Education Sessions
Wednesday 9 November 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
The GBTA Europe Accommodations Committee will look at how are corporates navigating the anxieties from their employees who are having to return to regular travel, going back into the office regularly etc. As well as how they looked after employees wellbeing after the pandemic.
On the other hand, how are accommodation suppliers also looking after their own staff who are having to expose themselves at work on a daily basis as travel is coming back to normal levels.
Business travel has traditionally focused on transient travel and events. But now, as millions of employees adapt to remote working suddenly a new ‘Collaboration Travel’ segment has emerged.
Collaboration Travel brings people together to meet, network and build relationships centered around simple meetings, off-sites and group lodging. In this session the GBTA Europe Meetings Committee will look at many important questions such as How will this impact your travel program? What’s best practice for launching a meetings / groups OBT? What policies are needed? Is Collaboration Travel here to stay?
ISO 31030 provides guidance for organisations across all industries, on how they can better protect the safety and security of traveling employees. This session, led by Bob Quick, helps travel managers understand how to build more robust travel management policies in line with ISO 31030. PwC will outline how it manages the risks its travelling employees face. Peters & Peters will discuss the legal and financial implications of failing to acknowledge the guidance.
Objectives:
Recognise and identify potential risks and consequences for all circumstances when employees travel.
Gain confidence in building and reviewing your company’s travel management policies regularly.
Demonstrate that due diligence is maintained throughout the organisation.
Speaker:
Lee Whiteing, Commercial Director, GSA
As companies commit to net-zero, business travel is on the front line when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Travel buyers are asking how they can translate targets into actions that deliver CO2 reductions – while keeping business travel moving. This session will set out a practical, realistic 3-step framework that buyers can use to design and execute an effective decarbonization strategy. By leading on sustainability and being able to demonstrate results – travel buyers can be seen as change agents.
Objectives:
Learn how to build a framework to advance decarbonization in your travel program.
Discover what practical levers are currently available to help you decarbonize travel.
The new generations are here and are dominating the travel industry. Get a deep dive into the habits of these generations and the impact they are having on managed travel – from new trends to increasing demands – and actionable steps to make your programs and products more Y & Z friendly.
Objectives:
Understand the generational needs and expectations for the ‘new normal’ in travel.
Learn how to bridge the generational gap to manage expectations for them and yourself.
Get immediate best practices to prepare for the return-to-office and return-to-travel.
Speaker:
Tim Hines, CMO AmTrav
im Hines, a.k.a. The Marketing Starter, is a CMO, author, keynote speaker, podcast show host, and consultant who shows people how to harness the power of the entrepreneurial spirit to accel in all that they do
Tim specializes in developing omnichannel marketing programs within the tech industry and partnering with startups to get their dreams off the ground. With nearly 20 years of experience, Tim has developed strategic marketing initiatives with many clients including Dialpad, Tribune Media, Ticketmaster, and the CIA.
Wednesday 9 November 12:30 PM - 13:15 PM
Through this session the GBTA Europe Aviation Committee will review NDC and look at the key milestones with the goal to educate our newest travel professional community. We will be looking at the progress and key information from different perspectives (supplier, technology and corporate). We will be able to review the progress so far, look into the near future and what we should expect from NDC.
The super PNR has long been the elusive unicorn of the travel world. Fragmented bookings and disparate systems, outside booking behaviors and en route decisions make it difficult to capture a complete snapshot of the trip. Find out how companies are leveraging technology to map, capture and consolidate trip data across multiple sources. And deliver a quick, complete record of a trip, so you can drive meaningful change across your program.
Objectives:
Learn best practice to integrate non-traditional data streams into your program view.
Understand solutions to combat the challenges of the invisible, traveling workforce.
Find out what’s possible when you can make clearer, confident decisions.
The TMC’s operational model has remained largely unchanged for decades while the broader customer service world has evolved to meet changing demand. Customers now expect around-the-clock service, 365 days a year, and don’t feel they should pay more for it. For some, COVID-19 has accelerated large-scale digitization, for others it’s meant taking everything offline and relying on human expertise. Now looking ahead, how can we align customer requirements with the available capabilities to reimagine tomorrow’s TMC servicing model?
1. Define what sustainability means for travel management
2. Managing and improving environmental performance.
a. Avoid emissions by managing demand
b. Reduce emissions via responsible procurement
c. Offsetting emissions in a credible way
3. Tracking and reporting
Flexibility and agility of travel programs to match the evolving needs of travelers should be at the forefront of any sound corporate travel strategy. In this session, we’ll discuss how you can design the customer experience journey you want your end travelers to have, how to strategically integrate this journey into the broader company ecosystem, and how to build the business case to your senior leaders on why this journey is critical to the success and efficacy of your corporate travel program.
Objectives:
Examine the end to end customer journey your travelers take now.
Compare and design what an ideal future state could be.
As a team, we will sketch out the ideal future state experience we want our travelers to have
Thursday 10 November 09:00 AM - 09:45AM
Improving the efficiency of managing business travel will be a game changer for driving incremental value from the travel programs going forward. The use of AI/ML is bringing more efficiency into everyday processes across different industry segments. Dashboards have evolved as great visualization tools over the past decade for looking at historical data, but this session explores how the travel industry can move towards an interactive and efficient approach to decision-making, enabled by AI.
Objectives:
Create awareness on how AI brings more efficiency into processes across different industries.
Evaluate the drawbacks of travel dashboards & unlock further growth potential through AI.
Identify the approach to build AI-powered travel analytics model & drive incremental value.
