IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE INNOVATION NOT BE SUSPICIOUS OF IT

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 20^th 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 21^st 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 

GUEST BLOG: Technology at ground level

With technology and travel now linked intrinsically, the challenge for suppliers is to deliver and exceed traveller expectations. With more and more hotel bookings made on mobile devices, hoteliers have already had to adapt their online presence for smartphones and tablets to ensure that travellers enjoy the best brand experience in the lead up to arrival.   

Yet for hoteliers the technology they offer the business traveller can’t stop there. It's now about providing services that are tailored for the tech-savvy traveller once they arrive.

With guests often travelling with more than one mobile device, it's no surprise that reliable wi-fi with high connection speed is now a must for business travellers, along with multiple opportunities to charge their device within their room and communal spaces. And many travellers would not consider a hotel chain that doesn't provide this complimentary.

As travellers invest in the latest entertainment technology at home, they expect no less when they are travelling and next-generation television sets and MP3 docking stations are also becoming expected features in today’s hotel room.

With tough competition in the meetings and events arena there has also been a shift in expectations – with organisers demanding that hotels go the extra mile to provide services that make doing business more efficient. Meetings and event technology is a key factor to securing repeat business, so hoteliers must think about not only providing the very highest quality technology but ensure that it is easy to use and that dedicated staff are available to manage events on the ground.  

As pioneers in hotel technology, NH Hotel Group faces these challenges on a daily basis. To cater for the growing demand we have introduced our “High Tech Made Easy” initiative, the Group´s value proposition for the MICE segment, which includes 3D holographic projection technology.

For more information, please watch this video: New NH service High Tech Made Easy. This post was written by Rufino Pérez Fernández, Chief Commercial Officer at NH Hotel Group (www.nh-hotels.com). NH Hotels exhibited at the Business Travel Show last week, which experienced a 15% increase in visitor numbers and will return to Olympia in London on 24-25 February 2016.

GUEST BLOG: The Business Travel Show, a journalist's point of view.

A successful two days event, where visitors had the opportunity to walk around Olympia to discover a panoply of the latest travel products and services available.

The organisers definitely demonstrated their expertise in putting together all that is needed to please their audience. The building provided all amenities - restaurant, cafés and lounges -to retain visitors and ensure a most enjoyable day for all participants. The range of 252 exhibitors made it the biggest show in its history, and many of the hosts were catering for their visitors with special events. We particularly loved, and sure it was the same for many of the visitors, the Cellar in the Sky wine tastings, organised by Business Traveller, followed by the special cocktails and liquid nitrogen ice cream presented by Chambers Travel Management, perfect opportunities to work in a relax and chilled atmosphere.

The event was tailored with a particular attention to detail to please all of its attendees, hosting conferences running throughout the two days plus a pre-show conference for hosted buyers only on Tuesday. From the Fundamentals of Business Travel to Technology and Data, there were interesting tracks for all visitors. The numerous networking opportunities, one of which being in partnership with UK Trade and Investment, gave guests the opportunity to enjoy meeting prospect and exclusive buyers whilst enjoying Champagne, canapés, coffee and gifts.

We noticed this year the increasing trend of serviced apartments, 28 exhibitors in total offering this recent and appealing solution for corporate accommodation.  A few years ago, when travelling for work purposes, professionals and corporate were mainly considering prestigious, practical and comfortable of hotels to rest after a long day of meeting and work. Following discussions with several of the exhibitors, we believe this popularity is mainly due to the enormous improvement made in recent years, refurbishing and making the apartments more luxurious to compete with 5 star hotels.  Overall the elegance, privacy, space and home-feeling make them Ideal for short and extended stays around the world, for both leisure or corporate the range available will suit any need.

