Corporate travel buyers need to be more forthright in their dealings with travel management companies (TMCs) and other suppliers, according to the future boss of the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM).
Speaking at the association's annual conference at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire, Nicola Lomas – who takes over as ITM chair in 2012 – insisted buyers should take the lead in TMC negotiations.
“Corporates need to decide what they want and then find the suppliers who can provide that,” she said. “It's not a question of the TMC saying 'if you had a global programme we could save you money' if you don't want a global programme.”
Lomas, director of corporate travel services for media group Omnicom, found an unlikely ally in Raj Sachdave, head of sales at Capita Business Travel.
“We are constantly asked what our road-map is for the next 12 to 24 months,” he said. “No! Tell us what you want from the next 12 to 24 months and then we will map that out for you. Don't ever be afraid to ask.”
Ike Ihenacho, head of travel at Nokia, speaking at the same 'buyers' thinking' conference session, added: “We are always seeking information from our suppliers to show us how we can improve our service – we are not rigid, we are open to change.
“In our industry, if you snooze, you lose.”
Omnicom travel boss Lomas urged buyers to forge closer relationships with their TMCs.
“TMCs have a lot of knowledge about what other clients are doing, and they recognise what could fit for others – it's a real 'soft' benefit.”
However, Sachdave warned: “It's hard to differentiate between one supplier and another. It's the responsibility of the supplier to create enough difference to enable the buyers to make that choice.”