honestly don’t think all the lobbying about how negative it is will change anything. “There are lots of voices out there arguing.
We can be another voice or we can make things happen and come up with some solutions. The government gets how important business travel is to the economy but any case you put forward to them has to be revenue positive – that’s the key. It’s going to be an interesting challenge.” The importance of business travel to the
economy is something Wait has spoken about almost dogmatically since the onset of the recession, declaring it critical to economic revival in the UK, and cites Oxford Economic statistics that suggests every dollar a company invests in business travel reaps a reward of $13. Airport capacity in the UK is one hurdle on
this front, but Wait is cautious when asked about the GTMC’s stance and its preferred solution, and instead offers his own view. “Personally, I think that the UK has to regain
its position at the centre of trade and aviation is crucial to that. We need to maximise our existing capacity and also expand UK-wide. “We need an aggressive, sensible aviation
programme that puts us back in the centre of the world rather than on the edge of it.” The Davies Commission is not due to report
back its findings on airport capacity until 2015 but Wait says, perhaps surprisingly, that this is not a frustration of his. He does, however, eye up other developments with a degree of envy, naming Turkey’s proposed six-runway airport and new terminals in both Dubai and Qatar as good progressive projects. Turning back to his ambitions for the GTMC, membership growth is another of his tasks, adding to its present 40 or so contingent that includes all the big players. He explains: “Before we talk about expanding, I want to make sure everyone’s clear about what they get out of the GTMC. That’s why I’m intent on building it as a brand – a brand that is clearly understood by the market and not just within the industry.” Does he mean the general public? “Yes, absolutely. Particularly business travellers, of course – if we’re representing them then they need to know who we are. I want the brand to be aspirational. We need to be more outward facing, get our communications right, get our PR strategy right, look around for the next challenge and be proactive.” For a brief period several years ago the
word ‘dinosaur’ sometimes found itself applied to travel management companies by those in the industry and in the press. The recession quickly put paid to that notion, with TMCs coming to the fore at this time, but one issue that continues to irk some travel managers is a perceived lack of transparency in the way their TMC charges for their services. “I don’t know why they question it,” Wait
says wearily when I raise the subject. “For me, I don’t think that transparency and pricing are
the issue. Do you go into Currys and ask for the price of the drum in the washing machine?” He goes on to argue that a TMC is applying
value to each and every transaction it makes on behalf of a company, in terms of efficiency, cost savings, duty of care and sustainability, among other elements. “Companies need to think about the value
they’re getting in relation to the price they’re paying. If you start to talk about transparency you’re talking about the wrong thing. Let’s take the discussion to a different place and talk about the importance of business travel,” he says, returning to his favourite subject.
“We need an aggressive, sensible aviation programme that puts us back in the
centre of the world rather than on the edge of it”
There are plenty of “very good, very pro-
fessional” corporates out there who “get it”, he says, mentioning one chief procurement officer at an international bank that told him their travel volumes would be increasing in 2013. Wait explains: “She said, ‘we’re a global brand with a global culture so unless we get out and
promote ourselves to our overseas markets we’re not going to grow’. I had a real hallelujah moment! What a smart move by that bank.” He continues, “I don’t think I’m saying anything
that’s controversial or provocative. It’s just common sense. There are lots of companies out there that know that and I think that’s where our members in the next 18 to 24 months are really going to come into their own. “Corporates are saying ‘yes, you’re great at managing our travel and you’re great to have around at times of disruption’, but now our members are really going to show their value as customers start to get moving again. What’s more, they’re going to do it at an affordable price and help businesses get out there, grow and be competitive.” Wait will draw on his 40 years of experience
with his two “fabulous” employers of the past and once again put his all into it. “I hope Amex and Virgin would say I gave 100 per cent, and now it’s time to do the same here at the GTMC. This is about personal and professional dev- elopment and broadening my experiences.” He adds, “Sometimes you have to ask what
your dream is. How are you going to make it happen? How close can you get to it? Don’t be afraid of not achieving it. At least you can stand up and say you gave it a go. I’m assuming you only get one go at this life so you have to make the most of every day.”
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 25
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