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The demand for meeting planners with solid travel management skills is increasing as the industry continues to gain momentum. Business travel is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels this year as more and more companies resume in-person meetings and events. According to the Global Business Travel Association’s Business Travel Index Outlook report, business travel spending will reach $1.4 trillion in 2024 and nearly $1.8 trillion by 2027.

With the meetings and events industry in high gear, there is even more need for corporate event planners to be organized and pay attention to detail to ensure everything runs smoothly. The job of juggling all the requirements, from booking venues to managing budgets, can be a daunting one, but there are ways to mitigate those challenges.

Event planners are rethinking travel management, viewing it as an integrated part of the entire event experience, not just a logistical hurdle, according to Heather Wilson, owner and managing director of the Brand Strategy Tank. “This shift acknowledges that following registration, the attendee journey begins, not just upon arrival at the venue,” she says. “Planners are also leveraging travel data analytics to make more sustainable choices, considering factors like venue location, ground transportation options and streamlined arrival processes.”

Wilson says that planners are also exploring ways to enhance the welcome experience for attendees from the moment they arrive at the airport with clear welcome signage, dedicated lounges and the possibility of picking up badges and hotel keys directly at the airport. “These strategies allow a more positive travel experience for attendees, thus starting them out on the right foot for the event while also prioritizing sustainability – something we’re seeing a lot more emphasis on.”

Your Time is Valuable

Travel management can be overwhelming and time-consuming, according to Tim Jones, Cvent director of corporate travel. Challenges range from juggling numerous requests and a disparate workforce, to aligning budgets and controlling costs. “This is why it’s critical that planners work collaboratively with their travel management counterparts and leverage a technology platform that not only makes it easy for employees to book and manage their own travel and do it in a compliant way, but also helps planners streamline processes and monitor spend, which is especially important as tight budgets are commonplace,” Jones says.

It’s also helpful to have a formal corporate travel program in place, according to Jones. “It sounds basic, but having a formalized program saves time and resources by having pertinent information like spending limits, preferred vendors and support information in an accessible place.”

One of the biggest challenges for planners when it comes to travel management is time, says Wilson. “Their expertise lies in crafting the overall event experience, not necessarily the intricacies of flight schedules, shuttles and hotel bookings. Dedicating the necessary time to manage these logistics can take away from their core strengths and that can be deflating.”

Options for planners include partnering with a third-party travel management company to free up their time to deal with the logistics of the meeting, according to Wilson. “The best partner or resource for travel management depends on your event’s specific needs and goals. For experience-driven events, consider partnering with experiential agencies that understand travel as part of the journey.  They can blend logistics with a focus on creating a memorable experience. Companies like UK-based WorkTripp for internal retreats or U.S.-based Retreat for events like sales kickoffs, retreats and incentives, are excellent options in this area.”

Stay on Top of the Trends

The latest industry trends are also keeping planners on their toes, including shorter booking windows, which require them to leverage real-time data and dynamic pricing tools to secure the best deals. “With greater remote work options, attendees have more flexible travel needs, requiring planners to work with airlines and hotels on flexible booking policies,” Wilson explains.

Many travel providers, such as air, rail and hotels, have moved to very sophisticated dynamic pricing, Jones says. “This allows these vendors to tailor the fares/rates based on up-to-the-second supply and demand, as well as the specific traveler’s known preferences, status level in a frequent flyer/guest program and other factors.  It no longer is just a factor of when a booking is being made in combination with a static set of parameters.”

Attendees are also taking more bleisure trips. Jones notes that bleisure travel is leading guests to book rooms for longer than their meetings or events will last. “Event planners can tap into this trend by choosing destinations with plenty of attractions and activities for attendees to explore once their meetings are over, boosting employee satisfaction,” Jones says.

One resource in the planning process includes working with a trusted partner like the local CVB, says Yvette Campbell, meeting broker – global hotel & venue sourcing at Meetings Made Easy. “They are the experts in the area and can be extremely helpful with managing important logistics for larger city-wide events.”

Campbell also sees more personalized need for travel experiences. “Travel arrangements need to truly meet and exceed each individual’s personal needs. During travel, individuals must feel important. We can do so by asking them for their dietary requirements, preferred travel arrangements, giving individuals choices for activities and excursions, and giving individuals time to have ‘alone time.’”

Prioritizing sustainability and diversity during the sourcing process is also an important step. “A corporate travel policy can contribute to meeting sustainability goals by providing employees with pre-approved and environmentally-friendly travel options,” Jones says.

