expenses unless an Omega reference code was included, implemented the Evolvi train booking system and, crucially, underwent a year-long communications plan that resulted in minimal negative response from changes. *The step-by-step story of
how Carillion made its cost savings can be found in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of TBTM and on our website.
“TBTC fills me with so much energy that I always return to work full of ideas that I can't wait to put into practice”
Theresa Mabbutt, PA, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
WORKSHOP: BOOKING HOTEL ACCOMMODATION Simone Buckley, co-founder and director of specialist consultancy Bouda, and incoming CEO of ITM, explained the merits of booking hotels through TMCs, HBAs or direct with the hotel. Pointing up the differences of the first two, Buckley called TMCs generalists
WORKSHOP: A HELPING HAND ON MEETINGS MANAGEMENT Having drilled down by a show of hands to what the knowledge gaps were, co-speakers Yvette Rudge, category manager of Deloitte and Iona Courtenay-Warren, head of conference, events and groups at Hotelscene, expertly shared their knowledge on driving meetings management spend, including when technology helps the process. Rudge, speaking in her capacity as ITM director and meetings working party vice chair, explained that it wasn’t an easy role but not to go forward before working out objectives, be it cost savings or visibility of spend. The next step is engagement with senior sponsors, user groups and importantly, suppliers; followed by prioritising what data you are looking for. Courtenay-Warren suggested that at this
stage a self booking tool would allow the pulling out of meaningful data, while an agent would also tick boxes for traveller tracking, CSR and duty of care. The at-table debate threw up the conclusion
that a self booking tool is a friend if your M&E spend is low level and repeat, while a foe if it was anything more complex as the booking of bigger or irregular meetings normally requires personal interaction.
that accessed content through the GDS, didn’t collect many commissions but had a global presence, while HBAs were specialists that supplemented GDS content with their own inventory, provided a lower cost service as they collected more commissions, but who usually couldn’t match TMCs’ global reach. Direct booking was dismissed on the grounds of duty of care. Buckley advised buyers to look closely at hotels’ cost of distribution to better understand how much it costs for a hotel to sell you their rooms, and to decide whether items like bill back are required in the payment process.
WORKSHOP: WHEELS IN MOTION Michael Walker, head of commercial development at BAA's Heathrow Express, gave an overview of managing ground transportation costs, highlighting the need to change the mindset of travellers for whom the car was the most comfortable option. “Cars give a level of confidence so you need a mind shift otherwise there will be no paradigm shift in how transport is managed. “Policy is rarely enforced or doesn’t usually provide adequate detail when it comes to ground transportation,” he continued. Walker believes one of the biggest opportunities for savings is
therefore in changing the behaviour of the traveller that is allowed to book a £70 taxi fare from the airport, and that tightening up on policy is the first step.
WORKSHOP: HOTEL ALTERNATIVES, THE PROS AND CONS OF SERVICED APARTMENTS Will Hasler, travel manager at PwC and Charlie McCrow, representing ASAP (The Association of Serviced Apartment Providers), tackled the challenges and opportunities of incorporating serviced apartments into your company’s travel programme. The increase in inventory and geographical coverage had made apartments a viable alternative to hotels, sold on space, ability to self-cater and on price, but challenges still remain, was the general conclusion. Delegates saw these challenges as visibility, distribution, getting availability released, disabled access, lack of consistency in product and services, and a general lack of education about what facilities apartments offer. While some delegates saw serviced apartments as offering increased security, others thought the exact opposite. There was also confusion over minimum length of stay.
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE I 17
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