At our recent Future of Travel Management workshop the conversation, as inevitably most do in business travel, turned to policy and supplier negotiations. I was particularly struck by comments about advertising preferred suppliers.
It started when Rachel Newns, hotel product manager of FCM Travel Solutions suggested travel managers send company 'influencers' into hotels, particularly properties new to the programme.
It reminded me of where a lot of travel agent knowledge and travel journalism comes from. Journalists may call them press trips and agents use the term familiarisation trips but they generally have the same purpose: to showcase a hotel, airline and/or destination with the hope of a glowing article or increased sales.
Travel managers may visit a hotel but travellers themselves, especially those influencers, have more clout when it comes to word of mouth recommendations. In theory a free night or two would result in more business for the hotel and travel programme compliance.
Take that a step further and the programme becomes a marketing stream and you could say that in a way it always has been. A buyer at our workshop asked if he could receive a rebate or charge a fee for advertising preferred suppliers to his thousands of travellers. He has a point.
Rory Egan-Thomas, TMC account manager and SME sales at Virgin Atlantic agrees that travel buyers and suppliers need be savvier in their partnerships. He predicts a shift away from corporate deals and that companies will move into programmes similar to those designed for SMEs that are more flexible for buyers and travellers, offer discounts and still fit in policies.
This, then, creates a specialised product for the company that isn't available in another channel.
The problem is then to show that off correctly in the booking tool.