THE TECHNOLOGY
➔ HRS gets tucked in to bed technology
ITM UPDATE
EMMANUELLE CLÉMENT GENERAL MANAGER, INSTITUTE OF TRAVEL & MEETINGS
ITM gets connected – and it's free for buyers
HOTEL booking agency HRS claims to lead the way when it comes to mobile technology for business traveller and, it says, the fact it was shortlisted in the Business Travel & Meetings Show Innovation Awards is the proof. While its online portal attracts
over 4.5 million users a month, it has embraced the move towards mobile technology by launching apps for Android and Windows 7 phones, as well as iPads and iPhones. The Android facility enables users to search for hotel availability on dynamic maps with real-time prices and booking functionality. On the iPad app,
meanwhile, users can check out guestrooms using high-res video content of the hotels and benefit from over 2.5million reviews from previous hotel guests. A new 'Hotel's Now' function for
mobile devices displays every hotel within a 10km radius of the user's current position, particularly useful in times of travel disruption. ”We're the only hotel portal to capitalise on every route to market and we're the only ones that recognise how frequent travellers wish to receive their travel information – in real-time and on the go,” says Jon West, HRS director, UK and Ireland.
SINGLE SCREEN VIEW FROM AMADEUS
AMADEUS has launched version 14.0 of its corporate self-booking tool, e-Travel Management, which includes an enhanced single screen view called Travel Arranger Workspace. Elements of the tool, such as booking and modifying trips, trip reviews and profile management, are now grouped into a single more intuitive work area. New features within the work space include customisable frequent trip templates, calendar displays, and a shopping basket, to which different elements of a trip can be quickly added. The tool has been trialled in cooperation with TraXess and Swiss Re, where it has proved to save a lot of time for travel
DO YOU think that we get more out of people if we actually take the time to get to know them better and create real points of common interest? It seems to me that it just makes basic sense to do so, and yet most of us don’t take the time to, for whatever reason. You develop credibility with people when you connect with them and show them that you understand what their goals are. In both life and in business, we
need to pay attention to people. Everyone we come in to contact with is important, regardless of whether they can advance us in our career or not. How many times have you come across someone in a position of influence that you gave little thought to years before? The greatest potential for growth
arrangers at Swiss Re who are predominantly PAs. ”We anticipate that the dedicated Travel Arranger Workspace will be of great benefit and will allow them to easily and intuitively book frequent trips in one click,” says Swiss Re's vice president of logistics, Michael Casati.
of a company is through the growth of its people. Therefore, as leaders, we must make the effort to continue building relationships. That’s not always easy, but it’s important to the success of the organisation. And by joining a professional organisation, we deepen existing business relationships through common goals and make new contacts on a regular basis with whom we share issues and objectives. We forge lasting ties with others who have common professional interests and similar business concerns. These relationships can be rich, ongoing sources of inspiration and ideas. At the Institute of Travel and Meetings, the association for corporate travel and meetings, we want to bring thousands of professionals in touch with what
we do and connect to other industry peers. We want to take the time to
know people in the industry and help them. So we are introducing ITM Connect membership to give professionals the opportunity to connect to the leading UK business travel and meetings buyer-led association at no cost. Yes, you read that right – at
“The greatest potential for growth of a company is through the growth of its people. Building relationships is therefore key”
no cost whatsoever! From April, corporate buyers, suppliers or industry practitioners are eligible to become ITM Connect members and receive access to news updates plus elements of networking and knowledge services through both ITM and the European arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA Europe). Joining a professional organisation is beneficial for all of our professional development and the future of our careers. The connections we make, the resources made available and the ideas and advice available represent an outstanding return on what amounts to a modest, manageable investment of time, money and effort. If you are not engaged yet, then maybe you should connect. It could turn out to be one of the best things you
could do for yourself and your career. Join ITM Connect from April, for free, by logging onto
www.itm.org.uk.
For more details about ITM Connect or the toolkits, educational material and events put on by the Institute of Travel & Meetings, contact the secretariat on 01625 430 472 or by emailing
secretariat@itm.org.uk.
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