Aim to assess impact on industry
A major new study into the impact of e-communications on the business travel industry is to be launched by the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM).
The research will be carried put next year and focus on factors which the Institute says are causing "fundamental behavioural change in the ways businesses interact".
ITM, whose members in the UK and Ireland have a total annual travel spend of £34bn, said these factors included:
- the influence of the environmental and wider sustainability
- the increased focus on Return on Investment (ROI) or Return on Objectives (ROO)
- the growing need for duty of care and a work/life balance.
ITM also said it wanted to look at the "impact of generational difference and the rising use of technology to interact by the ‘Digital Native'.
These are people who have grown up with technology.
The research will also look at differences between attitudes in the private and public sector and at the "appropriate meeting mode" being tried in some of the innovative travel progammes now being drawn up.
Among the questions the ITM plans to pose are: the value of face to face meetings, future use of technology, the value of video conferencing and its role in the industry, what influence will HR matters have and what can suppliers do to create a better industry model.
Caroline Strachan, ITM's chairman and category lead for Astra Zeneca said: "There is much talk about technology versus face-to-face so we think it's important to undertake a quality study on what the true value of face-to-face meetings are and what part technology will play.
"We are not looking to promote travel over technology or vice versa, but take a totally independent view to assess what the future might look like."
The survey will be carried out by ITM's research partner Argate.
Diane Steed, ITM's head of marketing, said: "To reinforce this independence we are not looking for commissioning sponsors who will benefit from the promotion of technology, rather we're looking for suppliers who stand to lose at present from the use of technology over travel.
"The results will give these companies a real insight into their future market and how they can adapt to survive and even thrive in the brave new world we envisage."
www.itm.org.uk