Most organisations have implemented a Travel Risk Management (TRM) program over the years. These programs have enabled companies to prepare, communicate, assess and assist all travellers, both business and leisure. While the pandemic resulted in ‘Low to No’ travel, this is changing as people begin to undertake business travel again. Learn from a Buyer, a TMC and an Expert on how to use your current TRM procedures and tools to create a People Risk Management (PRM) program for your organisation. Protect the organization’s #1 asset – your People.
Speaker
Jorge Mesa, Director, Global Crisis Management | BCD Travel
Choosing the right Travel & Expense platform is critical to a business. But with many integrations, features and supports available, finding the right solution can be complex. Writing a Request for Proposal, or RFP, can increase the chances of getting the services and expertise needed, provided to be clear about priorities, objectives and therefore selection criteria. Discover how to write a good RFP and choose the best Travel & Expense solution.
Objectives:
Analyze your Travel & Expense needs.
Create a detailed RFP based on what you’re looking for.
Select and implement the solution that suits you.
Overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating DEI into your travel program or your company in general? We can make it easier for you. Come find out the secrets to DEI success from your peers – how diverse we are and how easily we can be inclusive of everyone. This mission is possible.
Session
Twenty years ago, choosing travel was simple – you called your TMC. In the digital age, choices are limitless. Business travelers are just like any other digitally savvy consumer, and if you don’t use the same marketing tactics that they are used to seeing outside of your program to influence their decisions, you’ll lose them to other channels. In this session, we’ll talk about marketing strategies you can use to influence your travelers’ buying behaviors and build a future-fit traveler engagement strategy.
Speaker
Kelly Ellis, Traveler Engagement Practice Area Lead – Advito
Kelly Ellis is the Traveler Engagement Practice Area Lead for Advitope. She leads a specialized team of marketing consultants, collaborating with clients around the globe to identify goals and develop marketing plans aimed at engaging travelers and employees throughout their journey. She’s passionate about how digital marketing and targeted messaging can create business-changing content, leading to improved cost savings, compliance and satisfaction. Kelly inspires and empowers her teams to create in-brand marketing strategies tailored to each project’s diverse objectives and igniting real results for her clients.
Join members of the Google Travel Team and Amex GBT for learnings from the ground-breaking work that went into creating the model for the “Accessibility Travel Desk” across suppliers and servicing, and how it has helped Google make its corporate travel program inclusive of their accessibility community.
Speaker
Ann Huckstadt Smith, Global Client Direct – Travel Google LLC
Peter Ghyselinck, EMEA Director – Travel, Google LLC
Thursday 10 November 10:00AM - 10:45AM
This session will explain the basics of hybrid & virtual events for those with limited working knowledge & detail the significant benefits to organizations. For those with more experience, it will deliver practical tips & advice for planning, delivering & evaluating even more successful virtual/hybrid events. We will finish by exploring the events of the future, in particular the metaverse – getting the audience excited about the possibilities it could offer in as little as 10 years time, & how hybrid & virtual events tech will become the norm.
Objectives:
Develop virtual & hybrid events with confidence after hearing about the different technology & tools.
Create strong content that appeals to both online and live audiences.
Prove your event ROI and track engagement.
Speakers
Fredrik Hermelin, Senior Director, Global Sales CWT Meetings & Events
Fredrik is Senior Director, Global Sales at CWT Meetings & Events, with a special passion for the ongoing technology revolution withing the Meetings & Events Industry.
When the pandemic struck in early 2020, he found himself working with colleagues from around the world on a new solutions enabling people to meet in a meaningful way when travel isn’t an option. Or to come together in small in-person events, that are connected with an online audience to form a hybrid event.
Today Fredrik keep inspiring his colleagues around the world to ensure the learnings and expertise gained during the pandemic is kept intact and constantly developed.
The Virtual and Hybrid technologies will be a natural part of our business in the future, and used wisely it’s a tremendous added value to all companies with meetings & events budget and strategy.
Can Noack ,Encore Global Regional Director, Field Sales EMEA
With over 15 years’ experience across Europe and the Middle East, Can is an established meetings and event professional, passionate about the delivery of both in-person and hybrid events, dedicated to continuously improve the customer experience. Having worked in various roles in the hospitality industry for global brands and a deep understanding of the current challenges, his knowledge supports event planners demystify new possibilities such as hybrid, creative and digital solutions, and how these add value to in-person events.
In his current role with Encore EMEA as Regional Director, Field Sales EMEA, Can is leading the Encore Field Sales strategy as well as growing and maintaining the company’s presence within all of Encore’s partner venues.
Mark Pearson, CEO, Succevo MeetingBox
Between regulatory changes and technical innovations, the payment landscape is changing. Hear from experts on Payment Solutions Committee and special guests on what’s on the horizon for payments and what it means for business travel.
Did you know that health insurance claims rates are 80% higher for traveling males and 18% for female travelers than for their non-traveling peers and they lose 8 productivity hours per trip? Travel managers need you to define new solutions and take a holistic approach to employee wellbeing and boost productivity. Join us, we’ll teach you how to create travel wellness to improve your traveling employee’s health and lower the cost of your health insurance premiums. We’ll also show you how to optimize suppliers’ contracts. It’s a win win!
Objectives:
Analyze why travelers experience poorer health than their non-traveling counterparts.
Discover the 5 key problems Travel Managers are facing and why they need your help.
Understand how to put in place the foundations for an effective decarbonization strategy.
* agenda subject to change