By Michael Silvey, Senior Director, Demand and Behavior Management, Advito Most travel managers will agree that they’re always looking for new ways to drive value out of their company’s managed travel program. Here at Advito, we’ve been busy uncovering new ways to save. And we’re excited to share that we’ve discovered a number of savings…
By Marwan Batrouni, Senior Director and Practice Area Leader Consolidation trending In April 2015, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced a review of its strategic options, which included the sale of the company. This news quickly set hotel consolidation as a trending subject, fueled by speculation about the potential suitors for the Starwood business. But in…
By Marwan Batrouni Senior Director and Practice Area Leader Is your organization still operating the same as it did two to three years ago? Or has it adopted digital and social technologies, embraced greater global connectivity and innovated data analytics? If you answered yes, then you know traditional approaches are no longer valid. If you answered…
By April Bridgeman Managing director If you’ve ever had to come up with a clever gift idea for a 12 year-old boy, you know it’s a challenge. Well, this year my husband and I decided to take the easy route, the route so many kids dread but so many parents choose anyway. Horror of horrors, we…
By Mike Eggleton Senior Market Analyst The debate about airlines imposing fuel surcharges (YQ) appears to have been reignited. Writing in Buying Business Travel in November 2014, Amon Cohen called for buyers to press for a “rational restructuring” of fuel surcharges.[1] Airlines have found them useful for reducing their revenue exposure to fare discounts and…
By: Lesley O’Bryan Vice President and Principal A savings opportunity missed Meetings spend can account for 35% of a company’s total travel budget—but this spend can be fragmented and hidden.* Companies often use the same hotel and air suppliers for both transient travel and meetings. Most of the time, the spend stays in separate camps—and…
By: Lesley O’Bryan Practice Area Lead, Integrated Travel and Meetings ITM and sourcing Integrated travel and meetings (ITM) is the practice of combining and leveraging small meetings spend when negotiating transient programs. While the reality of supplier negotiations is usually more complex than A + B = C (airlines generally negotiate route-by-route, while hotels negotiate…
By: George Odom Vice President and Principal, Integrated Travel & Meetings At recent conferences, in conversations with your TMC, or in industry news, you may have heard the term ITM used more often. ITM stands for integrated travel and meetings and it’s an approach that will evolve the way your business handles its meeting practice.…
Today’s corporate hotel programs are changing, and yesterday’s best practices are no longer the best. Hotel demand is growing, and so are the corporate hotel rates. Many hotels are upgrading their revenue management technology and shifting to more dynamic pricing. They’re using data that is bigger, faster and more detailed, all of which become leverage…