Business Travel Sept-Oct 2021

86 September/October 2021 

ALL 

SYSTEMS GO 

It’s time to reconnect, 

reset, restart 

+ 

The 2021 Tech Hotlist 

Business Travel People Awards 

UK accommodation 

Instilling travel confidence 

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE • SEPTEMBER 14-15

UP FRONT 

Contents 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 

2021 

8 42 

Features 

10 SMEs: They're first off the blocks 

with the long-awaited restart, 

but will it be a clear run? 

16 The Business Travel People 

40 

16 

Awards: With the big night just 

days away, here's what's in 

store, plus the 2021 shortlist 

22 

Th e2021 

Tech Hotlist 

From sexy start-ups to established 

players, see which tech innovations 

and innovators made it into our 

hotlist this year 

24 

20 

26 Airport Update: As air travel 

ramps up, we investigate how 

airports are speeding up arrivals 

and departures 

28 2021 Tech Hotlist: Our pick of 

the top tech specialists who are 

shaking up the industry 

34 Accommodation: Join us on a 

tour of the most exciting new 

openings and renovations on 

the UK's accommodation scene 

26 

(p28-32) 

40 The Business Travel 

Conference: Expert panels, top 

tips and an immersive moviethemed 

experience - see what's 

on the agenda this year 

21 

Up front 

6 Everyone's Talking About: 

The transatlantic restart 

7 Speaking Out: The GBTA’s new 

25 

Executive Director, Suzanne 

Neufang, champions the power 

of connection 

8 The Knowledge: How to instill 

confidence in your travellers 

News Review 

38 

19 News and trends, plus comment 

from the BTA and the ITM 

23 

43 

Departures 

42 Reality check: We test drive an 

electric rental vehicle and 

escape to a rural retreat just 

minutes from Belfast 

7 

43 Final word: The lighter 

side of travel 

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM 

3

Welcome 

Back together again 

After months of being restricted and 

relying on virtual communication, 

our lives are finally getting back to 

normal again - and doesn't it feel 

great. We're seeing each other faceto-face, 

popping back into the office, 

and meeting industry friends and colleagues for coffees and lunches. 

We've been on trains, even planes, and posted selfies about it on LinkedIn 

- in our masks, of course. Our lives aren't completely back to the way they 

were – and they might well never be – but the vaccine roll-out has allowed 

us to venture out again into the world with more confidence. 

On September 14-15 many of us will meet in London for two of our 

sector's most important annual events: The Business Travel Conference 

and The Business Travel People Awards. For the conference (see page 40) 

we've got a fantastic line-up of speakers and some great sessions planned 

under the theme Reconnect, Reset, Restart. There's lots to talk about and 

still so much to learn. For the People Awards (see page 16) there's a new 

relaxed, evening format, new categories, and it's the 10th anniversary too. 

For both, there'll be plenty of time for networking and socialising, which 

is always a big part of these events and now more than ever. 

Being apart for so long has made us all realise how important it is to be 

together, to make those spontaneous connections, to put a face to a 

name, to forge closer relationships, share experiences, a joke - all those 

things that don't happen naturally on a screen and, after all, the reason 

why we're in the industry we're in. 

For me personally, these events will be a chance to finally meet many of 

the people I've only known virtually in the year since I joined The Business 

Travel Magazine and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR 

Bev Fearis 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Catherine Chetwynd, 

Gillian Upton & Gary Noakes 

STAFF JOURNALIST 

April Waterston 

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 

Julie Baxter 

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 

Steve Hartridge 

ADVERTISING SALES 

PUBLISHER / COMMERCIAL HEAD 

Kirsty Hicks 

DESIGN & PRODUCTION 

DESIGNERS 

Caitlan Francis & Emma Norton 

PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER 

Clare Hunter 

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Steve Hunter 

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Martin Steady 

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4 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

UP FRONT 

OPINION 

Everyone's talking about... 

restarting transatlantic travel 

“REOPENING OF 

THE US BORDER FOR 

FULLY VACCINATED UK/ 

EU NATIONALS REPRESENTS 

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT 

MILESTONE FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL. 

IT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF 

CHRISTMAS COMING EARLY” 

Jason Oshiokpekhai, Managing Director, 

Global Travel Collection UK 

“Transatlantic routes are crucial as 

British businesses strive to re-energise 

our economy and even more so for some 

of our agile and growing SMEs clients that 

see the US as a vital market to break into" 

Bex Deadman, Managing Director Blue Cube Travel 

“SINCE THE UK AND EU RELAXED ENTRY PROTOCOLS FOR FULLY 

VACCINATED US TRAVELLERS, WE’VE SEEN A MEANINGFUL UPTICK IN 

ARRIVALS. FREEDOM TO TRAVEL IS VITAL TO SAVING BUSINESSES, 

JOBS AND ECONOMIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POND. IT’S TIME 

FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE A COMMON SENSE, 

SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO REOPENING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL" 

Martin Ferguson, Vice President Public Affairs, Amex GBT 

The safe re-opening of the 

transatlantic corridor is 

critical so that we can begin 

to see a meaningful restart 

and recovery of business 

travel, and support the 

thousands of businesses 

and jobs across the UK 

and globally” 

Sonia Michaels, Head of Business Travel Services and Events, Advantage Travel Partnership 

“WITH THE US, UK AND MANY EU COUNTRIES MAKING STEADY PROGRESS WITH THEIR 

VACCINATION CAMPAIGNS, WE’RE SEEING A SHIFT IN ATTITUDE AND PEOPLE WANTING TO GET 

BACK ON THE ROAD, BUT WITH SAFETY, SECURITY AND WELLBEING STILL HIGH ON THE AGENDA” 

Niklas Andreen, CWT President and Chief Operating Officer 

“Before the pandemic devastated the sector, the US 

was the biggest source market for the UK in terms of 

visitor numbers and the UK was the third biggest 

source market for the US. This shows just how vital a 

corridor would be in boosting both economies” 

Virginia Messina, WTTC Senior Vice President and Acting CEO 


UP FRONT 

SPEAKING OUT 

When you take a new role in the 

midst of a pandemic you’re not 

quite sure what to expect, but 

in the six months since I joined GBTA I 

continue to know one thing for sure: 

there’s an important task ahead in 

navigating the challenges and fostering 

recovery in the business travel industry 

and the travel ecosystem. 

In normal years, my role would involve 

lots of business travel, conferences, and 

events, but like so many of you I’ve found 

myself working almost solely remotely, with 

only my laptop and virtual meeting tools as 

a way of connecting with our members, 

teams, and industry colleagues. 

A big step forward came in early August 

when I was delighted to attend my first 

in-person conference since the outset of the 

pandemic. Walking into a convention centre 

with 1,000-plus other attendees felt familiar 

THE POWER OF CONNECTION 

A CHANGED 

WORLD 

Life is starting to feel more familiar, says the GBTA’s 

Suzanne Neufang, but will it ever be the same? 

— but also different. It was energising to 

feel the buzz, to see so many people 

networking, learning and collaborating, 

while event organisers prioritised health 

and safety for all. 

But the reality is there are still some 

detours on the road back to business travel. 

Government restrictions and lockdowns 

have made it difficult for businesses to plan 

a return to travel, especially across borders. 

This summer I was able to visit my 

husband, who is spending time in Germany, 

but I couldn’t travel to the UK for the 

industry Day of Action – a reminder that we 

still need to keep up our advocacy efforts 

for a consistent approach across nations. 

There have been upsides too. The pause 

in business travel gave the GBTA the 

opportunity to reset and implement 

changes. I’ve made it my top priority to 

listen and speak to members, buyers, 

suppliers, partners, staff, and volunteers 

across each of the regions. This will enable 

us to transform as an association fit for 

purpose, to ensure a solid foundation to 

see us through the pandemic and support 

members through education, networking, 

and of course advocacy efforts, to aid the 

recovery of the industry. 

We’ve also increased global representation 

with the recent GBTA Board of Directors 

elections, welcoming a UK-based Vice- 

President as well as regional board 

members to represent Canada and Europe. 

Even though there are challenges, our 

industry has and will always be resilient. 

We know that GBTA members are also 

keen to get out on the road again. 

In our most recent Covid-19 poll, most 

respondents reported they’ve been 

vaccinated with their vaccine passport at the 

ready. We are optimistic for a future where 

in-person events will be the norm again, 

even if a little different. The power of 

meeting, collaborating and connecting in 

person cannot be underestimated nor 

replaced. 

GBTA is committed to hosting several 

in-person events during the final quarter of 

2021, with events in Paris, Orlando, Canada 

and Berlin. I very much look forward seeing 

many of you there. 

SUZANNE NEUFANG 

Suzanne Neufang was appointed 

Chief Executive of the GBTA in 

February 2021. She was 

previously Senior VP Americas 

for HRS Global Hotel Solutions 

and before that held roles at 

Sabre Travel Network, 

GetThere and Travelocity. 

ISTOCK.COM/BORCHEE 


7

UP FRONT 

THE KNOWLEDGE 

How to... 

instil traveller confidence 

With its essential workers continuing to 

travel overseas throughout the 

pandemic, Oil Spill Response was quick to 

put procedures in place to protect its 

teams and instil confidence. 

THE BACKGROUND 

Oil Spill Response Limited is an 

international industry-funded 

cooperative which responds to 

oil spills around the world. It 

has 12 global locations 

employing around 270 people 

– with 150 travelling regularly throughout 

the pandemic. Since June, its emergency 

response teams have been assisting with a 

major environmental disaster in Sri Lanka 

after a container ship caught fire off 

Colombo’s port. Alongside its emergency 

response teams, other employees travel 

regularly to undertake essential equipment 

maintenance. Although the company 

already had effective procedures in place to 

protect traveller safety, the outbreak of 

Covid-19 meant it had to add a whole new 

layer of support and reassurance. 

THE CHALLENGE 

With the company’s work deemed 

essential, some employees 

have continued to travel, 

even at the peak of 

the pandemic. 

Travel bookers 

There hasn’t been a lot 

of nervousness among 

our travellers, or their loved 

ones, because we’ve been so 

thorough in our procedures" 

have had to navigate complex and fastchanging 

border requirements, which are 

different for vaccinated and non-vaccinated 

travellers, and also deal 

with air and hotel capacity 

constraints. “We’re 

nowhere near the 

previous levels of travel 

but as a travel manager it 

feels like more because 

it’s now so complicated,” 

said the company's Alice 

Linley-Munro. “We’ve been rushed off our 

feet and I only breathe out when travellers 

return home.” The company prides itself on 

supporting the mental wellbeing of its 

people and recognised that concerns over 

Covid-19 made this even more vital. 

THE PROCESS 

Within weeks of the coronavirus emerging, 

the company began putting together a 

document, called the 'Human Factor', 

designed to allay as many fears 

as possible for its travellers. It 

covers off everything,” 

explains Linley-Munro. 

“It’s a 12-page document 

which runs through all the 

different scenarios, such as 

‘what if I have to 

quarantine?’, ‘what if I catch 

Covid while I’m away?’ or 

‘what if one of my family 

members catches it?’. It’s a 

comprehensive checklist, down to tiniest of 

details. We wanted to cover off anything our 

people could potentially worry about.” 

