Early next week, travel industry professionals from around the world will make their way to Chicago for this year’s ACTE Global Summit.
This annual conference sees hundreds of travel buyers, suppliers, and other industry insiders come together to learn about the biggest trends, the newest innovative tech, and expert predictions for what to expect next. We’ll be there to get the scoop, of course, and while we’re attending sessions and networking with folks in the InterACTE expo hall, these are the big themes we expect to see:
The corporate travel industry has had a difficult time keeping up with the times as legacy solutions have historically hindered innovation in the space. But with new technologies emerging and traveler expectations evolving, we’re finally experiencing a new dawn in corporate travel management. Travelers expect convenience and ease of use, and if buyers can’t deliver, the business risks losing out on visibility, control, and savings. Now more than ever, are the critical leaders for bringing the latest and greatest innovations to their organizations in order to lead the most cost effective, optimized travel programs possible -- while delighting their road warriors in the process.
If you’re curious what’s top of mind for corporate travel buyers leading this wave of innovation inside their organizations — and as a result rising through the ranks — don’t miss out on the following sessions:
It’s no secret that how travel inventory is surfaced and booked is changing — and fast. Business travelers accustomed to shopping for personal travel on Kayak, Priceline, and other consumer sites no longer have the patience to sift endlessly through irrelevant search results on outdated business travel platforms. According to our 2018 Business Traveler Trends report, the #1 frustration travelers face when using a company tool was a lack of inventory, followed by time spent booking — 83% reported that it takes them over an hour to book a trip. And because of this, 50% of travelers go rogue and book outside their organization’s provided solution.
How can buyers source and surface a wide variety of inventory to make the booking experience as extensive and seamless as possible? ACTE promises to cover this topic extensively with several sessions, including:
Business traveler safety, satisfaction, and wellness on the road are hot topics these days, with conversations around duty of care, on-the-go support, and overall health becoming more and more commonplace throughout industry events, publications, and other forums.
In fact, the 9:45 a.m. Monday morning mediation session titled Mindfulness @ Work will help attendees learn how to bring the practice into their day-to-day lives. But this guided exercise is just the beginning when it comes to traveler wellness. Check out these sessions for more on why it’s important to keep travelers happy and healthy on the road, along with tips on how to do exactly that:
If you’re at ACTE Global next week, come say “Hi!” to your TripActions team in the InterACTE expo area, or book a meeting to learn more about how to optimize your corporate travel program.