Travel Management Companies 2018 guide

Businesstravel the

Magazine

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES YOUR

2 0 1 8

GUIDE

They're essential partners for many businesses but the sector is constantly evolving. Find out about the latest news and trends In our annual guide to TMCs Introduction, 3-4 / TMC news, 7-8 / Consolidation, 11 / Trending, 12-13 Beginner's guide, 15 / Technology, 16-19 / Interview, 21 / Distribution, 22 Reader's rant, 25 / The Directory, 27-29 / Data, 30

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Introduction / TMCs

nimble

MOVERS Travel management companies are deploying new technology, tinkering with their operations and adding supplementary services as they strive to remain essential business partners, writes Gillian Upton

T

he phrase ‘all things to all men’ springs to mind when thinking about the range of services a TMC provides today. They have successfully evolved from mere travel bookers to offer a panoply of related and ancillary services that add great value to their core provision.

These ‛value-adds’ include leisure bookings, event management, expense management, sophisticated MI analysis, duty of care, consultancy, mobile apps and the like. It has made TMCs indispensable to the corporate. “It’s less booking focused and more getting our arms around the whole piece,” sums up Julie Oliver, Managing Director of Business Travel Direct.

The evolution and service creep has been triggered by the increasing complexity of business travel. As solution providers, TMCs have had to work hard to keep abreast of changes in the industry, including dramatic changes to the distribution landscape – NDC being the latest example – the advent of

disruptors, and consumerisation of the business that has led to demand for more travel-centric policies and programmes.

The changes will keep coming: this year it will be GDPR in the data space, while artificial intelligence is already making its mark, in chatbots and across aspects of customer service delivery.

“The market is hugely complex with lots of noise,” says GTMC Chairman Adrian Parkes.

He believes market conditions are pushing more clients to outsource their travel as they look for a supplier to simplify this complexity. It’s a win-win for TMCs. Today’s TMCs have invested heavily in technology, specialist services and their global reach. Strategies include acquisition, mergers, use of third parties and joining networks. Nimbleness and flexibility are essential: Wings Travel Management’s swift turnaround from a 70/30 split on marine and oil/corporate when the oil price slumped, to 70/30 corporate/marine after the acquisition of Grosvenor Travel

Management exemplifies this. CTM's acquisition of Redfern is another example, so the TMC can offer everything from white glove service to 100% online.

“TMCs are incredibly robust,” says Parkes.

“They have grown in strength and in the value they bring to clients of all sizes,” says Parkes. “They bring productivity benefits in terms of out-of-hours service and knowing where clients’ staff are all the time in terms of duty of care, for example.”

Their evolution is such that Business Travel Direct’s Oliver believes TMCs have outgrown their name. “I’m thinking of renaming us as we’re not TMCs anymore,” she says. “We manage business disruption.

We understand it and we understand the complexity – we don’t want to be reliant on just a booking.”

Thankfully, technology has automated much of TMCs’ labour-intensive workload, from back-office systems to the repetitive, point-to-point client journeys, freeing them up to focus on more revenue-generating 

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TMCs / Introduction

There is a sense of opaqueness about TMC fees. Many travellers think they can do better with the 25 apps they have access to” services such as long-haul offline bookings, meetings and consultancy.

“We’ve had to become more clever in our business model,” says Scott Alboni, Marketing Director EMEA at CTM. “For example, using technology and automation at the back end to improve efficiency.”

It means most TMCs have reduced operational staff from 70% of the total to 50%, recruiting analysts and business managers to help clients undertake benchmarking exercises and the like.

Alboni believes that TMCs have come a long way in terms of demonstrating ROI. “We can consolidate information and give that holistic view of the client account,” he argues. “We are being pushed to ensure we’re doing the most for clients’ money.

For example, we offer hotel auditing software to check clients are being charged the right rate, and our iClass tool check clients are getting the lowest airfare right up to day of departure.”

Technology is key to the range of core services that TMCs provide. Today, clients can choose to self-book, mobile book or use a consultant. Policy management – to drive costs out of the supply chain – duty of care, data consolidation and reporting round off the core services a TMC can provide.

Rate benchmarking and risk management are often costed as extras. The same goes for consultancy, any customisation in alerts, and any modifications to a self booking tool, for example. The cost of third-party providers – usually suppliers that fall into specialist areas such as repatriation and risk management – also have to be passed on.

