TRAVEL MANAGERS LOOKING AFTER MEETINGS RISES AGAIN

Much has been written about the convergence of travel and meetings in recent years, with many professionals now having travel and meetings in their job titles. As time goes on, there seem to be no sign of this trend abating as, according to a survey by the Business Travel Show, the number of business travel managers with responsibility for meetings management is on the rise again - last year it increased from 52 to 57 per cent. The number of organisations with a strategic meetings management programme in place also increased, from 27 per cent to 34 per cent.

179 travel buyers took part in the survey, 73 per cent from the UK and the remainder from continental Europe. We have been asking these questions of our buyers since 2010 and below you can see the yearly comparisons:

(1) Does your remit include meetings management?

	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010
Yes	57	52	55	40	51
No	43	48	45	60	49

(2) Do you have a strategic meetings management programme in place?

	2014	2013	2012	2011
Yes	34	27	39	30
No	41	45	37	41
Planning to	24	28	27	22

One of the buyers on the Business Travel Show advisory board - Jef Robinson, global category manager (meetings and events), Citrix Systems - pointed out that, while more and more travel managers may be taking on responsibility for meetings management it doesn’t mean the transition is without its challenges. He said: "It’s tricky to develop a meetings and events process that reduces risk and reduces company expenditure but without planners losing ownership. Selling the concept of SMMP technology within an organisation is also a difficult task but, done well, it’s a transition that will not only help companies to leverage better deals with suppliers but also improve their duty of care.”

So, it's a tricky job but one that more and more managers are being faced with. Perhaps now is an opportune time to point out that there are a number of meetings related conference sessions at the Business Travel Show next month which are designed to help you make that transition smoothly.

Tues 24 February, 1630-1730        

Integrating travel and meetings

More and more companies are combining their management of travel and meetings, not only to leverage better deals with suppliers but to improve their duty of care and achieve many other efficiencies. Does integration make sense for your business too?

Thurs 26 February, 1600-1700

First steps in strategic meetings management

Many companies would like to manage their meetings with a co-ordinated strategy but there are many challenges, from internal resistance to lack of reliable data. How do you overcome these hurdles to get yourself on the road to true meetings management?

About the Business Travel Show:

The Business Travel Show, held annually in London for 20 years, is Europe’s largest specialised exhibition and conference bringing together 6,500 European travel professionals. This long established and reputable event provides business travel buyers and managers with the suppliers, knowledge and contacts to help create and develop successful travel programmes.

Please don't miss out - they are free to attend so register now at www.businesstravelshow.com - and let us help you master the art of meetings. 

This post was written by David Chapple, event director, Business Travel Show. You can contact him at david@businesstravelshow.com or chat to him on Twitter @David_Chapple.