Drivers of change BBT HOTLIST 30 TOP INFLUENCERS IN BUSINESS TRAVEL
The BBT editorial team talked to a wide range of experts and key industry figures to find out who is driving change in business travel. Bob Papworth reports
WELCOME TO THE RESURRECTED Hotlist, our annual summary of who matters the most in business travel – and why. Our list is a mix of our own nominations and nominees from industry participants, and perhaps may be regarded as extraordinary not only for the individuals included, but for the names of those omitted, so a word on our methodology to begin with. We were looking for
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individuals who are making a difference to the business travel industry, and when searching around for a way of defining that difference, we decided to go on “influence”. It is defined in The Concise Oxford Dictionary as “the effect a person or thing has on another” – surely this also includes the ability to sway opinion or action. In other words, in a business context, influence equals “power”. We imposed some restrictions as to who could be nominated. To qualify, an individual had to be at least tenuously connected with the corporate travel sector – Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin wouldn’t count, but Boris Johnson (just) and Sir Howard Davies would. There were exceptions – we allowed George Osborne to squeeze through on the recommendation of GTMC chairman Ajaya Sodha, on the basis that he (George, not Ajaya) ultimately controls UK travel’s purse-strings. Since business travel is global, individuals did not
whittled down to a “top 30”. We have grouped them in spheres of influence, but deliberately not in any particular order: this is not a ranking – because how could we rank influence? In some ways, this is all about soft power, though it might not feel that way if you find yourself on the other side of the negotiating table with some of the individuals listed here. There are also some notable absentees. Although our final selection leans heavily towards the supply side, no-one from the hospitality industry made the final line-up. The thinking appears to be that hoteliers tend to react to travel trends, rather than initiating them. If reading that makes your blood boil, then head to our forum at www.buyingbusinesstravel.com to say why. It’s a similar picture with the TMCs. That’s not to suggest they are without influence, but again, by and large, they are perceived to be reactive rather than proactive, responding to client and traveller demands – and when they do break a mould or two, they generally endeavour, for laudable commercial reasons, to keep it to themselves. This is the fourth Hotlist,
have to be British and in the final analysis, relatively few are; more than half of those featured in our 30-strong list are from outside the UK. The most disconcerting feature of the responses was the low number of women nominated.
Given the large number of
women working in the sector – and in senior positions – this perception of their influence can only be disappointing. That proviso apart, we ended up with a lengthy list of names, which we have
though there was a suspension during the lean years of the recession. We hope it helps warm the coming year (if only with the fires of controversy), and look forward to reading your own nominations and contributions on our forum. ■