Clients need to pin down account management costs and ensure the costs presented during the tender process are sustainable.

“The best time to negotiate fees is when you’re down to the final two TMCs,” advises Chris Reynolds, Senior Partner, 3SixtyGlobal.

CTM's Alboni believes TMCs are working hard to break the perception that they cost too much money. “TMCs bring a huge



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amount of value to an organisation in savings and efficiencies; it’s about creating a partnership that maximises return on investment,” he says.

Chris Crowley, Senior VP, Global Client Management, BCD Travel, believes clients understand they have to pay for TMC services, but it’s the way they pay for it that is the issue. “There is still a sense of opaqueness about TMC fees; what’s included in the hotel rate, for example. Many travellers think they can do better than the TMCs with the 25 apps they have access to.”

On Oliver’s radar is the spectre of a subscription fee model, where clients pay by the number of users rather than per transaction. “It’s on our road map,” she says, “and will be good for the unmanaged piece.”

Education is key to communicating TMC value and reducing the scepticism, something Giles Travel is attempting with a two-day programme called The Principles of Business Travel.

Geared to PAs and travel bookers, it shows off the full repertoire of what a TMC does.

“They say, ‘My God, I didn’t know you did all that’,“ says David Giles. “Most clients get it and it makes them understand the cost.”

When going out to tender, should you appoint a similar size TMC and one that shares clients in your industry? Equally, is good service guaranteed as a small fish in a large pond or will that only materialise the other way round?

The fact that small and mid-size TMCs are landing large, global clients speaks volumes.

Arguably, flatter management structures in mid-size TMCs give greater access to senior staff. David Giles won global client Nike five years ago. “They’ve recognised that we bend over backwards for them,” says Giles.

“Size and sector is not at all important,” says Reynolds. “It comes down to the beauty parade and can we work with these people.

Site visits are critical. Some companies have really good bid writers, but when push comes to shove you need to know if they can do what they say.”

The future looks bright. Clients still need a TMC to fulfil a ticket and provide data. And for as long as that’s the case they will meet a need, providing speed, efficiency and simplicity. “It’s a mad world – someone’s got to get you there,” says Alboni.

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News / TMCs T M C

FCM UNVEILS NEW BOOKING PLATFORM FCM TRAVEL SOLUTIONS is introducing a new online booking platform within its FCM Connect suite. Called Seeqa, the tool will give travellers and bookers access to increased functionality and options, aggregating GDS and nonGDS content, as well as FCM’s own content, all from one access point.

“Bookers and travellers need an online tool which is agile and easy to use, but also gives them access to the widest choice of travel content while integrating within a company’s travel programme to maximise cost savings”, says Marcus Eklund, Global General Manager, FCM Travel Solutions.

The booking tool has over 900 settings that can be configured to a user’s preferred suppliers, rates and travel policies. Searches take into account a traveller’s personal booking history and users can ‘speed book’ recurring flights and hotels in less than 30 seconds.

N E W S

Amex GBT lines up TMC mega-merger AMERICAN EXPRESS Global Business Travel (GBT) is set to acquire the Hogg Robinson Group in a merger of two of the world’s largest travel management companies.

GBT says both TMCs have made significant investments in people and technology in recent years and the combined group “will offer clients and travellers a more comprehensive range of travel management products and services”. The deal – expected to close in the second quarter of 2018 – will also deliver synergies through cost savings and scale benefits, accelerate growth and create the ability to combine two advanced travel technology platforms.

The two TMCs are of similar size, each with annual turnover in the region of between £16billion and £18billion globally and around 12,000-14,000 staff.

BCD OPENS THE DOOR TO THIRD PARTY TOOLS BCD TRAVEL has debuted SolutionSource, a one-stop shop of third party travel technology tools for travel managers.

The new facility helps travel managers to optimise spend, influence traveller behaviour, drive operational efficiencies and tackle risk management by integrating third party technology partners into their programme.

It includes the likes of Freebird, Rocketrip, Fairfly and Yapta, with more to be added this year.

“By building an open platform, SolutionSource opens the door to emerging technologies for our clients,” says Yannis Karmis, Senior Vice President of Product Planning and Development, BCD.

