I wrote this blog post for Travel Daily UK, a partner of the Business Travel Show's, and I thought I would share it with you on here, too.
Two years
ago, the Business Travel Show celebrated its 20th anniversary. As
part of our anniversary celebrations we surveyed buyers on how life had changed
for them – and the industry – over the previous two decades. Unsurprisingly and
almost unanimously, technology was cited as the biggest influence on the
business travel industry during that period and nothing has changed since.
Think about it. 20 years ago, few people had mobile phones and fewer people still had access to the Internet. There was no such thing as broadband, WiFi or smart phones, which means there was no such thing as apps or websites or online booking. Blows your mind, really. How on earth did buyers book travel, research options, keep tabs on the location of their passengers, contact them instantly in times of emergency?
Thankfully
technology has changed all that. Technology has facilitated innovation;
innovation to propel the business travel industry – and the business of booking
business travel – into the 21st Century and beyond. Because of
technology, we have mobile booking, more efficient traveller tracking, big data
and the sharing economy. Because of technology, tradition is being disrupted
and we are being made to think differently. Because of technology, buyers can
do their jobs smarter, more efficiently and with increasing efficiency.
Innovation
is critical in any industry. Without innovation, creativity stagnates and the
market halts. But innovation costs money and requires risk-taking and these
barriers can prevent entrepreneurs with amazing ideas from ever entering the
market.
This is why
the Business Travel Show has introduced a new area for 2016: Launch Pad. Launch
Pad supports start-ups by providing companies who are less than two years old
to exhibit at the show at a subsided rate, giving them a valuable platform to
reach 7,500 industry professionals and to network with 250 other
exhibitors.
The Launch
Pad will also feature the Travel Technology Disrupt Awards, which will reward
the most innovative travel technology start up with expert advice and mentoring
and an £8,000 stand at the 2017 show.
I have to
admit it’s not all one-sided, though, Launch Pad also means we can showcase the
very latest business travel innovations to our visitors and the search for the
next big thing is one of the principal reasons why they attend the event year
after year.
Companies
interested in taking part in Launch Pad and entering the Travel Technology
Disrupt Awards should contact Sam.Cande@Centaurmedia.Com.
You can visit the Launchpad and see the innovation for yourself - just register for a free pass to the Business Travel Show at www.businesstravelshow.com
This post was written by David Chapple, event director of the Business Travel Show - contact him on Twitter @david_chapple