Crucially, the company also distributed a 

leaflet for the families of travelling 

employees. “We made sure the leaflet was 

written in layman’s terms, with no jargon, 

explaining how we were going to keep our 

people safe at every step of the journey,” 

says Linley-Munro. Travelling employees 

have also posted blogs about their journeys 

on the group’s intranet, sharing their 

personal experiences and tips, often in a 

light-hearted way. These posts have led to 

online conversations, creating a sense of 

community and alleviating concerns. “We 

have our documents and checklists but this 

is people living the documents, which really 

helps. It’s nice to see it taking shape.” 

THE RESULT 

“There hasn’t been a lot of 

nervousness among our 

travellers, or their loved 

ones, because we’ve been 

so thorough in our 

procedures, constantly 

checking everything and 

adjusting measures along the way,” says 

Linley-Munro. For example, employees who 

have had to isolate – either at home or in 

hotels - are now sent hampers with their 

favourite snacks and magazines, along with 

all the necessary IT equipment. “We’ve 

arranged the delivery of toasters, an 

afternoon tea, car magazines.” HR teams 

send fortnightly wellbeing questionnaires 

asking employees to score 1/10 on how 

they’re feeling. “It helps us to spot patterns,” 

says Linley-Munro. “We’ve learnt things 

from the first wave of travellers and we’ve 

updated the procedures in place.” 

8 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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SMEs 

First 

off the blocks 

SMEs are way out in front when it comes to getting 

back to business travel, but there are still many 

hurdles to overcome, says Gill Upton 

It’s no surprise that the more nimble 

SMEs, with their flat hierarchies and 

quick decision-making skills, are 

leading the charge back to business travel. 

Return-to-travel policies have been created, 

pre-trip approvals tightened up and thirdparty 

providers engaged to share the latest 

on quarantine rules, certificates, vaccination 

centres, new testing requirements, safety 

protocols and the like. 

James Mcilvenna, Corporate Traveller Head 

of Account Management, neatly sums up the 

sentiment: “SMEs are done with the 

pandemic. They're all hyper-focussed on 

growth and getting back to normality.” 

The situation is particularly acute for those 

companies who acquired other firms during 

lockdown and haven’t been able to meet any 

of their new employees or colleagues. 

In contrast, the larger PLCs are slowed by 

their structure, believes Douglas O’Neill, 

Managing Director of Inntel. “Our larger 

corporates (generally plc level) have very 

strict internal governance that is restricting 

travel and meeting enquiries being placed. 

Overcoming this internal governance or the 

changing of it does not happen very quickly.” 

Maggie Monteith, Client Services Director – 

Corporate at VENTUR, believes the large 

PLCs have another reason to be slower off 

the mark. “Some larger, blue-chip companies 

may hold out a little longer as they’ll have the 

financial luxury to do so,” she says. 

Wyndham Hotels, however, has witnessed 

a mix of demand for hotel stays from both 

SMEs and large corporates, “which is a good 

sign of economic recovery momentum,” says 

Julie White, VP Commercial, EMEA. 

Leading the way by sector are the IT, 

creative industries, media, entertainment, 

sport, training, HR and consultancy 

companies, while critical oil, gas and energy 

workers had no need to dust off their 

suitcases as they continued to operate 

throughout the pandemic. 

The early push was domestic travel and the 

end of quarantine for fully-vaccinated 

journeys between amber-list countries 

announced in early July gave a fillip to 

international travel. The EU vaccine passport 

kickstarted frantic intra-European travel and 

the UK has now reached agreements so 

foreign vaccination records can be 

recognised. At the time of going to press, 

talks continued on a US-UK 'travel corridor'. 

A corporate travel ban is still in place at 

Inchcape Shipping services, a global maritime 

services company with offices in 68 

countries. Simon Potter, Group Procurement 

& QHSSE Officer, says the ban won’t be lifted 

until the passport vaccination scheme takes 

off. “Clear guidance from government would 

make my life easier and an international 

vaccination scheme recognised by all the 

major nations,” he says. 

It is the vagaries of different countries’ 

restrictions he finds the most challenging. 

His costs have also increased, not only for 

PCR testing but from higher hotel rates 

and the need for more hotel stays. 

 

 


SMEs 

istock.com/ Nastasic 

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com 

11

SMEs 

All companies are keen to fill their 

business pipeline, while British companies 

must find new markets for their goods in a 

post-Brexit world. They have overcome huge 

challenges to get back on the road, 

exemplified by SME corporate Samantha 

Matthews, Admin Manager/Engineer 

Supervisor at LBBC Technologies. 

“To start with it was understanding the 

travel rules, reference isolation periods, what 

and how many PCR tests are required, what 

supporting paperwork is required to get our 

engineers safely through the borders and 

what PPE equipment is required," she says. 

“We also have to make sure our customers 

have their Covid measures in place in 

preparation for a visit and sometimes we 

have to educate them if they’re unsure. 

Essential workers letters are required from 

every customer for overseas work, so there 

is a lot of prep work involved. “ 

To add to the strain, government websites 

are sometimes not very clear and offer 

conflicting information, she says, causing a 

lot of confusion for both LBBC and its TMC, 

Good Travel Management. 

Helping hand 

Corporates are relying heavily on their TMCs 

to ensure clients are prepared and their 

travellers kept safe. Sourcing and 

understanding the current guidelines is a 

minefield because of the uncertainty. “As 

long as there is confusion and disparity 

between governments globally we’ll be 

needed,” says Corporate Traveller's Mcilvenna. 

Much of the groundwork was undertaken 

during lockdown. TMCs helped travel 

managers update travel policies, with 

stronger pre-trip approvals, shared links to 

official sites and communicated a clear 

process flow from approval to journey end. 

“Robust travel policies are a must,” adds 

SMEs are done 

with the pandemic. 

They're all hyper-focussed on 

growth and getting back to 

normality” 

Emma Louise Forrestall, Head of Service 

Delivery at VENTUR. “We are considering 

things such as accommodation requirements 

in a Covid world, the process for booking 

travel to amber or red-listed countries, and 

ensuring bookers leave flexibility in their 

plans should things needs to change. 

“We can provide quotes and route 

suggestions, which then change in less than 

24 hours, so we need to be on top of the 

current recommendations around entry 

requirements and tests, always.” 

Starting bookings much earlier than usual 

is key, largely to satisfy the ever-changing 

testing requirements. TMCs are generally 

outsourcing this service to third party 

providers but corporates are footing the bill. 

LBBC Technologies’s Matthews says: “We 

are taking the hit. There are lots of extra 

costs, in the hundreds for each engineer for 

each visit. There is much more prep work for 

engineers planning a trip, to make sure they 

have the tests done within the required 

travel windows." LBBC has a big US customer 

base and has had to apply for visa entry for 

each trip, not only a long process but not 

always successful. 

“This has had a big impact on our 

scheduling and planning work. We have a 

massive backlog due to all the postponed 

visits. The list goes on….” says Matthews. 

Travel managers, bookers and PAs are also 

having to balance a return to travel with ESG 

(environmental, social and governance) 

agendas to reduce unnecessary travel. 

Bill Gates’ gloomy prediction that 50% of 

business travel will disappear permanently 

hangs over the industry and many 

corporates are grabbing this once-in-alifetime 

moment to use their zero emissions 

status as a new sustainability baseline. 

Sense of purpose 

All corporates are deciding what travel is 

really critical. Blue Cube Travel, for example, 

ran a series of client webinars earlier this 

year to re-set expectations and challenge the 

purpose of travel. 

Corporates are also asking TMCs to cajole 

reluctant travellers. “We’ve been helping to 

restore traveller confidence as they’re 

reticent over their safety,” says Blue Cube’s 

Managing Director Bex Deadman. 

“What Covid has done is allowed travellers 

to spend time with their families and they’ve 

bought into working from home so they 

don’t want to travel as much,” she says. 

Blue Cube has also been helping clients 

to change the office environment, adding 


A pioneer of 

modern nursing 

Florence Nightingale introduced effective sanitisation in military hospitals during 

the Crimea War in 1854 and laid the foundations of modern nursing. Surprisingly, 

the ‘Lady of the Lamp’ was a sharp statistician too. Her ability to visualise data 

revealed in one study that 89% of 18,000 military deaths were from preventable 

diseases not battle. This helped revolutionise military medical care but also 

shaped civilian hospital nursing the world over. 

DIAGRAM 

OF THE 

CAUSES 

OF 

MORTALITY 

IN THE ARMY 

IN THE EAST 

AUGUST 

SEPTEMBER 

JULY 

BULGARIA 

CRIMEA 

1854-55 

DISEASE 

FEBRUARY 

WOUNDS 

MARCH 

OTHER CAUSES 

Businesses get judged 

by how they look after 

their employees 

How many corporate websites declare ‘our people are our most valuable asset’? 

So, when did we lose sight of treating business travellers with appropriate due care and 

attention? Whether you are a global corporation or a fledgling SME business, is the 

mental and physical wellbeing of your travellers truly a priority? 

Global opportunities have driven expansion at an unprecedented rate, and expectations 

for travellers being available 24/7 wherever they are in the world have increased 

dramatically. But the cost to human capital has also escalated. And the downsides of 

reduced productivity, demotivated employees, and mental burnout often undermine 

business goals, risking project disruption and potentially dissatisfied customers. 

Blue Cube is pioneering a shift in corporate expectations, moving away from a narrow 

cost-driven focus to treating travel as an investment. And the best way to invest in future 

success is to look after your people, especially when they travel on business. 

We’re here to help you integrate traveller wellbeing into your travel programme as a 

crucial part of a wider approach to making travel safer, productive, and more sustainable. 

TO FIND OUT MORE TALK TO US ON 0208 948 8188 - OR EMAIL sales@bluecubetravel.co.uk 

www.bluecubetravel.co.uk

SMEs 

Starting bookings 

much earlier is 

key, largely to satisfy the 

ever-changing testing 

requirements” 

Deliveroo services, pop-up cafes and the 

like. “Some clients want to make their office a 

destination,” she says. 

Inchcape is moving offices in London, 

triggering such a re-think, explains Potter. 

“There was quite a lot of uproar when we 

first sent staff home and I think we will 

probably experience a reluctance to come 

back but it’s the commuting before the 

travelling that is the challenge,” he says. 

He hopes new offices with a more openplan 

workspace, no fixed offices, more Zoom 

booths and a social area will entice them. 

Blue Cube Travel books the flights to 

manage the crew rotations and Potter and 

his 30-strong team manage the journey 

between the airport and vessel. 

“It certainly hasn’t got easier,” he says. 

But the logistical nightmare that is now 

corporate travel has an unlikely silver lining. 

Kevin Harrison, Managing Director of Good 

Travel Management, points to a closer 

engagement between TMCs and clients. 

“Our Account Managers and Relationship 

Managers have been able to step up further 

in their consultancy offering and this is now 

starting to translate into an improving trading 

environment," he says. 

