TBTC '12
NEED HELP? Ask Kirsty…
Event director, Kirsty Hicks, has been running The Business Travel Conference since its launch in 2007. As she prepares to open its doors for the sixth time we asked her to help with a few current challenges. For full details of this year's conference programme see overleaf.
Q. Help! Our travel budgets are being stretched to the limit. How can I keep communications flowing between our international offices and clients overseas? Kirsty: Videoconferencing is just one of the many ways you can stretch your budget and it will help push down your company’s carbon profile too so you’ll win Brownie points all round if you wise up to the wonders of technology. Check out TBTC's conference session three – it’ll be full of ways to help you make your travel spend go further.
Q. I’ve recently gained added responsi- bility for negotiating corporate rates, but have to admit that it’s been a daunting task! Any tips on how and where to seek some advice? Kirsty: Congratulations on your new role – it's definitely a challenge. You could start by seeking the advice of an independent business travel consultant and then consider bringing a travel management company onboard. You'll also need to consolidate your suppliers in order to leverage spend to your benefit. Building relationships with key suppliers will also be vital and you’ll be able meet a lot of them in one place at the TBTC '12 Exhibition. We keep the exhibition relatively small with just 50 leading suppliers so it’s more manageable than some of the bigger ones.
Q. I’ve read a few horror stories about businesses inadvertently getting themselves caught up in some serious legal problems. It’s a terrifying prospect, so how can I ensure my company keeps within the law? Kirsty: This has become a very thorny issue for many businesses in recent years and can be a minefield to the uninformed. Corporate manslaughter law and UK bribery legislation are the hot potatoes at the moment. You must ensure that processes and procedures are in place and communicated to travellers, and a
There are no set appointments so you can just target those you feel are most relevant, learn about their product first hand and make that all-important face-to-face contact with those you're most likely to need.
Q. My company has begun to develop a lot of overseas business so our travel needs are rising fast. How do we lay down rules that are clear to our travellers and will keep control of our costs?
Kirsty: Nothing works without a company travel policy! If you haven’t already got one in place, you should make creating one a priority. This should cover where, when, how and why your team are travelling, who is entitled to what, who to contact in emergencies, and clarification on the reasoning behind your rules. Whether your company decides it should be mandated or not is another issue, but seek support from senior colleagues to ensure its successful implementation. These are exactly the sort of issues we'll be looking at in our first workshop at TBTC '12.
Q. Our overall spend is growing as our company continues to expand. How can we examine all the extra data and figures we have and use it to our advantage? Kirsty: Welcome to the world of management information (MI)! There's plenty of technology available to help you capture and analyse this data, some of it letting you drill down to incredible depth and detail. It should really help you monitor how much is being spent, where it's going, who's spending it and how to leverage it. Our first conference session on the Monday of TBTC '12 will focus on this and show how to make the most of new technology.
Q. Until recently we generally booked accommodation directly with the hotel or online, but now we're looking into alternative methods such as hotel booking agents. How can I learn more? Kirsty: The more hotels you book, the more important it is to explore the wide variety of ways there are to source your accommodation needs. A travel management company can
certainly help you here, as can hotel booking agents who tend to have access to even more hotels, particularly smaller independent ones. We’re planning a big debate on the pros and cons of these booking channels at TBTC '12 this year, so be there on the Monday to hear the experts fight it out as they argue their case.
paper trail available as evidence to a judge. We'll have several experts on hand at TBTC '12 to help explain exactly where your company's responsibilities lie.
Q. We have sales teams travelling all over the country but need to get them together regularly. My meetings spend seems to be getting higher every year – any tips on how I can get a grip on these costs? Kirsty: Meetings management is probably the last bastion of unmanaged spend for many companies so we’ve dedicated a full workshop to this topic on the Tuesday of TBTC '12. Our speakers will help buyers learn how they can successfully get an accurate handle on their meetings costs without simply cancelling the lot!
18 THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
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