CTM STRIKES IT RIGHT WITH LIGHTNING LITE CTM IS AIMING to "revolutionise" the way SMEs in Europe manage travel with the launch of Lightning Lite, a premium service package designed to keep business travel simple, manageable and low-cost for companies who spend up to £750,000 per year on travel.

Lightning Lite users can choose from three packages – Silver, Gold and Platinum – that give businesses services that are appropriate for the number of travellers and trips they manage.

The TMC has also signed an agreement with British Airways and Iberia to work together on the implementation of NDC and circumvent the airlines' distribution charge.

84%

of managers look for a TMC with ABTA membership

REED & MACKAY'S LATEST MOBILE BOOKING ENHANCEMENT INCORPORATES A 'CHECK ME IN' FEATURE FOR TRAVEL IN VOLATILE AREAS, A MOBILE WALLET TO STORE BOARDING PASSES AND COMPLETE INTEGRATION WITH R&M’S WHOLLY OWNED TECH SUITE

Over 84% of managers say that membership of ABTA is important when selecting a travel management company.

ABTA members must pass a number of financial fitness tests and follow its code of conduct THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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TMCs / News T M C

N E W S

CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS' DOUBLE DEAL CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS has joined GlobalStar, the network of travel management companies in over 85 countries worldwide.

The partnership enables it to deliver local expertise to UK-based organisations with growing international office locations.

The TMC has also teamed up with Maiden Voyage to showcase hotels that are certified femalefriendly based on various safety and comfort criteria.

“Maiden Voyage research has shown that women business travellers want to be treated appropriately, but not necessarily differently,” says Capita Travel and Events' Leigh Cowlishaw.

“Traveller wellbeing, for all travellers, is an important part of our proposition, so it makes sense for us to join forces with an established programme that is already changing the way hotels approach the needs of individuals.”

DIRECT ATPI SHOWS ITS COLOURS DIRECT ATPI GLOBAL TRAVEL, the joint venture between ATPI and Direct Travel, will make its first appearance as an exhibitor at the Business Travel Show.

The collaboration is designed to serve mid-market companies who want to globalise their travel programmes while retaining flexible and local service.

ATPI has also bolstered its own global network with the appointment of six new travel agency partners: Tel Aviv-based Hadassim Tours, Oman’s Khimji’s House of Travel, Jet Travel of Hungary, Plazatur in Turkey, Kenya’s Pago Airways and Rainbow Travel in Argentina.

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ADVANTAGE SIGNS UP CTI

BTD tackles rogue hotel bookings BUSINESS TRAVEL DIRECT is joining forces with Traxo to help corporates keep track of hotel bookings made out of policy. It becomes the first UK TMC to implement the Traxo CONNECT platform which includes a data parsing tool that extracts details from booking confirmation emails.

The tool then passes the relevant information to TRIPBAM – another BTD partner – in order to search for savings opportunities by re-booking at the same or preferred hotels nearby as prices change ahead of the trip.

“With Traxo we now have a tool that can get hold of that data, analyse it and automatically send it to TRIPBAM,” says Julie Oliver, Managing Director at BTD.

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS IS THE FOCUS AS TMC SEEKS ABSOLUTE CLARITY CLARITY will showcase updates to its Go2Insight analytics portal at Business Travel Show. It is developing "a new form of sentiment analysis to identify the true cost of business travel" – both from a monetary and performance perspective – it says, by layering multiple data sources and going beyond booking data and industry information. The TMC has also launched a fortnightly podcast called Absolute Clarity.

TRAVEL management company CTI has joined the Advantage Travel Partnership, the network of independent UK travel agencies.

Manchester-based CTI has an annual turnover of £75.5million and joins the organisation as a Corporate Premium member.

“Through the Advantage Travel Partnership, CTI will work with an industry leading organisation to innovate and develop market leading propositions for our clients,” says CTI Commercial Director, Melanie Quinn.

Advantage will launch a white paper at Business Travel Show entitled 'Man & Machine: Harnessing Technology to Empower Your People' summarising findings from its 2017 conference and business travel symposium.