The right balance 

While the value proposition of a TMC has 

been perfectly demonstrated over the last 15 

months, questions remain whether they can 

handle the surge in demand as travel 

resumes. TMCs have empty coffers and many 

staff are still on furlough, so tough decisions 

have to be made on when and how many 

staff to bring back to meet demand. 

“The hardest time for TMCs is coming,” 

reckons Clive Wratten, CEO of the BTA. 

“There is a lot of work going on to get the 

balance right; it will be tricky,” he says. He 

cites urgent training issues of TMC staff who 

have been out of the business for 15 months 

and others who have lost confidence. “It’s 

going to be a long climb out,” he says. 

But Douglas O’Neill, Managing Director of 

Inntel, believes TMCs should be primed and 

ready to take on business. "We have all had 

enough time to think about it and to train our 

teams to be ready for it! - so there can be no 

excuses. Furlough etc is no excuse.” 

ATPI has brought all ops staff back, despite 

istock.com/kate_sept2004 

not having sufficient demand, and will bring a 

further 25-30 staff back in September. 

“We’ve had to invest in bringing more staff 

back as we can’t manage on the same 

staffing levels so it’s an investment decision 

for the longer term,” says Adam Knights, ATPI 

Regional MD Europe & Middle East. 

“We’ve budgeted for travel not to come 

back to 2019 levels but bookings are taking 

six to 10 times as long. It’s very, very difficult 

to make a booking. We say, ‘Bear with us’.” 

ITM’s CEO Scott Davies agrees: “TMCs have 

performed miracles to survive on meagre 

volumes and will need support and 

understanding to regain their strength and 

service levels.” 

What is taking the time is the more labourintensive, 

white glove, offline service. “People 

are avoiding booking online,” says Wratten. 

“Bookings are so complex that service will 

certainly be high-touch to start with.” 

“The average booking took 2.5 minutes 

before and now it takes an hour,” says Blue 

Cube’s Deadman. That is labour-intensive 

and the company is busy recruiting, having 

made 50% of its staff redundant. 

“I’d rather the headache of a smaller TMC 

who can scale up,” says Barry Fleming, Head 

of Marketing at Blue Cube. “There is a pool of 

incredible talent out there without jobs.” 

Some TMCs are starting to charge for calls; 

others are looking at costs as a short-term 

pain. “To recover quickly, the temptation 

would be to hike fees and I can see that 

appeal but our model is not a high-volume, 

sausage factory,” says Fleming. The company 

offers a pay-as-you-go/transaction model and 

a subscription model. 

Good Travel Management's Harrison says 

business models need to change. “We are 

seeing that travel managers and PAs are far 

more reliant on their TMC and are looking for 

guidance in aspects far deeper than it had 

been pre-Covid. That creates an opportunity 

to look at consulting and financial models 

that truly reflect what customers need and 

places a value on the expertise we provide.” 


Map your return 

to travel. 

Corporate travel has changed. It's now time to get back on course and continue 

the journey, while taking the opportunity to review and renew your wider goals 

and targets – specifically in relation to sustainability, content and service. 

Wherever your destination and whatever the future holds, 

Direct ATPI has the expertise to get you there. 

Delivering what really matters 

atpi.com

AWARDS 

IT'S PARTY TIME 

Just days away, The Business Travel People Awards will celebrate their 10th 

anniversary this year with a new-look ceremony, new categories and a new 

judging panel. Join the industry's finest talent for a night to remember... 

SINCE their inception a decade 

ago, the Business Travel People 

Awards have become one of the 

major highlights of the business 

travel social calendar. 

After a year of being 

virtual, they're making a 

comeback this year 

with a new evening 

format, new judges, 

brand new categories 

and, of course, a new 

shortlist of potential winners all 

hoping to take one of the 

prestigious trophies back to 

their desks. 

This year the 

ceremony has been 

timed to coincide with 

The Business Travel 

Conference (see page 

40), and will take place at 

the same venue, the Hilton 

London Bankside, on the evening 

of Wednesday September 15. 

After all these 

months apart, 

the business travel 

community cannot wait to 

meet face-to-face again 

to network and celebrate 

with the winners” 

If you haven't already got 

your tickets, there are still 

some available, but be 

quick: after all these 

months apart, the 

business travel 

community 

cannot wait 

to meet 

face-to-face 

again to 

network and 

celebrate with the 

winners. 

As always, the fizz will be 

flowing but guests can 

also be reassured that 

the evening has been 

planned with Covid 

safety and comfort 

firmly in mind. 

Tickets will be sent 

electronically prior to the event 

to simplify arrivals and registration 

staff will be increased to further 

speed up the process. 

Bowl food will be served on trays 

so guests can select their choice 

and have minimal contact with 

waiting staff. 

Hilton's stringent EventReady 

and CleanStay programmes will be 

in place and all hotel staff will be 

wearing masks and taking regular 

lateral flow tests in the lead-up to 

and during the event. 

Tickets cost £95 plus VAT and 

include welcome drinks, bowl 

food, and entry to the after party 

in the Hilton London Bankside's 

fabulous ballroom. We look 

forward to seeing you there. 

As always, the fizz 

will be flowing 

but guests can be also 

reassured that the evening 

has been planned with 

Covid safety and comfort 

firmly in mind” 

16 THEBUSINESSTRAVELPEOPLEAWARDS.COM

AWARDS 

THE FINALISTS 

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Corporate Traveller 

Reed & Mackay Travel 

Agiito 

Click Travel 

SilverDoor 

ACCOUNT MANAGER OF THE YEAR 

Amy Ashby, Inntel 

Emma Horton, Synergy Global Housing 

Ann Thomas, Agiito 

Trish Williams, Clarity 

OPERATIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Production Team, TAG 

Operations Team, ATPI 

Operations Team, Reed & Mackay Travel 

Continuity Team, Diversity Travel 

OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR 

Charlotte Winter, Synergy Global Housing 

Danielle Myers, TAG 

Hazel Maw, Click Travel 

MEETINGS & EVENTS TEAM OF THE YEAR 

TAG 

Agiito 

Reed & Mackay Travel 

MEETINGS AND EVENTS MANAGER OF THE YEAR 

Jadene Cook, Agiito 

Dani Ives, Focus Travel Partnership 

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 

TrustedStays, UnderTheDoormat 

The Working Party, Reed & Mackay Travel 

Sarah Wilson, ACE Travel Management 

Lynne Griffiths, Sirius Talent Solutions 

CUSTOMER WELLBEING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 

Colleagues Unite, Clyde Travel Management 

Covid Shield, Agiito 

Juliette Hassell, Fastrack VIP 

DUTY OF CARE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 

Repatriation Service, Focus Travel Partnership 

ATPI 

Accor 

Supplier Management Team, Agiito 

BEST NEWCOMER 

Amber Madden, Agiito 

Kris Kolev, SITU 

RISING STAR 

Jennifer Cummins, Synergy Global Housing 

Molly Winterton, Agiito 

Dani Ives, Focus Travel Partnership 

Matt Furnell, SITU 

CHANGE CHAMPION LEADER 

Katie Blount, Agiito 

Samantha McKnight, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) 

Nico Nicholas, Trees4Travel 

Annette Ritson, Clarity 

INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTION AWARD 

Clive Wratten, Business Travel Association 

James Parkhouse, Agiito 

Julia Lo Bue-Said, Advantage Travel Partnership 

OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR 

Charlotte Winter, Synergy Global Housing 

Danielle Myers, TAG 

Hazel Maw, Click Travel 

COVID-19 SUPPORT INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 

Homes For NHS, UnderTheDoormat 

Sirius Talent Solutions 

Agiito 

Synergy Global Housing 

ALTOUR UK 

With special thanks to our sponsors 

THEBUSINESSTRAVELPEOPLEAWARDS.COM 17

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ThE NEWS REvIEW 

G O O N L I N E F O R L A T E S T N E W S 

BRITS To PAy vISA WAIvER To 

ENTER SChENgEN STATES 

BRITISH nationals will have to pay 

a visa waiver fee to enter Europe’s 

Schengen Area from next year 

under new rules confirmed by the 

European Commission. 

An online platform – the European 

Travel Information and Authorisation 

System (ETIAS) – will come into 

operation before the end of 2022. 

ETIAS authorisation will cost €7 

for all applicants between the ages 

of 18 and 70. 

It will be a one-off fee, valid for 

three years, and will allow multiple 

entries into Schengen states. 

Travellers will need to complete 

an online application form via an 

official website or app to receive 

their approval. 

The European Commission said it 

expects a "vast majority" of cases 

(expected to be over 95%) will 

result in automatic approval. 

If further checks are needed, the 

authorisation may take up to 30 

days. 

The EC said the scheme would 

facilitate border checks, avoid 

bureaucracy and delays and 

substantially reduce the number 

of refusals of entry at border 

crossing points. 

IAtA IntEGRAtES nHS CovId APP 

Into dIGItAl tRAvEl PASS 

THe NHS COVID Pass and EU Digital COVID Certificate 

can now be uploaded into the IATA Travel Pass as 

verified proof of vaccination for travel. 

Nick Careen, IATA Senior VP for Operations Safety and 

Security, said it was “an important step forward, 

providing convenience for travellers, authenticity for 

governments and efficiency for airlines" and urged the 

WHO to revisit its work to develop a global standard. 

Eurostar adds trains 

after rise in demand 

eURoSTAR is adding more rail services between the UK and 

the continent in response to growing demand following the 

relaxation of travel restrictions. 

It will expand schedules from September 6 after the 

removal of quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers from 

France to the UK and the easing of restrictions for travel to 

Belgium and the Netherlands. 

A new timetable, running until November 1, will see eight 

daily return services, with five in each direction on the 

London to Paris route and three in each direction between 

London and Brussels, with one each way extended to 

Rotterdam and Amsterdam. 

All tickets are flexible with no exchange fee up to seven 

days before departure. Fares start from £39 each way. 

98% 

expect travel to return 

before the end of 2021 

The majority (98%) of 

American Express GBT 

clients expect travel to 

return before the end of 

2021, according to the 

TMC's latest report on 

business travel trends 

and insights, based 

on client research, 

traveller surveys, 

and data analysis 

[ NEWS BITES ] 

>> ADVANTAGE Global Business Travel and WIN Global Travel 

Network have signed two TMC partners in Australia – Bay Travel 

Group in New South Wales and FBI Travel in Victoria >> HYATT 

has opened its second property in Ekaterinburg and its first Hyatt 

Place property in Russia, developed by LLC Hotel Development 

Company >> AIR CANADA is increasing its non-stop flights 

between Heathrow and its Montréal hub from three times weekly 

to four times weekly from September 8 >> GBTA has moved its 

2021 European conference from Weisbaden on October 13-15 to 

Berlin on December 6-8 after a survey of members and potential 

delegates >> TRANSPENNINE Express has added two extra train 

services on its Glasgow-Manchester route



RISK SPECIALIST To oPEN 

LoNDoN CoMMAND CENTRE 

WoRlD TRAVel PRoTeCTIoN has 

expanded into the UK with a core 

London-based team and has 

announced plans to open a 

purpose-built Command Centre in 

the city in the coming year. 

