By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel Legendary hall-of-fame pitcher and amateur philosopher Satchel Paige famously said: “don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” At the risk of raising the ire of Mr. Paige’s soul, when I look back at my years in the travel management industry I see
Are business executives aware of the “true cost” of travel on their road warriors and how the days spent away from home affects their happiness? Such was the question posed to 50-plus travel professionals at the Acendas Travel annual Corporate Travel Symposium featuring clients, travel providers, travel industry consultants and
In the ever-changing corporate travel industry, technology has had the most influence on evolving travel management programs — and it has come in areas beyond traveler tracking tools. This was the feedback recently received from 50-plus travel professionals at the annual Acendas Travel Corporate Travel Symposium featuring clients, travel providers,
By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel As business leaders, sometimes we tend to ignore national trends because we believe we are “different than the others” or insulated from what is happening elsewhere. But in terms of corporate travel, no one can afford to have their head in the sand anymore
What is the most appreciated airport amenity? No, it is not exclusive lounges or fine dining. It is fast and free Wi-Fi. Though public Wi-Fi is available, it is not necessarily safe to use or advised without following the recommendations outlined below. Secure Wi-Fi is frequently sacrificed in order to
Where the value is clear, the decision is easy By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel An influx of technology solutions is having a wide-ranging and positive impact for companies as they relate to employee travel and meetings activities. That was the feedback we received when we recently hosted 50-plus travel
Is your company enhancing the staff travel experience by providing self-service technology solutions? These technology advancements include allowing mobile bookings to be completed — not only in compliance with corporate travel policy –, but also aligned to travelers’ unique preferences and requirements. This is pretty amazing, considering mobile phones have
When disruption affects staff travel – be it a storm, illness, political unrest, etc. — the most important question is: “Are your prepared?” While not every contingency can be addressed in advance, it is important for travel managers to collaborate with human resources, security and any other relevant department to
With travel comprising a significant spend for many companies, it is not at all surprising that such expenses regularly come under close scrutiny. While it is prudent to ask such questions, it is not a best practice to provide the answers without the best possible information. Travel managers have found
By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel Are you one of those travel managers who has all too frequently beat your head against the wall because employees are not complying with policy? If insanity is defined by doing the same thing repeatedly, but expecting different results, perhaps it is time for
