By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel When everyone is sharing in the pain of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a futile exercise to say one group is challenged more than another—especially when we are relatively early in the battle and tough times remain. However, I do use this opportunity to express
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
By Stephanie Clifton, Director of Meetings/Incentives, Acendas Travel The dirty little secret is that as much as people say they detest meetings; the truth is a well-designed and well-run meeting is productive with both short and long-term results as a byproduct. A few weeks ago, Acendas Travel hosted 50-plus travel
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