The company, part of Zurich 

Insurance Group, already operates 

two Command Centres in Brisbane 

and Toronto, providing 24-hour 

emergency assistance to travellers. 

CEO Adrian Leach said: “Until 

recently World Travel Protection 

didn’t have a team in place within 

the UK but with a growing team 

based in our new office in London 

we’re working hard to raise 

awareness that our travel risk 

management services are now 

available for UK organisations. 

"Discussions are already starting 

on how travel has changed since 

Covid and our services will be even 

more essential as travel resumes 

for organisations in the UK.” 

Zurich’s Global Head of Accident 

and Health, Drazen Jaksic, added: 

"The growing complexity of 

business travel risks has brought 

into sharp focus the value of 

assistance services helping 

travellers on the ground." 

IAtA SuRvEY SHowS PASSEnGERS 

fEEl SAfE on boARd 

THe MAJoRITY of travellers who have flown since June 

2020 felt safe onboard (86%), while 89% believe 

Covid-19 protective measures were well implemented. 

According to an IATA survey of 4,700 global travellers, 

air passengers also strongly support mask wearing 

onboard flights (83% ) and strict enforcement of mask 

rules (86%), but the majority also believe mask 

requirements should be ended as soon as possible. 

Emirates scales up 

UK operations 

eMIRATeS is expanding services to and from five UK 

gateways after a relaxation of travel restrictions prompted a 

spike in demand. 

Since August Emirates has been serving London Heathrow 

with three daily flights, all operated by its flagship A380, and 

by the middle of October it will have restored its Heathrow 

operations to six daily flights, four served by the A380. 

It will also fly double-daily A380 flights from Manchester, 10 

services a week from Birmingham, daily flights from Glasgow 

and twice a week from Newcastle. 

Across its entire network, Emirates will be restoring 

capacity across 29 cities and fine-tuning its schedules to 

boost frequencies and capacity this autumn. 

32% 

increase in average 

EMEA air fares 

Average flight ticket 

prices for the EMEA 

region in April 

to June 2021 jumped 

32% compared to 

January to March 2021, 

according to the latest 

quarterly report from 

travel management 

company FCM, based 

on data from its 

corporate bookings 

[ NEWS BITES ] 

>> CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT (CTM) has been selected 

as Supporter Travel Provider for Arsenal FC for the 2021/2022 

season >> ACCOR has teamed up with venuedirectory.com to 

make it easier for meeting and event planners to make bookings at 

its properties >> GRAY DAWES EVENTS, the MICE division of the 

Gray Dawes Group, has signed an agreement with venuedirectory. 

com for its end-to-end venue finding software, GRATIS >> RADIUS 

TRAVEL has announced that Clyde Travel Management, a 

specialist in corporate, maritime, offshore and renewables travel, 

has joined the its partner network >> ENTERPRISE has opened a 

new £1.8m flagship vehicle rental site and technology hub in 

Sheepscar, Leeds, replacing a smaller branch on North Street


T H E B U S I N E S S T R A V E L M A G . C O M 

September is a time of new 

beginnings and this year a 

new start is needed more 

than ever. As children start 

a new school year, workers 

head to the office and MPs 

return to Westminster, we 

in the business travel 

industry need urgent action. 

Many will have enjoyed a 

staycation and applauded 

themselves for helping the 

UK’s economy. This is to be 

celebrated, but two vital 

sectors – business and 

leisure travel – are being 

prevented from making 

valuable contributions to 

this economy. 

For MPs keen to do their 

homework, business travel 

contributes £220billion to 

UK GDP every year and we 

employ tens of thousands 

of people across the supply 

chain. Business travel is 

essential to the aviation 

sector and enables lower 

fares for holiday makers. 

This term, we are setting 

three tests that MPs must 

pass to keep this vital sector 

alive. Firstly, end the arrivals 

testing debacle. 

The expense and Wild 

West nature of the process 

is a huge barrier for the 

corporate traveller. 

Instead, work with the 

BTA COMMENT BTA UPDATE 

It's time to go 

back to school 

Clive Wratten 

Chief Executive Officer 

business travel community 

to do a proper trial of daily 

lateral flow tests on arriving 

travellers. If it’s good 

enough for Michael Gove, 

we’re willing to give it a go. 

Secondly, abolish the 

traffic light system. Bring 

forward the final review and 

rid travellers of the 

confusion around green 

and amber countries. 

With the UK’s effective 

vaccine roll-out, we should 

be making it easier for 

people to go about their 

daily lives. This involves 

travelling for work. Travel 

remains the only sector 

being governed by Covid 

regulations. We need to be 

opened up once more. 

Finally, extend furlough 

for our sector. 

While the current 

conditions remain, we can’t 

fling open our doors and 

operate effectively in a 

pre-pandemic fashion. 

We want to trade, to 

travel, to facilitate global 

Britain. We urge the hand 

that is taking so much away 

from us to give back the 

furlough scheme in a 

targeted way. 

At the BTA, our door is 

open for MPs who need a 

cramming session. 

TapTrip ventures 

into new waters 

FolloWINg a further £1.7 million investment, TapTrip has 

unveiled Vessul, an online service to more efficiently manage 

the movement of essential marine and energy workers. 

Using similar technology to its online booking tool, TapTrip 

says Vessul is set to “revolutionise the industry”, where 98% 

of travel bookings are still made offline. 

Vessul is a dedicated marine and energy solution, providing 

travel bookers with easy-to-use, hands-on, real-time travel 

management technology blended with human support. 

A key feature of the technology is a multi-city departures 

function, a smart tool which gives companies the ability to 

book up to 50 flights for multiple travellers, in a single 

booking, to arrive at the same destination at the same time, 

no matter which location they have departed from. 

NEW ChAPTER FoR AER LINgUS 

AFTER SToBART FAILURE 

AeR lINgUS has signed a 10-year 

franchise agreement with Emerald 

Airlines to operate its regional 

flights, starting from January 2023. 

Emerald will replace former 

franchise partner, Stobart Air, 

which ceased trading in June. 

Aer Lingus said until the 

agreement comes into play, it will 

continue to “work closely with 

Emerald Airlines to evaluate 

options with respect to an earlier 

contract start date". 

Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus 

Chief Executive, said the franchise 

agreement "marks a new chapter" 

and “significantly boosts" the 

airline’s intent to develop Dublin 

Airport as a hub between Europe 

and the US. 

She said it will also facilitate 

convenient connections between 

Ireland and regional airports in the 

UK, the Isle of Man and Jersey, with 

options for network expansion to 

other airports in the future. 


21

THE NEWS REVIEW 


IN BRIEF 

Cairo change 

British Airways will start 

operating a second daily 

flight from London 

Heathrow Terminal 5 to 

Cairo from October 31. The 

service will operate on 

BA’s short-haul Airbus 

fleet. Services will run 

year-round with a slight 

change in schedules from 

March 27 2022. 

Flexi time 

Accor has launched a 

Commute and Stay aimed 

at flexi workers. It gives 

workers a central base in a 

city hotel, with discounts 

up to 15%, enabling two 

days in the office and a 

venue for evening 

entertainment before 

commuting back home. 

Train link 

TapTrip has teamed up 

with Trainline Partner 

Solutions (TPS), Trainline’s 

B2B arm, to further 

streamline its service 

and give users greater 

rail coverage. 

Capital returns 

Air Astana resumes direct 

flights from Kazakstan’s 

capital Nur-Sultan to 

London Heathrow on 

September 18, starting 

with two frequencies on 

Saturdays and 

Wednesdays. Economy 

Class return fares 

start from £511. 

EasyJet seat 

Former Royal Bank of 

Scotland boss Stephen 

Hester has been named as 

the new Chairman of 

easyJet. He initially joins as 

Non-Executive Director 

and will succeed John 

Barton as Chairman in 

December. 

IAn SCHRAGER's Public hotel has 

become the first in new York city to 

require guests and visitors to 

show proof of covid-19 vaccination 

on arrival. The new policy came 

into force on September 5 

TRIPBAM begins 

trials of air solution 

TRIPBAM, the hotel reshopping specialist, has begun the 

Beta testing phase for its air solution, working in partnership 

with selected global TMCs and corporate clients. 

CEO Steve Reynolds said if the trials are successful the 

product will be officially released in mid-October. 

With NDC content available from the start, the solution will 

give users ‘lowest qualified fares’ to accurately measure the 

value of air travel contracts. Clients will also be able to audit 

contracts to make sure they are being applied accurately. 

This data, along with some historical data, will be fed into a 

benchmarking solution called Air Intelligence. 

Reynolds said the next step would be to move into the car 

rental space, with discussions set to start in early 2022. 

QANTAS: ALL 

STAFF MUST 

BE JABBED 

QANTAS is to make it compulsary 

for all frontline employees – including 

cabin crew, pilots and 

airport workers – to be fully 

vaccinated by November 15 2021 

and the remainder of employees 

by March 31 2022. 

The decision follows a major 

consultation with Qantas and 

Jetstar employees, including a 

survey sent to 22,000 people to 

seek their views on vaccination. 

The results showed that of those 

who responded 89% had already 

been vaccinated or are planning to 

be and only 4% were unwilling or 

unable to get the jab. 

In a separate survey of more 

than 1,000 Qantas customers, 92% 

cent said they expect Qantas crew 

to be fully vaccinated. 

United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines 

and Cathay Pacific are also 

mandating Covid vaccinations for 

their employees. There will be 

exemptions for those who have 

documented medical reasons for 

not having the vaccine. 

SIA revamps 

highflyer 

programme 

Singapore Airlines has 

combined its SIA Corporate Travel 

Programme, aimed at large 

corporates, with its SME-focussed 

programme, HighFlyer. From 

September 1 they will both come 

under the HighFlyer brand. 

Current SIA Corporate Travel 

Programme accounts will have 

their contracts renewed under the 

new HighFlyer programme. 

The airline said all benefits will 

be retained and new features will 

also be introduced, including the 

option to "earn and burn" options 

with non-air partners such as 

hotels and car rental services. 


THE NEWS REVIEW 

thebusinesstravelmag.com 

IN BRIEF 

Delta on track 

Delta has launched an 

Air+Rail programme in 

partnership with Thalys 

high-speed trains to 

provide speedy rail 

connections between 

Brussels and Antwerp. 

Passengers can seamlessly 

transfer between plane 

and train at Amsterdam 

Airport Schiphol with 

one ticket booking. 

Kayak launch 

Travel search engine 

KAYAK has officially 

launched its free 

corporate travel solution, 

KAYAK for Business, and 

is promising to bring 

“the leisure travel 

experience to the outdated 

interface of the corporate 

travel world”. 

TAG app 

TAG has developed a 

new integrated travel 

app, TAGgo, to help 

travellers and travel 

managers prepare for the 

return to business travel. 

Part of the TAG Digital 

suite, TAGgo provides real 

time updates and traveller 

essentials like gate 

changes and baggage 

collection. 

Brand loyalty 

Ascott has launched a 

single global online 

booking platform, 

discoverasr.com, for its 

Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) 

loyalty members, covering 

all of its brands. 

Covid alerts 

Shep has enlisted Riskline 

to provide API-driven, 

in-depth local, city and 

state-level Covid-19 travel 

information for its alerts 

and notifications. 