29%

of buyers rely on their TMC for NDC updates

In a survey of business travel buyers, 29% said they rely on their TMC to keep them up to date on NDC developments while 18% said they have witnessed more price transparency and 18% said their prices have increased

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Consolidation / TMCs

[ MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS ]

LET’S GET TOGETHER Mergers, acquisitions and new partnerships among TMCs have continued apace in 2017 and 2018. TBTM rounds-up the main market movements

W

hile mergers, acquisitions and new partnerships can cause concern among staff and clients, they can also deliver more opportunities and improved services.

There has been a glut of deals in the last 12 months, but none more significant than the announcement in February 2018 that American Express Global Business Travel was set to acquire Hogg Robinson Group in a merger of two of the world's largest TMCs. A statement from GBT said the combined group “will offer clients and travellers a more comprehensive range of travel management products and services” (see page 7 for more information).

Elsewhere, Portman Travel and Clarity Travel Management have completed their integration under the Clarity name, while several UK-based TMCs have been subject to overseas takeovers.

Bradford-based Redfern Travel has been acquired by Australia-based Corporate Travel Management (CTM), taking its European business to over £500million annually. CTM said Redfern’s key advantage was its proprietary, automated end-to-end system, which processes more than 95% of all transactions online.

Statesman Travel Group was acquired by US-based Travel and Transport and subsequently rebranded as Travel and Transport Statesman, promising clients an

enhanced suite of tools and technology.

“It’s our combined vision to provide a consistent traveller experience, shared proprietary technology, and a truly personal service wherever you and your people are going in the world,” it said in a statement.

Colpitts World Travel, which has offices in both Scotland and the US, has been taken over by Denver’s Direct Travel. The midmarket specialist has been on the acquisition trail in North America, and has also joined forces with ATPI, a business that is itself the product of various mergers, partnerships and acquisitions over the years.

Jointly the firms represent more than $7billion in sales and have 160 offices in 50 countries. The partnership follows reciprocal investments between ATPI Group and Direct Travel. They will retain their own existing brands in their respective markets, while the new brand, Direct ATPI Global Travel, will focus on mid-market clients with a presence in North America.

“The combination of the two companies under shared ownership creates a unique and unrivalled global proposition that enables us to provide a single offering for our products and services,” says Andrew Waller, CEO, the ATPI Group.

Also doing business across the pond is Business Travel Direct, which has become the first UK partner for ATG Business Travel Management, an independent agency based in New Albany, Ohio.

“For some time now we have been looking for the right partner that could help us provide a global service for our clients,” says Julie Oliver, Managing Director of BTD. “It puts us in a really good position to offer an enhanced, joined-up global solution."

Closer to home, York’s NYS Corporate is now part of Derby-based Capita Travel and Events in a deal that will see the two businesses retain their own identities but together handle more than £560million in managed travel and events spend.

Gray Dawes, meanwhile, has acquired Surrey’s CTM (formerly known as Chelsea Travel Management). The deal – Gray Dawes’ fifth acquisition in less than three years – will take the company’s annual turnover to around £120million.

Gray Dawes Chief Executive Susan Horner says the company intends to make one acquisition per year as it targets £200million annual turnover.

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TMCs / Trending

EXTRA,

EXTRA!

TMCs have been diversifying their offering for years but now, it seems, there’s no limit to the lengths they’ll go to, writes Catherine Chetwynd

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Trending / TMCs

T

ranslation and interpretation, air delay compensation, concierge services – TMCs are no longer just issuing tickets and booking hotel rooms.

And this is not a new phenomenon.

Turn back the clock 15 years, when airlines started to remove commission payments to TMCs. This was dressed up in a new moral code: ‘We are not your customers, so it is not appropriate that we pay you; this divides your loyalties and you need to add value to your relationship with customers.’ And TMCs grasped the nettle and did just that.

“As an industry, we have been spectacularly successful at developing support and services as part of the professional relationship,” says Traveleads Managing Director – Corporate Division, Gary McLeod. “There is a lot more to the relationship than selling tickets.”

At first, this diversification was largely travel related – meetings and events, expense management, booking tools. This has grown to embrace traveller tracking, MI, duty of care, risk assessment, security services and most recently, the demands of GDPR. Now, however, to continue to be relevant and to differentiate themselves, TMCs are taking a wider view and, as a result, Traveleads is branching out into a ‘dial a translator’ interpretation service through client TheBigWord.

