner Caroline Strachan. In this guest piece, she explains the challenges faced by the makers of corporate tools, how some products overcome them and why she sees 2019 as a year of big…
After a few stints with Hogg Robinson, the first starting in the 1970s, John Harvey knows a thing or two about travel management companies. Observing current market forces and technological innovation, he senses the emergence of a new framework. In this guest column, Harvey discusses how three decades of TMC evolution will shape the industry’s…
Countering critics who say innovation in corporate travel lags that of leisure travel, Troovo CEO Kurt Knackstedt sees a vibrant B2B marketplace. He makes his case by pointing to competition and stepped-up technological evolution. I’ve never worked for a leisure-focused travel agency or online travel company. I did have three years with a global distribution…
Following his previous guidepost on understanding executive leadership in a travel management environment, consultant Duane Futch has another round of career advice. Here, he provides pointers on recognizing underperformance, finding remedies and charting progress toward improved job security. As we move into the new year, it’s time for every travel and meeting manager to take…
Change is afoot in the fields of travel and meetings management. To kick off the new year, Ron Shah, founder and CEO of meetings and events platform Bizly, points out key facets of the industry’s evolution. He discusses why the status quo won’t do and how constituents should adapt. That includes ways in which corporate…
Artificial intelligence will mean many things to many industries. In travel management, it already helps to personalize booking experiences for travelers. Moving forward, it also will streamline workflows, minimize risk and generally alter service delivery. AirPlus International executive director of marketing Yael Klein discusses the potential as society feels its way through the early days…
When we at The Company Dime speak with travel managers, online booking tools almost always come up in the conversations. Everyone has an opinion about deficiencies, features and suppliers. Setting a strategy starts with knowing traveler habits and content needs, before getting into how travel management companies support specific tools (or don’t). There are hotel-only…
Graham Wareham has been in the thick of airline distribution evolution, at Air Canada and now as global director of ATPCO’s distribution portfolio. In this guest column, Wareham provides a history lesson on how airlines brought sales and distribution into the digital age, explains current industry efforts toward standards and urges players in the chain…
Bringing competition and rewards into travel programs is a debatable practice. Some don’t see reason enough to incentivize employees for following the rules. Others see room to drive engagement and policy compliance in a fun, employee-centric way — and save money at the same time. For those leaning toward the latter mindset, Philips Latin America…
Technological prowess can set up a company for success, but usually not by itself. The best-performing companies don’t lose sight of what customers need or how employees can deliver it, and that means cultivating a culture to empower both groups. ARC vice president and chief information officer Dickie Oliver offers tips to companies trying to…
The dynamic world of corporate travel keeps all involved on their toes. It’s not just the nature of travel — delays, cancellations and a multitude of other complications. It’s also the business of travel. Travel management practitioners must consider how new processes, evolving supplier strategies and emerging technologies impact their programs. As such, Brandon Strauss…
As the managed travel community gets a better grasp on what NDC is and why airlines are gung-ho about it, the focus turns to enabling. For travel management companies, the linchpin for corporate travel programs, there’s much to consider. Mary Ellen George of Tramada Systems lays out the different ways TMCs are approaching NDC development…