SME travellers keen 

to get back on the road 

the vast majority (95%) of travellers working for SMEs are 

willing to travel again for business within the next year and 

63% are actively willing to do so, according to new research. 

The study, commissioned by SAP Concur, found travellers 

from small businesses see their companies facing severe 

consequences if they don’t increase travel soon. 

Among their concerns, SME travellers fear there will be 

fewer deals signed (35%) and a difficulty to build new 

relationships (33%). 

According to SAP Concur, travellers at SMEs are more likely 

than those at larger companies to have professional 

concerns about not travelling (79% compared with 72%). 

See feature on SMEs on page 10. 

British airways reopens flagship 

lounge at New York JFK 

British Airways has reopened its flagship US lounge 

at JFK’s Terminal 7 after a 16-month closure due to the 

Covid-19 pandemic. It came after a change in entry 

requirements for US customers flying to the UK. 

The lounge is available for those travelling in First, 

Club World and eligible card holders. 

BA also recently reopened three domestic lounges 

in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. 

ITM 

Scott Davies 

Chief Executive 

Travel managers have, for 

many years, been adaptable 

chameleons, embracing new 

skillsets and frames of 

reference. During the 

pandemic, their priorities 

have morphed from 

emergency response to 

crystal ball-style forecasting, 

to budget cancelling, to 

border immigration/ 

quarantine gurus – all while 

reviewing and improving 

existing suppliers and 

programme management. 

Many travel buyers have 

earned enhanced respect 

within their businesses by 

demonstrating their value in 

new forums as their 

companies revise their 

strategic understanding of the 

way travel oils the wheels of 

their operation. 

Of course, some travel 

buyers have felt the same 

pressure on headcount that 

has bitten so hard on 

suppliers and providers. 

The irony here is that travel 

is likely to be a little more 

complex than before as it 

picks up again, so the very 

experts that have reduced in 

number may be disproportionately 

needed and central 

to a recovery. 

Next time you meet with a 

travel manager, ask what they 

are focussed on in the short 

term. I guarantee you will gain 

a new level of respect. 


23

THE REVIEW 

O N T H E M O V E 

EVENTS 

SEPTEMBER 14-15 

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE 

London Hilton Bankside 

thebusinesstravelconference.com 

SEPTEMBER 15 

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS 


(evening event) 

thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com 

SEPTEMBER 19-21 

ROB JONES CAROL PETERS MIKE WEBB 

JOINS: HotelHub 

AS: Business Development Manager 

FROM: Gray Dawes Group 

Formerly Global Corporate 

Sales Manager at Gray Dawes 

Group, Rob Jones has joined 

HotelHub to help grow its TMC 

customer base in the UK and 

across Europe. 

JOINS: Festive Road 

AS: Consultant 

FROM: American Express 

Carol Peters joins the team at 

global consultancy firm Festive 

Road. She was previously at 

American Express, where she 

worked as Travel and Expense 

Consulting Manager. 

PROMOTED AT: Healix International 

TO: Chairman 

FROM: CEO 

After four years as CEO, Mike 

Webb has been promoted to 

the role of Chairman for Healix 

International. Charlie Butcher, 

formerly Commercial Director, 

takes over as CEO. 

THE BTA CONFERENCE 

Liverpool 

thebta.org.uk 

SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1 

BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW 

ExCel London 

btn.businesstravelshow.com 

NIKKI STIMSON PETER GIANUSSO LAURA RURODE 

OCTOBER 5 

JOINS: TripActions 

AS: Senior Director of Communications 

REMAINS WITH: GBTA 

JOINS: Flight Centre Travel Group 

AS: Global Chief Technology Officer 

FROM: Prudential Financial 

JOINS: CAP Worldwide 

AS: Director Key Accounts North America 

FROM: The Apartment Service 

TBTM DINNER CLUB 

Corinthia London 

thebusinesstravelmag.com 

NOVEMBER 17-19 

GBTA CONVENTION 2021 

Orlando 

convention.gbta.org 

DECEMBER 6-8 

GBTA CONFERENCE EUROPE 

Berlin 

europeconference.gbta.org 

APRIL 26-27 2022 

TripActions has appointed 

Nikki Stimson as Senior 

Director of Communications. 

Stimson, who runs her own 

marketing and PR consultancy, 

continues to work with GBTA. 

Flight Centre Travel Group has 

appointed industry outsider 

Peter Gianusso to the role of 

Global Chief Technology 

Officer, Core Systems, for its 

Corporate Division. 

CAP Worldwide Serviced 

Apartments has welcomed 

Laura Rurode to its global 

senior leadership team to 

manage CAP service delivery 

in North America. 

ALSO ON THE MOVE... HotelHub has appointed Andrew Harreiter, previously Marketing Manager for 

ACC Aviation, as Head of Marketing >> Mark Cuschieri, Executive Director Global Head of Travel UBS, 

has been elected Vice President of the GBTA and will serve a two-year term, while Jens Liltorp, 

Manager Global Travel and Meetings LEO Pharma, also joins the GBTA's Board of Directors in the role 

of Direct Seat, Regional European, for a three-year term >> Sarah Hanan joins Dohop as Commercial 

Director from Omio >> CWT has appointed Cheng Meng, Hwang as Head of Global Market Management 

and Development to its dedicated APAC Leadership team >> Air Transat has promoted UK and 

Ireland Commercial Director Adrian Keating to a role which also covers Europe and the Americas

GALLERY 

The Business Travel Magazine 

Dinner Club 

The first Dinner Club since the start 

of the pandemic was the chance for 

travel buyers, TMCs and suppliers to 

experience, once again, the joy of 

meeting face-to-face. The event, held 

at The Corinthia Hotel London, was 

sponsored by South Western Railway 

and Sixt Rent-A-Car. Pre-dinner 

drinks, with Covid safety measures in 

place, were followed by a threecourse 

dinner and a fascinating talk 

and discussion on the travel restart. 

An industry overview was shared 

by American Express GBT CCO 

Drew Crawley 

Dinner Club ▼ 

The Corinthia Hotel 

London 

▲ 12.07.2021 

The after dinner talk was 

followed by a lively Q&A 

Guests enjoyed 

networking and a 

three-course dinner 

In association with 

Travega 

Travel Marketing Solutions Worldwide 


25

Airport Update 

Fast 

track 

Additional checks will be required as air travel 

resumes but new technology is helping to 

counteract any disruption. Gary Noakes reports 


Airport Update 

Business travellers who breezed 

through empty airports during the 

pandemic must be dreading the 

return of normality and the crowds that 

will follow. The good news, however, is 

that technology is making getting moving 

again more seamless and less stressful. 

Negotiating immigration control on return 

to the UK has been a challenge during the 

Covid crisis but the UK Government is due to 

finish upgrading e-Gates by the autumn, 

when corporate travel is expected to restart 

in a meaningful way. 

According to a Government spokesperson, 

upgraded digital gates will then recognise 

Passenger Locator Forms and pre-departure 

test certificates. London City airport had 

upgraded all its e-Gates by July but bigger 

airports were still completing changes. 

While Border Force deals with incoming 

passengers, airlines must process those 

departing and develop systems to do so. 

“Carriers will play a critical role, checking 

passengers’ documents before boarding and 

ensuring people have the right Covid-19 

certification,” said the Government 

spokesperson. 

The whole departure and arrival process 

will take longer but there are ways travellers 

can make some up some of this lost time. 

For British Airways passengers, the luxury 

of checking in their bags at the airline's 

London Paddington station desks 

disappeared after 9/11 but Covid has 

prompted BA to revive this concept for 

Heathrow Express customers, who can drop 

their luggage on train platforms and get it 

taken straight to Terminal 5. 

The new fast bag-drop is free to passengers 

who have checked in at home but is initially 

only available between 05.00 and 10.00. BA 

said it would continue to look at options for 

bag-drop areas “at other key locations”. 

The stop-gap measure is in response to the 

extra time needed to check Covid 

credentials. BA’s partner on this, Airportr, is 

testing whether London Underground 

locations could also be used to alleviate 

queuing at terminals. 

Airportr screens travel documents and tags 

bags, storing them in secure cages before 

shipping them airside. It also offers BA 

passengers baggage collection and check-in 

from home or the office up to 24 hours 

before the flight (from £19), in an area 

spanning Guildford, Oxford, Watford and 

Greater London – something Airportr feels 

will be in demand once airports fill again. 

Its founder Randel Darby believes Covid 

prompted the beginning of the end of legacy 

airport processes. “If you look at trends 

coming from the pandemic, it’s e-commerce, 

home delivery and logistics. They appeal to 

Airlines are way 

behind theme parks, 

attractions and retail in 

offering virtual queuing, but 

it's coming" 

consumers not previously engaged with 

delivery solutions,” he said. 

Ground handlers, airports and airlines are 

examining long-term developments, shocked 

into action by the pandemic. The need to 

fast-forward integration of health credentials 

with bookings was one example, Darby said. 

“The pace with which this is happening is 

really surprising. People would have laughed 

five years ago. In the near future the journey 

can be entirely contactless.” 

The pandemic’s legacy means more 

passengers will arrive at airports readier to 

fly, having undertaken extra procedures at 

home that digital systems enable. “It all lends 

itself to the trend of doing it before you 

travel. You will be able to confirm your digital 

ID from home, check in, send bags, book a 

shared ride and proceed through a 

designated security channel,” said Darby. 

For Airportr the next stage, from late 

September, is a luggage delivery service for 

inbound passengers using a digital customs 

declaration that will permit passengers to 

“entirely bypass” baggage reclaim. 

Contactless travel is the new trend and 

while many airports already match boarding 

passes to travellers’ photographs taken at 

security, facial recognition technology is a 

step further, removing the need for handlers 

to check that faces match photos. 

ANA introduced Face Express in July at 

Tokyo’s Narita airport for passengers using 

automatic bag check-in. 

Travellers are photographed by the kiosk, 

allowing them to pass through Security and 

board without presenting their ticket. 

Following trials on Narita-Mexico City, ANA 

plans to offer the facility at Haneda airport 

and on other international services. 

If Covid has prompted some radical 

innovations, others are more mundane. 

Airlines are way behind theme parks, 

attractions, and retail in offering virtual 

queuing, but it's coming. This summer BA 

completed trials of an intelligent queuing 

technology from Qmatic, which allows 

passengers to pre-book a timed check-in slot 

before they travel to the airport. The system 

is already used by the Post Office and during 

the trial BA passengers who had not booked 

a slot either proceeded as normal or joined 

the virtual queue by scanning a QR code. 

All these things will chip away at the extra 

time needed to pass through airports postpandemic. 

It is not all good news, however. 

From October, Heathrow will impose a £5 

drop-off fee at terminal forecourts for all 

vehicles, including taxis and private hires, 

meaning the only free option will be in 

Heathrow’s long stay car parks, which entail 

a bus transfer to the terminal. Picking up at 

terminal forecourts is already forbidden. 

The airport said the fee will help alleviate 

the £5 million a day lost during the 

pandemic, but as travel resumes it might 

well be this new development that frequent 

travellers remember, not all that new 

technology speeding their progress. 