Our attention was also captured by the WOW (Work On Wheels) vehicle. An innovative solution that allows professionals to travel in style and work in privacy. The Mercedes vehicle has been carefully modified to the luxurious standard similar to that found in a private jet.  The four leather seats either provide individual work areas or can be used as a private meeting room. Having experienced this beautifully designed interior during the show, the sound proofing particularly impressed the Ad Astra team. From the moment the door shut, all the noise from the show just disappeared and we could hear each other perfectly by just whispering. It really gave the full impression of what it would be like when driving around in the noisy London traffic.

From global airlines, hotel accommodation, security services, travel management to innovative travel companies and technology provider, the show hosted all of the possible details businesses need to arrange perfectly tailored travel anywhere around the world.

This blog post was written by Amélie ARRAS from Lifestyle Magazine http://lifestyle-listing.com/. 

PRESS RELEASE: BIGGEST EVER BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW REWARDED WITH INCREASED VISITOR NUMBERS

Visitor numbers rose again for the Business Travel Show this year, with early estimates pointing to a 15 per cent increase in attendees. 7,427 corporate travel professionals attended the show compared to 6,459 in 2014, which in itself was a ten per cent rise year on year.

The Business Travel Show is Europe’s leading specialised event for European travel buyers and managers and 2015 was the biggest in the show’s 21-year history with 252 exhibitors, an increase of ten per cent on last year. The show took place on 25-26 February in its new venue – Olympia Grand – and three weeks later than normal. It will return to Olympia in 2016 on 24-25 February.

The show experienced the highest rebooking rate in its 21-year history. Exhibitors for 2015 included easyJet, Concur, Kenya Airways, Carlson Rezidor, Star Alliance, Click Travel, Egencia, Amadeus, Airbnb, Barclaycard, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Premier Inn, Flybe, Hailo, FCm Travel Solutions, HRG, Addison Lee, Fraedom, Hilton, Qatar Airways and American Express Global Business Travel.

Fifty-eight conference sessions took place including the exclusive Hosted Buyer Pre-Show Conference on 24 February. Speakers included Google, Airbnb, Schott, Roche, Nomura, Bacardi, Carphone, LEGO, Sony Mobile, AON, Electronic Arts and WINiT.

easyJet’s Frederic the rabbit opened the show on Tuesday after walking the orange carpet. Go Native also hosted celebrity chef Lorraine Pascale, who was showing visitors how to cook for one in a serviced apartment kitchen. Kenya Airways and Enterprise sponsored the post show networking dinner and drinks, which featured a personal appearance from charity Born Free and ambassador Peter Andre. £10,000 was raised for Born Free at the event.

David Rodriquez from first time exhibitor Hailo said: “We have received a very positive response to our disruptive business model at the Business Travel Show where we’ve held a lot of pre-booked meetings and had some interesting conversations. It’s been great chance to catch up with some familiar faces too, as this is the event where everyone comes to network.” 

Graham Kingsmill, Managing Director, Egencia UK, said: “We are thrilled with the turnout at the Business Travel Show 2015. It exceeded our expectations, especially in terms of walk-on meetings and opportunities in the pan-European and global market.”

Simon McLean, Managing Director, Click Travel: “Click made a substantially greater investment in this year’s event, with a larger stand and the sponsorship of the Central Café, and it has paid off. We’ve capitalised on this great opportunity with record numbers of people visiting our stand, where we’ve been able to demonstrate why we achieve record growth year after year.”

“What a fantastic two days we’ve just had – the biggest ever Business Travel Show on record, the highest number of visitors for at least eight years and a return to Olympia, which has no doubt contributed to an amazing feel good atmosphere in the hall. The buzz of buyers and suppliers networking and doing business has been audible throughout the entire show. It’s a wonderful noise to hear and we thank our exhibitors, visitors, sponsors and speakers for making it such a fantastic event,” commented Sam Cande, Business Travel Show Sales Director.

The Business Travel Show, Europe’s leading specialised event for the corporate travel industry, will take place 24-25 February 2016 at Olympia Grand in London. For more information please visit www.businesstravelshow.com. Registration will go live in the autumn.