This year’s Business Travel Show features a content stream dedicated to PAs and those who are new to looking after their company’s travel arrangements. The Fundamentals of Business Travel sessions focus on intro-level topics to get you started in your career. Here’s a look at the sessions on offer in the Olympia Room Theatre today (Thursday, 23 February).
10am-11am: Choosing a travel management company and other partners – Johanne Young, Co-Founder of Opteva
Travel management companies and hotel booking agencies play a crucial role in supporting your travel programme but how do you find the one that’s right for you? We give you an essential beginner’s guide to choosing the best service at the best price.
11.30am-12.30pm: Travel policy – your key to balancing maximum compliance with traveller experience – Asif Bashir, Founder and Director at Axcent Travel Solutions
A well-crafted policy is at the heart of any successful corporate travel programme. Learn how you can build a policy to control spend and steer business towards preferred suppliers, yet give travellers enough flexibility for their trip needs all at the same time. And once the policy is up and running, how do you monitor and enforce it?
1pm-2pm: Online booking and other technology – how to choose it, how to implement it, how to maximise adoption – Alexandra Marney from Amadeus and Rüdiger Bruss from Travel Mobility Services
Many organisations book some of their travel through an online reservations tool, but the real work starts once you have chosen your technology provider. Learn how to implement a booking tool to maximise adoption – and find out about other technology tools such as automated expense management.
2.30pm-3.30pm: Communication – how to engage travellers and other stakeholders in your travel programme – Paul Casement, Director of Sales and Account Management at Portman Clarity Travel
Getting travellers onside is now considered essential for the success of any travel programme – and senior management buy-in is equally important. Come and find out how to talk to the stakeholders that matter in your organisation. What do you say to them, how do you say it, what channels do you use, and how do you make sure you are listening properly in return?
4pm-5pm: Safety and security – a best practice for beginners – Philip Stuart from PwC and Peter Cooper from Drum Cussac
In these troubled times, good travel management isn’t just about finding the best price. So too is looking after employees’ safety and security on the move. But how do you organise your risk management internally, who do you need to bring in externally to help you and what technology do you need to maximise traveller protection both before and during their journey?
There are plenty of other sessions and more advanced topics on offer, as well as a series of panel discussions. To find out more, visit businesstravelshow.com/conference.
