The Business Travel Magazine Feb/Mar 2019

THE REVIEW
T H E L O W D O W N
IN BRIEF
Cresta partnership
Cresta Business has
partnered with online
event technology platform
Asemblr. The deal allows
Cresta to extend its
specialist corporate travel
solution to include
booking meetings, events
and incentives globally.
Travel risk deal
Travel assistance
specialists Collinson has
teamed up with Drum
Cussac, a global risk and
security consultancy. The
two organisations will
launch a 24/7, 365-days-ayear
integrated travel risk
management solution to
help organisations fulfil
their duty of care
obligations.
Radius adds two
Radius Travel is welcoming
two new partners into
its global agency network:
the UK’s Travel and
Transport Statesman and
Switzerland’s Kuoni
Business Travel.
Travelport takeover
Travelport Worldwide
Limited has announced
an agreement that would
see it acquired by two
private equity funds in an
all-cash transaction
valued at approximately
$4.4billion. Travelport
signed the deal with
affiliates of Siris Capital
Group, LLC and Evergreen
Coast Capital Corp.
maiden advantage
The Advantage Travel
Partnership has partnered
with Maiden Voyage to
offer its members training
and expertise in supporting
and safeguarding
female and LGBTQ
travellers.
Blue Cube tackles
traveller wellbeing
BLUe Cube has introduced a complimentary wellbeing
package for its top 100 frequent travellers. Perks of the new
programme include VIP meet and greet services at London
Heathrow and health food supplements to help mitigate the
impact of jetlag.
Blue Cube has appointed Diamond Air International to
provide agents to meet clients as they disembark flights and
speed them through customs and security. Agents will also
assist with luggage and guide them to their waiting taxi or
chauffeur service.
A ‘Travel Without Fatigue’ wallet containing a range of
vitamin, mineral and food supplements will be supplied by
travel wellbeing specialist 15th Degree. The TMC will analyse
feedback on the initial scheme before introducing a wider
range of wellness packages for its clients in the year ahead.
one third oF bUyers Will see an
increase in corporate traVel bUdgets
in 2019 according to neW research.
a bts report sUggests bUyers Will
haVe More trips to Manage, althoUgh
there Was a drop in the nUMber oF
bUyers reporting groWing costs
ITM UPDATE
scott Davies
Chief Executive, ITM
The travel industry is like any
social network. To progress
and have success, you need
to be authentically well
connected. This doesn’t just
mean you’ve exchanged
emails or business cards.
Meaningful business
relationships have a human
warmth and relatability.
Buyers tell us they prefer to
establish a rapport and get to
know the company and
people before they consider
being open to buying. This is
key for suppliers to understand
and many will concur
that a sale rarely occurs
during the first contact. At
industry events we see suppliers
go for the hard sell early
on in their relationship.
This almost always has the
effect of repelling the very
opportunities they are trying
to close in on. When a
business relationship is
embryonic, buyers tend to
be more receptive to an
approach demonstrating
trustworthiness, commitment
and sharing information.
These qualities show the
buyer that a partner would be
good to work with and sellers
who do this tend to find the
buyers come to them. Building
your network by initially
establishing a rapport and
discussing shared challenges
is so natural and fun that it
doesn’t even feel like work.
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