Last month's Buying Business Travel Forum in Dublin was attended by senior travel buyers in the Irish market.
The event, held at the Westbury hotel in Dublin, looked at best practice in managing an international travel programme with particular focus on how technology is empowering travellers, the changing role of the travel manager and integration of software into the programme.
The Forum was supported by ACTE, and sponsored by Lufthansa, HRS and London City Airport.
Jon West, UK managing director at HRS, moderated a session looking at how technology both helps and challenges travel managers. Panellists included Sabre head of business development Sean O’Kelly and BCD Travel’s Barry Fleming.
Delegates said tech solutions – some already available, some in development – help with better visibility on programme performance. For example data consolidation, bringing booked data from TMCs and credit card/expense data together, giving a clearer view on who’s buying what, and from which suppliers. TMCs and data specialists are providing analytics that help buyers gain insight and dynamically refine their policies and travel programmes.
Several buyers agreed that they recognise that many of their travellers use airline and hotel apps, as well as more generic apps such as weather and traffic alerts.
Apps & culture
Delegates discussed how TMC mobile apps are being developed to provide a service platform for the entire, door-to-door traveller experience. The aim of these is to help travellers to be more productive, and be more likely to get travellers booking via approved channels and with client preferred suppliers.
However, buyers agreed, “culture beats strategy every time”. Technology only helps if you engage with travellers: understanding travel policy and the reasons for it is what ultimately increases compliance. Many buyers said the majority of travellers “will do the right thing”.
Mobile airports
Danielle Williams, social media manager at London City Airport, cited some eye-catching figures in her keynote address – such as this year the number of mobile devices will overtake the global population – 7.7 billion, and more than $1 billion of mobile payments are transacted daily. In travel terms, by next year 62 per cent of airlines will integrate boarding passes with third-party ‘mobile wallets’.
Williams said those supplying travel services – including her airport – need to respond to these trends and create personalised and relevant traveller services and experiences. She said the airport communicates with passengers in real time via Twitter, while its “Crowd Vision” cameras track movements to measure journey times through the airport and congestion points – something she hopes will be expanded to connect directly to inform passengers.
Frustration-free requests…
Another session looked at issues around RFPs (requests for proposals) – delegates said the acronym stood for Really Frustrating Process!
But Lufthansa sales manager Paula Sheridan argued that RFPs are here to stay, and indeed not a waste of time – if done well. For her, communication with the travel buyer is key, to understand opportunities for both sides, and to avoid a one-size-fits all approach.
BCD director Tony McGetrick told delegates about his firm’s research showing that when a consultant is involved in a bid, 85 per cent of clients change TMC, but when the client runs the bid without help, 80 per cent tend to stay with their incumbent. He added that of 20 recent written bids received; only one specifically requested different needs.
“This indicates that if you don’t have a prior relationship with a prospect, responding simply to an RFP may not give you the opportunity to find the underlying issues and real reasons for going to bid in the first place.” Delegates also noted that it is frustrating when the cost of changing supplier meant that the best bid doesn’t necessarily win the business. One buyer said that when the RFP process is procurement-led rather than travel manager-led, the focus tends to be on the bottom line, whereas travel managers tend to be more about vendor relationship management.
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ACTE
Lufthansa
HRS
London City airport