Wilson adds that evolving attendee preferences are a crucial component to consider in venue selection, with a growing emphasis on the social and ethical values the event location reflects. “Implementing diversity and inclusion into a program goes beyond the words in a policy. It should be woven into the thread of the program,” she says. “Now more than ever, planners should really think about and assess if a location aligns with both the company’s and program’s values, avoiding polarization for attendees. Although this may narrow options, prioritizing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all should be a top priority for any program.”

How to Work Within Your Budget

Staying within budget is a continuous challenge for corporate and incentive planners, according to Campbell. “With prices increasing both for air and F&B, planners have to constantly reassess pricing and needs with selected airlines and properties.”

Doing site tours to the destination is always recommended, she says, noting that it offers planners the opportunity to explore local attractions, transportation within the area, location and facilities under consideration. “I find clients are now considering second-tier cities to meet budget needs.  Larger cities have compression in the market for short-term bookings; hotels are mostly sold out.”

Wilson concurs that companies that want to reduce costs are exploring less expensive destinations. “New locations with strong accessibility, infrastructure and group accommodation options are important, but striking the balance can be challenging.”

The rise of virtual and hybrid events also adds a layer of complexity, requiring collaboration with the physical event venue and coordination with technology providers to ensure a great experience for both in-person and remote attendees, she adds.

Campbell’s advice to planners is to take a proactive approach, setting clear travel policies and ensuring contracts benefit both the organization and attendees. She suggests that, with inevitable flight changes, planners should consider negotiating to waive change fees for significant business commitments. She also says planners should evaluate attrition clauses in hotel contracts and ensure stakeholders grasp the scope of force majeure clauses, not allowing for ambiguity.

“Lessons we take from COVID highlight the importance of clarity; many planners and their legal teams clashed with venues over interpreting force majeure clauses during the pandemic. Strive to be reasonable and realistic – it’s sometimes hard to strike a balance, but clearly walk through scenarios to ensure that you are covered and your expectations align with the reality of what is spelled out in contracts. It is worth the extra time in the beginning to ensure all parties are aligned throughout the planning process,” Wilson says.

Keep Safety Top of Mind

Safety is another responsibility that planners need to address, according to Jones — maintaining employee safety while traveling — also known as duty of care. A strong corporate travel policy should include safety protocols and emergency contact information to mitigate any risks.

Wilson says that duty of care apps are becoming integral to travel risk management plans. “These highlight employers’ heightened focus on ensuring employees’ well-being during business travel, integrating this responsibility into comprehensive travel risk management programs,” she notes. They offer support by delivering real-time security updates, emergency assistance and translation services, enhancing attendee safety and peace of mind throughout their journeys. “Following the first peak of COVID, we see their use on the rise. TravelPerk is a great app that offers this service,” Wilson says.

Technology is Your Friend

There are other apps and tech-based programs that can help planners with their travel management tasks. Wilson says platforms like Navan offer a great solution for streamlined reporting. “They are known for their ease of use and trusted security and even offer a sustainability suite that helps with carbon offsetting options for sustainable travel.”

At Cvent, the planning process includes leveraging its Corporate Travel Management Software to source bids from hotels, negotiate contracts, and benchmark and audit its travel program. For managing costs, apps like Expensify or Concur can help track expenses and streamline expense reports creation/approval, according to Jones.

AI is playing more of a role in travel management. Jones says that while it’s still in its infancy, the effects of AI technology on corporate travel management are just starting to materialize. “For example, duty of care and report queries can now be processed by an AI-powered chatbot or virtual assistant. Similarly, the booking process is taking advantage of these technologies, assisting with presenting travel options to customers and even assisting with reservation creation, modification or cancellation,” Jones says.

Jones adds that many of the basic travel management functions are likely to soon be available only through AI-powered tools as vendors look to streamline these functions and take advantage of the gains in efficiency by potentially redeploying talent to other areas.

According to Wilson, AI is revolutionizing how planners utilize historical attendee data, opening exciting new possibilities. “The algorithms delve into past travel records to craft intelligent itineraries tailored to individual preferences, integrating real-time weather updates and anticipating flight disturbances,” she notes. “The result is streamlined travel plans that optimize both time and budget.”

Wilson says that with predictive analytics fueled by AI, planners can foresee potential issues such as flight delays or cancellations and proactively mitigate them, ensuring minimal disruptions for attendees. “I’ve also seen more programs using AI-driven chatbots, offering round-the-clock support that can address travel inquiries, suggest local attractions and dining options and even help with lost luggage concerns.”

Alongside the use of new technologies, planners can maximize their travel management efforts by using basic strategies of setting specific objectives for the event, providing clear communications for attendees on travel itineraries and details, planning for contingencies and offering support during travel. After the event, collecting feedback will help identify areas for improvement to make adjustments for future events. C&IT