27

The 2021 

TECH HOTLIST 

Here are the innovators 

and innovations 

shaking up the industry… 

TAPTRIP 

The young and enthusiastic TapTrip 

team has brought a breath of fresh 

air to the sector with eye-catching 

marketing campaigns and bold 

ambitions to make managing travel 

“as easy as watching Netflix". 

Its technology 

– designed for 

mobile first, not as a mobile add-on 

– is achieving impressive results: 95% 

compliance, 98% repeat business, up 

to 30% savings on monthly travel 

spend and 90% faster bookings. In a 

change of direction, TapTrip is about 

to launch Vessul, a tech solution 

designed to tackle the logistical 

challenge of crew rotation for 

marine, oil and renewables. If 

anyone is going to make waves in 

this niche corner of the sector 

(deliberate pun) it’s these guys. 

THRUST CARBON 

Driven by the belief that going green 

must be effortless, Thrust Carbon is 

creating the future of emissions 

reporting, reductions and removal 

with products which are easy to use, 

visually persuasive and designed to 

work with existing solutions. It’s 

working in partnership with TMCs 

and directly with Fortune 500 clients, 

who can view their travel emissions 

and see where 

they need to 

change their 

behaviour 

thanks to engaging dashboards, 

innovative carbon budgeting and 

point-of-booking nudges. It’s already 

making a difference and the next 

step is to integrate its full product 

suite inside the OBT environment. 


ALTOVITA CORPORATE 

HOUSING SOLUTION 

TRAVEL VITALS AND WORKSPACES, 

BY AMERICAN EXPRESS GBT 

AltoVita’s founders – road warriors 

Vivi Cahyadi Himmel and Karolina 

Saviova – had a bold vision: to 

simplify the “fragmented and 

inefficient” corporate housing 

booking process. In January 2018 

they launched an innovative 

cloud-based accommodation 

platform, delivering duty of care 

compliant housing solutions 

across 165 countries and more 

than 800 cities through a two-way 

API integration. Their technology is 

designed to reduce the legacy 

sourcing timeline from 48-72 

hours to a few minutes, saving 

clients 80% in accommodation 

The tech teams at American Express 

GBT have been beavering away since 

the start of the pandemic updating 

existing technology and bringing 

brand-new products to market. 

Quick off the mark was Travel 

Vitals, deserving particular 

credit because it was 

immediately made available 

not just to the TMC’s own 

clients but to the wider 

industry. It’s a one-stop shop for 

up-to-date Covid information, 

providing data aggregated from 

hundreds of sources, including GBT’s 

travel risk intelligence partner 

Riskline. All the information can be 

searched by destination, airline, 

airport, hotel chain, train operator or 

ground transport provider. 

What began as an agile response to 

an acute situation has evolved into 

being part of the TMC's longer-term 

strategy to help the industry navigate 

the safe return to travel and, at the 

last count, there had been 

more than 2.35 million 

searches in the Travel Vitals 

portal. Meanwhile, in 

recognition of the new ways 

of working, GBT has 

developed Workspaces, a booking 

service which helps remote workers 

and teams make flexible, daytime 

bookings of co-working spaces, hotel 

rooms, meeting venues and small 

hotel meeting rooms for work and 

collaboration. Launched in the US in 

March 2021, it is now being rolled 

out to clients across Europe. 

charges. This year Alto Vita added 

new functionalities, helping clients 

contrast and compare average and 

seasonal market prices and search 

more easily for specific needs, 

such as accommodation that’s 

pet-friendly, comes with good 

entertainment facilities, or is 

geared up for remote working. 

Based on the company’s most 

recent figures – 976% revenue 

growth year-on-year – they’re 

clearly doing something right 

and have earned their place in 

our 2021 Tech Hotlist. 

BLACKLANE CHAUFFEUR 

Ride hailing is nothing new, of course, 

but Blacklane took it to a whole new 

level earlier this year when it 

introduced chauffeur hailing in 21 

key cities, including London, New 

York, Paris and Berlin. Crucially for 

corporate travellers, Blacklane 

chauffeur hailing promises the same 

quality, health and safety standards 

and fixed competitive fares as its 

pre-booked trips. Better still, in 

London if you hail a chauffeur drive it 

will always be in an all-electric Jaguar 

I-PACE or Tesla thanks to the 

company’s investment in Havn, 

London’s all-electric chauffeur 

service. In other cities, Blacklane 

offsets journeys, helping you reach 

your sustainability targets. 

29 


29


TECH HOTLIST 

GRAPEVINE 

With TMC revenues drastically 

down in the travel downturn, 

Grapevine is coming into its 

own. It’s a selling platform, 

driven by an AI engine called Marvin 

(get it?), to help TMCs grow their 

ancillary sales beyond air tickets, 

using techniques widely used by the 

retail industry to capture revenue 

from hotels, car hire, parking and 

ground transportation. Eventually it 

will also capture in-destination spend 

such as restaurants and attractions. 

Its a no-brainer for TMCs – Advantage 

Travel Partnership and WIN Global 

Travel Network have adopted it – 

while for corporates it provides a 

single source for ancillary bookings, 

which is crucial with duty of care 

higher than ever on the agenda. 

JYRNEY 

TRIPBAM’S AIR TRAVEL SOLUTION 

It’s still relatively early days for this 

Manchester-based start-up, due to 

officially launch this autumn, but 

backed by a highly-experienced 

team and already signing some key 

deals in the corporate travel space, 

we felt it was worthy of a place in 

our hotlist. In a particularly 

fragmented market, Jyrney brings 

Mobility as a Service to business 

travel, offering ground transport 

within a traveller's online booking 

tool or directly into its portal, with 

visibility of total journey cost, CO2 

emissions and meeting duty of 

care. The only thing we’re not so 

keen on – because it confuses our 

sub-editors – is its spelling! 

We’re jumping the gun a bit with this 

one, but having witnessed how 

TRIPBAM’s global rate auditing, 

benchmarking, analytics and 

sourcing has shaken up the hotel 

sector, we’re confident that its foray 

into air travel later this year will be 

HOTELHUB 

Inefficient processes, low visibility of 

volumes and leakages are just some 

of the pain points HotelHub promises 

to help eradicate with its next 

generation tech, which consolidates 

GDS and non-GDS content into 

intuitive web-based platforms – one 

for TMCs and another self-booking 

tool. In addition, its Rate Optimiser 

dynamically tracks hotel rates, 

continuously searching for lower 

rates and rebooking if a better rate is 

just as impactful. If all goes to plan, 

travel buyers will be able to enjoy big 

savings by rebooking flights, auditing 

air contracts, grading suppliers for 

how well they uphold agreements, 

and benchmark against peer 

companies down to a single route. 

found. Already a long-term partner 

of CWT, it was recently selected by 

Flight Centre after a rigorous RFP. 


Launching October ‘21 

Crew rotation 

logistics tech 

Sign up for updates at: 

Vessul.com 

A TapTrip company


tech hotlist 

Locomote 

Traxo 

Detecting and eliminating travel 

programme leakage is more vital 

than ever as we emerge from the 

Covid crisis and, in this area, Traxo 

continues to lead the pack. Its tech 

solution automatically captures 

comprehensive information on TMC 

and non-TMC bookings to help travel 

managers drive compliance, identify 

TRIPACTIONS 

When Covid-19 struck, TripActions 

jumped into action and developed a 

Return to Travel Feature Suite 

to help clients upload, 

manage and share health 

documents and track entry 

requirements, with instant 

chat support and a travel 

impact dashboard. But the main 

reason it's in our hotlist are its new 

See businesstravelmag.com for video 

entries from the 14 innovators who 

made it on to our 2021 Tech Hotlist 

savings and maximise duty of care. 

As its CEO Andres Fabris says: 

“Expectations for traveller safety and 

support are higher than ever. If 

itinerary blindspots prevent 

companies from knowing where 

travellers are, or plan to be, they’re 

putting themselves and their 

travellers at unnecessary risk.” 

sustainability tools, added this year. 

Users can set carbon budgets based 

on historical spend and 

industry benchmarking data 

and get real-time data for all 

inventory via an easy-to-use 

analytics dashboard, and 

with access to three 

globally-recognised methodologies 

to measure and track progress. 

This Melbourne-based tech-led 

TMC made the business travel 

headlines back in 2016 when it was 

snapped up by Travelport. But 

following a change of leadership at 

Travelport and the arrival of the 

global pandemic, the original 

founders – cousins David and Ross 

Fastuca – bought back the 

company in early 2020 and say it’s 

time to complete some unfinished 

business. They’ve got some of the 

old gang back on board and have 

been busy expanding beyond Asia 

Pacific into the UK and US. 

Definitely one to watch. 

NavAgent 

“A game changer for the travel 

industry - we love it!” says Scott 

Pawley, MD at Global Travel 

Management, an early adopter of 

NavAgent. In a nutshell, NavAgent 

makes life much easier for travel 

consultants who 

use the GDS by 

giving them 

dynamic 

customer data 

without 

interrupting 

their normal workflow, freeing 

them up to deliver a more 

consistent and personalised service 

to you, the client. With TMCs under 

enough pressure already, it got a 

well-earned spot on our hotlist. 


BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW 

TO FIND OUT THE WINNERS AND 

CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENT AT THE 

2021 AWARDS CEREMONY ON THE 

EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 

Recognising outstanding individuals and teams across all 

aspects of the supplier element of corporate travel 

TheBusinessTravelPeopleAwards.com

ACCOMMODATION 

step 

INSIDE 

Catherine Chetwynd takes a tour of some of the most 

exciting developments in the UK’s accommodation sector 

this year – from renovations to new openings 

Lockdowns might have been 

financially punishing for hoteliers 

and serviced apartment operators 

but on the plus side they provided an 

opportunity for refurbishment without 

disrupting guests. 

The pandemic also failed to suppress 

investment in new-builds and conversions – 

many projects were already too far down 

the line to stop – so as domestic business 

travellers get back on the road they will 

discover some new kids on the block. 

Let's start our tour in London. Quick off 

the mark was the Cheval Collection, with 

the opening of its first four-star brand, 

Cheval Maison, just off Cromwell Road. 

The building was taken over from another 

provider, stripped down, redecorated and a 

ground floor lounge and lower-ground gym 

introduced. The group’s upgraded app 

brings pre-arrival check-in and instant 

messaging with front office teams. 

The Savoy opened its forecourt as a 

1920s-inspired pop-up bar and terrace in 

April, allowing it to welcome visitors before 

taking overnight guests in May; and the 

former The Curtain Hotel launched as 

Mondrian Shoreditch London after a 

comprehensive redesign, with 120 rooms 

and BIBO Shoreditch brasserie and tapas 

bar under Andalucian Michelin-starred chef 

Dani García, complete with an adjoining 

Spanish Courtyard with a retracting glass 

roof. With Covid safety and comfort in 

mind, many hotels have created such 

outdoor spaces for their guests. 

Over in Soho, the much-anticipated debut 

of The Londoner – billed as 'the world’s first 

super boutique hotel' is set to breathe new 

life into Leicester Square. From Edwardian 

Hotels London, the 16-storey hotel opens in 

September and brings 350 rooms, six 

concept eateries, a members club-style 

private area, a wealth of meeting and event 

space, a cinema and an entire floor 

dedicated to wellness. 

Beaverbrook Town House, a 14-room 

sister hotel to the luxury country house 

hotel in the Surrey Hills, has just opened in 

Sloane Street in partnership with Cadogan 

and The Westin London City is another 

notable September opening. 

Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane has 

added a spa with a 20-metre pool, private 

training room, gym, sauna and steam 

rooms, and hydrotherapy pool to Mayfair 

Park Residences – facilities that are open to 

guests in either property. 

Leonardo Hotels spent an aggregate £34.5 

million on the Royal London City, Royal MONDRIAN SHOREDITCH 


ACCOMMODATION 

As domestic business 

travellers get back on 

the road they will discover 

some new kids on the block” 


35

ACCOMMODATION 

ANDREW BEASLEY 

THE LONDONER PENTHOUSE 

London St. Paul’s and Royal London 

Tower Bridge, providing updated bedrooms 

and Leo’s bar and a restaurant on all three 

sites. New is a rooftop bar with public 

access at the St. Paul’s property and a 

renovated and rebranded Spa at Royal 

London City. In addition, May saw the 

launch of BREEAM-certified Leonardo Hotel 

Bristol Glassfields on Temple Way, with 197 

rooms, meeting room, bar and restaurant. 

A massive makeover took place at The 

Hoxton, Holborn, creating a brighter, larger 

lobby, a coffee bar, restaurant and wine bar 

Rondo, 46 additional bedrooms, and 

redesigned event space described as ‘disco 

chic’ (which sounds more distracting than 

conducive to work!). Lower occupancies 

and lockdowns allowed all the work to be 

done at once, rather than in phases. 

Bishopsgate Plaza, opposite Liverpool 

Street Station, hosts Pan Pacific London, 

which will open at the start of September 

and represent the group’s entry into 

Europe. An entire floor will be dedicated to 

wellness with an 18.5m infinity pool and 

gym, while the hotel's meeting rooms will 

come with floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Flying Butler took on 12 new properties 

throughout London and in Reading as part 

of its plan to grow inventory by 140 units 

and undertook major refurbishments of 

four of them. This included a £800,000 refit 

of Flying Butler Reading Central, where in 

response to the isolation some guests may 

have experienced during lockdowns a 

multifunctional communal area was created 

on the ground floor with a café and zoned 

spaces for working or socialising. 

It was important to 

offer our corporate 

guests a chance to socialise 

with other like-minded 

customers outside their 

private apartment” 

“It was important to offer our corporate 

guests a chance to socialise with other likeminded 

customers outside their private 

apartment,” says CEO Dominic Sherry. 

As Flying Butler hosts many long-stay 

travellers, the apartments are notably 

spacious, starting at 33sq.m for a studio. 

Properties on London’s doorstep have 

also had a retelling. For example, Coworth 

Park in Ascot has opened a three-bedroom 

gatehouse cottage, North Lodge, on the 

outskirts of the grounds, with a private 

garden and outdoor dining area. 

De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor 

undertook a refurbishment of Georgian 

mansion house The White House, which 

forms part of the property. The upgraded 

26 bedrooms include walk-in showers, 

Roberts radios and smart TVs. 

 

THE SAVOY RESIDENCE INN SLOUGH STAY CITY MANCHESTER 


ACCOMMODATION 

THE HOXTON HOLBORN LOBBY 

Lower occupancies 

and lockdowns 

allowed all the work to be 

done at once, rather than 

in phases" 

Hilton has opened the latest Curio 

Collection property, aparthotel The Fellows 

House Cambridge, with 131 rooms, pool, 

sauna and steam room. 

Cycas’ signature double-decker properties 

now include aparthotel 92-unit Residence 

Inn Slough and the 152-room Moxy, with a 

shared Thunderbirds-themed bar, fitness 

studio and six meeting rooms. They are in 

the former library, part of a multi-use 

development that includes restaurants, 

retail space and stylish private apartments. 

Oxford is benefitting from the opening in 

July of Westgate Premier Inn, with the top 

floor dedicated to Premier Plus rooms 

which come with improved working areas, 

air conditioning, flatscreen TVs, fridges with 

free water, Nespresso machines with pods, 

stronger Wifi and more. The hotel hosts the 

brand’s 1000th Premier Plus room and 

there are plans to double the number of 

these to 2,000 across the network. 

Development in Manchester continues 

apace, including the opening of Staycity in 

the Northern Quarter, with 224 apartments, 

24-hour reception, lounge, pantry, Staycafé, 

exercise room and laundry. 

Meanwhile, The Midland Manchester has 

emerged from a £17 million overhaul of its 

bedrooms. New is a split-level bar and 

Say hello to 

Turing Locke. 

Opening October. 

Whether you’re here for punting or partying, working 

or researching, discover a thoroughly modern side to 

magical Cambridge. 

# FEELFREE 

lockeliving.com | @lockehotels 

Turing Locke, 47 Eddington Ave, Cambridge CB3 1SE

ACCOMMODATION 

MONDRIAN SHOREDITCH 

lounge in the foyer; Mount Street restaurant 

now serves classic dishes all day. 

Meliá property INNSide Liverpool opened 

in August after a three-year redevelopment 

of the former Echo and Daily Post building, 

with 207 rooms, restaurant, Sky Bar with 

360-degree city views, and seven meeting 

rooms on a floor with a dedicated kitchen. 

In Scotland, Cheval Abbey Strand 

Apartments at Holyrood were renovated 

ready for reopening in June, with new 

access to the physic garden – with its 

medicinal and culinary plants that would 

have grown in the 17th-century garden – in 

the grounds of the Palace of 

Holyroodhouse. It is exclusive to Cheval 

guests in the evening, once the palace is 

closed to the public. 

Meanwhile Cheval Old Town Chambers 

has added an extension, with 24 new 

apartments, ground-floor reception, lounge, 

bar and restaurant, plus a new entrance on 

the Royal Mile (rather than via an alley). 

A £1.3 million renovation of The 

Ballachulish Hotel, Glencoe, upgraded 53 

RESIDENCE INN SLOUGH 

bedrooms, restaurants and three meeting 

rooms for a reopening in April, while Crerar 

Hotels invested £500,000 in Glencoe Inn, 

modernising 15 bedrooms, public areas and 

introducing a garden Spa. Its restaurant, 

The Gathering, features a new Steak & 

Lobster Bistro and Red Shed Pizzas. 

And last on our tour is The Isle of Mull 

Hotel & Spa, which has undergone a £3.5 

million makeover of its 75 bedrooms with 

six Seaview and two Retreat suites. Its 

public areas, restaurant, spa and pool have 

been upgraded and a new sea deck 

overlooks Craignure Bay. It's dog friendly 

too, so perfect for all the lockdown puppies. 

With Covid safety 

and comfort in mind, 

many hotels have been quick 

to create outdoor spaces for 

their guests” 

People deserve to feel at home - 

even when they’re not. 

www.staywithreside.com

CONFERENCE 

Long-awaited and much-needed, The 

Business Travel Conference is back for 

2021 and promises to be one of the most 

memorable in its 15-year history. 

The intimate event, with a maximum of 200 

buyer delegates, is being held at the Hilton 

London Bankside on September 14-15 with a 

top line-up of speakers and a programme 

packed full of content that will help you and 

your travellers get back to business travel. 

With a theme of ‘Reconnect, Reset, Restart’, 

the event will kick off with a keynote speech 

from MP Stephen Hammond, Chairman of 

the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) 

dedicated to business travel. 

Delegates will then hear from industry 

leaders, including Ian Sinderson, CEO of 

ATPI, and James Parkhouse, CEO of Agiito 

(formerly Capita Travel and Events), and 

Dave Bishop, CCO Gray Dawes Group, 

who will set the scene 

before the 

TBTC'21 

RECONNECT, 

RESET, RESTART 

With just days to go until The Business Travel 

Conference 2021, here's a reminder of what's in store... 

conference sessions begin. Programme 

highlights include a Back to the Futurethemed 

immersive experience, with headline 

sponsors Blue Cube Travel, where delegates 

will step into Doc Brown's time machine for 

an unforgettable journey back to the origins 

of business travel and into its future. 

Alongside lively and engaging sessions, 

there'll be plenty of time for the networking 

that we've all missed so much during the 

pandemic and exhibitors representing all 

corners of the sector are looking forward to 

meeting you and updating you about their 

products and services. 

Peace of mind 

With the safety and comfort of visitors in 

mind, the conference organisers and the 

Hilton London Bankside have put a number 

of measures in place. Hilton is continuing to 

implement EventReady, its stringent global 

meetings and events programme designed 

to create event experiences that are 

clean, flexible, safe 

and socially 

responsible. This 

includes room 

seals for guest and 

meeting rooms, 

sanitising stations 

in public areas and 

meeting spaces and an 

EventReady Room 

Checklist. 

Hilton Bankside staff 

will continue to wear 

masks throughout the 

conference and will also be 

taking regular voluntary lateral 

flow tests. There will be numerous 

hand sanitisation stations positioned 

throughout the venue and attendees will be 

encouraged to use them frequently. 

Speedy arrivals 

To minimise queuing and speed up the 

arrivals process, conference registration will 

be open an hour early each morning (8am) 

and registration teams have been expanded. 

Registration teams and all conference staff 

will wear masks when interacting with 

attendees and will also take daily lateral flow 

tests in the run-up to and during the event. 

Attendees will also be asked to take a 

voluntary lateral flow test prior to attending. 

The right signals 

In order to meet different levels of comfort 

with regards to social distancing, visitors to 

the conference will be offered optional 

wristbands in three colours, based on a 

traffic light theme. 

Wearing a green wristband will indicate to 

others that you're comfortable with hugs 

and physical contact, amber will show that 

any greetings should be restricted to fist or 

elbow pumps, while red signals that you're 

comfortable to chat but prefer to avoid any 

physical contact. Wristbands can be changed 

during the conference. 

“We hope this will help all attendees relax 

and respect comfort levels and avoid any 

awkward moments!” says Kirsty Hicks, 

Publisher and Head of Business Travel for 

event organisers BMI Publishing. 

Risk factors 

In collaboration with the Hilton London 

Bankside, a full risk assessment has been 

completed for the event. 

The hotel has an NHS check-in/check-out 

code displayed at the entrance to the 

property and if anyone presents with Covid 

symptoms at the conference there are plans 

in place to protect them and others from the 

risk of transmission. 

Double celebration 

All of the safety measures outlined here will 

also apply to the conference refreshment 

breaks, lunches and evening events. 

On the first night, delegates will be able to 

catch up with friends and colleagues over 

drinks and canopés and, for the first time, 

the Business Travel People Awards will be 

held on the evening of the second day of the 

conference. There's so much to catch up on 

and we can't wait to see you there. 

thebusinesstravelconference.com 


CONFERENCE 

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 

DAY ONE Tuesday September 14 

8AM Registration opens/breakfast networking 

9.30AM WELCOME 

9.45AM OPENING KEYNOTE AND Q&A Stephen 

Hammond MP, Chairman of the All Party 

Parliamentary Group for Business Travel 

10.20AM VIEW FROM THE TOP Where are we now? 

Industry experts share their insights into the 

current state of the business travel sector and set 

the scene for the conference. 

4PM 

4.30PM 

5PM 

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS Now is the time to 

make your travel programme truly sustainable, 

but how is that achieved? Our experts offer 

practical ways to make your business travel more 

responsible and outline what suppliers are doing 

to help you meet your targets. 

DIVERSITY CHALLENGE In an open and honest 

conversation, our experts will discuss what the 

corporate travel sector must do to be truly 

representative and how it can fully represent the 

business travellers it serves. 

DRINKS & CANAPE RECEPTION 

11.00AM 

11.40AM 

12.20PM 

12.50PM 

2PM 

Refreshments/networking 

TMC TRANSFORMATION Brand, culture, 

servicing, data capabilities and business models 

are all under the spotlight as buyers look for their 

future TMC partners. Experts will discuss the 

shifting landscape to help you ensure you have 

the right relationship for success. 

READY FOR TAKE-OFF As domestic and 

international air travel restarts - with reduced 

schedules, fewer suppliers and no meaningful data 

to base your negotiations on - an expert panel 

shares top tips on how to get your programmes 

back in the air and instill confidence in flying. 

Lunch/networking 

WAKE UP CALL Representatives from across the 

accommodation sector provide valuable insights 

on rate and booking trends and how to progress 

your hotel programme post-pandemic. 

DAY TWO Wednesday September 15 

8AM Registration opens/breakfast networking 

9AM VIEW FROM THE TOP What’s next? Industry 

leaders share their insights into what the future 

brings for the sector, how it should respond to 

current challenges and take advantage of the 

exciting opportunities going forward. 

10AM Late breakfast/networking 

10.45AM BACK TO THE FUTURE In a first for The 

Business Travel Conference, an immersive 

experience will take delegates on a journey to the 

origins of business travel and back to the future of 

corporate travel, featuring travel risk management 

as the flux capacitor and traveller wellbeing safely 

strapped into a DeLorean. Hold on tight! 

11.45PM Refreshments/networking 

2.30PM 

TRANSPORT LINKS Experts from rail, car rental 

and taxis and transfers debate the impact of 

technological innovation, remote working, and 

growing concerns about sustainability and safety, 

and tell you how to better manage that 'last mile'. 

12.15PM 

THE NEXT GENERATION A buyer-focussed 

panel discusses the changing role of the travel 

manager and the exciting new opportunities for 

those who are up for the challenge. 

3PM 

Afternoon refreshments 

12.50PM 

1PM 

CLOSING REMARKS 

Lunch/final networking 

6.30PM THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS 2021 


41

DEPARTURES 

Reality check 

Go online for the full reviews: thebusinesstravelmag.com 

CAR HIRE: VAUXHALL CORSA E RENTAL FROM ENTERPRISE 

BACKGROUND 

Starting with Teslas two 

THE RENTAL 

Branch staff had told 

years ago, Enterprise has been 

us charging the car was a very easy 

expanding its electric fleet and this 

plug-in-and-go process but whilst this is 

summer added a selection of lower-mid 

the case for Teslas, all other makes of 

range cars, including the Vauxhall Corsa 

electric cars use a different network of 

E. With five doors, built-in satnav, 

chargers and it’s more complicated. It 

climate control, and up to 160 miles 

turned out we needed an account with 

range on a full charge, it seemed 

‘Charging Place Scotland’ to access the 

perfect for our 850-mile Scotland trip. 

network, and ideally a RFID card linked 

BOOKING 

The online booking 

to our account to tap on the machines 

process was easy. We’d originally 

to begin charging. It's also possible to 

booked to collect the car from the 

charge using an app but this caused us 

Edinburgh Waverly branch but due to 

a wealth of problems as internet signal 

Covid it was temporarily closed. Instead 

was limited, if not non-existent, in many 

we were offered complimentary pick-up 

locations. The machines themselves 

from our accommodation to collect 

also needed internet connection to 

very receptive of our comments on 

from the Edinburgh City Centre branch. 

receive data from the app and more 

charging issues and said they'd relay 

COLLECTION 

The wheel was 

often than not this proved impossible. 

this back to the head office. 

wrapped in a protective cover and with 

Enterprise’s ‘Complete Clean Pledge’ we 

felt very confident the car was sanitised 

and all necessary precautions had been 

taken. Masks were worn at all times, 

Thankfully, mid-way through our trip, a 

fellow EV driver kindly lent us his 

personal 'Charging Place Scotland' card 

so we no longer had to worry about 

difficulties charging. This meant we 

A SMOOTH RIDE 

OVERALL, BUT WITH 

A FEW BUMPS IN 

THE ROAD 

THE VERDICT A smooth drive overall, 

but with a few bumps in the road. 

Directions on charging could have been 

clearer but otherwise the process, and 

the car, was efficient and enjoyable. 

even outside. After a thorough check 

could begin to really enjoy the car – 

THE DETAILS 

enterprise.co.uk; 

and a brief on how the charging worked 

(more on that later), we hit the road. 

effortlessly smooth and almost eerily 

quiet to drive. At drop-off, staff were 

0800 800 227. Rentals from £88 a day. 

April Waterston 

HOTEL: THE CULLODEN ESTATE & SPA, BELFAST 

THE HOTEL 

A Hastings Hotel 

THE ROOM 

My spacious and ultra- 

property and a Small Luxury Hotel of 

comfortable Bishop Suite on the fourth 

the World, this five-star hotel is six miles 

floor had a partial dividing wall 

from Belfast city centre and yet its 

separating the bedroom from the 

setting is more akin to a tranquil rural 

lounge area. Features included a King 

retreat. With the wooded slopes of the 

Coil ‘Cloud Bed’, a work table, couch and 

Holywood hills as its backdrop and 12 

lounge chairs, and two TVs. A large bay 

acres of manicured gardens, it has a 

window offered views down to Belfast 

real sense of grandeur, history and 

Lough and the County Antrim Coastline. 

serenity. Its 98 elegant rooms and 

THE BUSINESS 

There's a dedicated 

suites, spa and restaurant have been 

business reception area, with secretarial 

recently refurbished. 

services, and a plethora of conference 

COVID STRATEGY 

Health and safety 

and meeting rooms. The gardens offer 

protocols are in line with industry-wide 

team building exercises and activities 

'Peace of Mind Policy' guidelines, an 

like archery, laser clay pigeon shooting 

industry standard established in 

and target golf. WiFi is free and speedy. 

treatments), a pool (with Jacuzzi), a 

association with the National Tourism 

THE FACILITIES 

The main restaurant, 

weight room, sauna and an eucalyptus 

Organisations of Great Britain and 

Northern Ireland. Measures include 

sanitising stations throughout the hotel 

and a chemical-free disinfectant system. 

THE CHECK-IN The reception area is 

surprisingly small for such a large 

Vespers, is serving dinner only on a 

Friday and Saturday but is open daily 

for breakfast. The Lough Room, which 

will revert to a residents' bar once Covid 

rules allow, offered a limited but 

wholesome menu. At the bottom of the 

SIX MILES FROM 

BELFAST BUT ITS 

SETTING IS MORE 

AKIN TO A TRANQUIL 

RURAL RETREAT 

steam room. 

THE VERDICT A premium-class hotel 

with top-range facilities that offers a 

sense of peace and solitude that no city 

centre hotel could match. 

THE DETAILS Bangor Rd, Hollywood, 

property but never felt crowded. Two 

estate is the pub-cosy Cultra Inn. 

Belfast, BT18 0EX; hastingshotels.com. 

front desk staff members, wearing 

masks, were friendly and efficient. 

Afternoon Tea is served in the Drawing 

Room. There's a gym, Spa (with ESPA 

Rooms from £300, including breakfast. 

Steve Hartridge 


DEPARTURES 

The final word 

From Shitterton to Twatt 

F 

orget Lands End to John 

O' Groats. If all those 

lockdowns have left you 

with the urge to do something 

worthwhile, like a charity 

fundraising trip across 

Britain, there's now a much 

more fun way to do it. 

Follow in the footsteps of Paul 

Taylor, from Oxfordshire, who 

this summer sped off on a 50cc 

moped for a 1,800-mile tour, in 

memory of a friend, taking in all 

the places with names that'll 

make you chuckle. 

Starting in the Dorset hamlet 

of Shitterton (tee-hee) he'll be 

calling at Crazies Hill and 

Cockpole Green near Reading, 

Berkshire, Butthole Lane in 

Shepshed, Leicestershire, and 

Titty Ho in Northamptonshire. 

His tour - known as the 

Moronic Moped Marathon - also 

takes in Happy Bottom Nature 

Reserve, Sandy Balls Holiday 

Park, Pishill, The Knob, Butthole 

Lane, Slack Bottom Road, and 

more, before ending up in Twatt 

in the Orkney Isles. 

At the last count, cheeky Paul 

had already raised just under 

£20,000 for Cancer Research - 

way over his initial £1,800 

target. If you want to add a 

donation, check out this link: 

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ 

paul-taylor233 

Sunhat or 

umbrella? 

Packing is so much easier when 

you know if it's going to rain or 

shine, so here's a handy list of 

European cities with the most 

predictable weather: 

1 Valetta 

2 Nicosia 

3 Dublin 

4 London 

5 Rome 

6 Athens 

7 Reykjavik 

8 Amsterdam 

9 Brussels 

10 Paris 

Research by Uswitch Car Insurance 

Oh, I do like to be... 

Whether you jetted 

off to sunny Spain 

or cloudy Cornwall, 

hopefully most of you got a 

well-deserved seaside break 

this summer. This year, more 

than ever, what we've all 

yearned for is a day at the 

beach, to feel the sea air and 

the sand between our toes 

Or have we? Apparently not, 

according to hotel platform, 

Hoo, which looked at some 

data and found that 63% of 

us prefer a dip in the pool to 

the beach, and for a number 

of reasons: our dislike of 

pebbles, sand, and seawater 

and a fear of what lies 

beneath. The makers of Jaws 

have got a lot to answer for. 

What we had for dinner became the most 

exciting thing that happened to many of us in 

those long, dark days of the lockdowns. With 

nothing else to brag about, social media 

became flooded with heavily-filtered photos 

of mealtimes, showcasing our national 

dishes. According to Dutch delivery website, 

Thuisbezorgd, pizzas were the instagram 

favourites across Europe, while in the UK we 

were all keen to share snaps 

of our beloved fish 

and chips, Sunday 

roasts and 

Shepherd's Pie. 

Sadly, not quite so 

photogenic! 


43

Reconnect 

Reset 

Restart 

Register now - for free - 

for The Business Travel 

Conference 2021, the 

intimate, in-person event 

exclusively for corporate 

buyers and arrangers of 

business travel and meetings 

September 14 -15, 2021 


thebusinesstravel 

conference.com 

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Sponsors 

Brought to you by

Business Travel Sept-Oct 2021

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