“With Brexit, there has to be a bigger focus on the wider world,” says McLeod. Customers buy a one-off licence (£100) and then purchase minutes in two-hour batches. Travellers get a credit card with a company-specific access code to the service, which is billed to the corporate account through Traveleads.

The TMC has also supplied furniture, including orthopaedic chairs to travellers with a back problem, and extra-long beds in hotels for especially tall travellers. “If it is legal, honest and decent, we will try to do it for clients,” says McLeod. “I don’t think we have ever said an outright 'no'.”

Unclaimed air delay compensation turned out to be costing CTI’s clients half a million pounds so the TMC now handles this for them. In addition, “We partner with Maiden Voyage, who give our clients lone female traveller training,” says Commercial Director

Melanie Quinn. CTI also provides Trace Me tags, which guarantee return of lost luggage from anywhere worldwide or travellers receive $500 compensation.

Some of CWT’s more arcane requests have emerged through the Meetings and Events division, including a client who required a circus act at a conference and a media company that needed to transport props such as fake swords. Individuals from security companies who travel with a firearm up the ante: “They don’t just check it in,” says Senior Director Sales, UK & Ireland Jo Dobson in a masterful understatement. “It requires a lot of liaison with the airline and airport.”

If it is legal, honest and decent, we will try to do it for clients. I don’t think we have ever said an outright 'no'” She sees the increasing requirement for data as an opportunity for CWT to provide services to ensure the wellbeing of travellers such as working with a client’s HR team to map the number of sick days someone has taken, to see whether a road warrior needs time off; or weighing the cost of travel against business won, which would preclude unnecessary curtailing of travel spend.

“That would come from our consultancy team and will develop our non-travel services.

To have longevity as a TMC, we have to deliver these services to clients”, says Dobson.

Some of FCM Travel Solutions’ left-field operations came out of setting up a visa service, which Iain Collinson was tasked with.

“We were focused on providing the best in the market – flights, hotels – but we needed to create an end-to-end customer experience.

The premise behind FCM Travel Essentials was agility,” he says.

Visa handling led to providing customers with immigration services, including for one client that retains an immigration professional but prefers the matter to be handled alongside FCM’s visa provision.

Taxation followed. A recruitment company was moving a Swedish national from his permanent residence in Bangkok to South Africa on a two-year contract. “Our client wanted to know what the tax implications were, so we brought in a specialist to assist with that,” says Collinson.

FCM has travel clinics in some of its high street Flight Centre shops. Although these are largely catering to leisure travellers, they are also close to business areas such as London’s Monument and therefore convenient for corporate clients. The TMC is now looking at bringing vaccination services to VIP clients’ work premises.

After a spate of terrorist attacks in Egypt, FCM has also set up a secure fast-track service for a customer’s VIP travellers, avoiding public areas. “It is about meeting client demand,” says Collinson. “That does not mean we have to do everything possible, we just need to involve the customer in innovation so that we can identify whether there is a need to scale it up or just provide a one-off service.”

The last word goes to director of The Corporate Travel Partnership, Robert Daykin: “TMCs that think laterally and see what services customers are using through third parties that they could bring in-house, will become a better one-stop shop,” he says.

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Beginner’s guide to… / TMCs

GDPR General Data Protection Regulation comes into force in May. Charlotte Lamp-Davies, Vice President, Travel & Hospitality at DataArt UK, explains what it will mean General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect from May 25 across Europe. It is designed to tighten up the way data is used and held and will have a wideranging effect on the travel industry.

So what exactly is GDPR? Every business that processes customer data must be GDPR compliant by May 25. Rather than think this is some kind of ‘tick box’ exercise, now is the time to audit your business to comply, get a better picture of your customers, then show how you are embracing digital transformation.

Why now?

Some may argue the introduction of GDPR is needed, as several companies have fallen foul of hacks, highlighting our fragmented sector’s vulnerability to data breaches. Hotels, so reliant on holding debit or credit card details, have been targeted. In July last year, Sabre’s SynXis system was compromised, and in March ABTA experienced a data breach with 43,000 individuals affected after a web server hack. In April the Holiday Inn chain suffered a payment card-stealing malware attack at 1,200 of its properties.

Grabbing the headlines It was reassuring to see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) set the record straight on several issues on its blog recently, mostly relating to fines and reporting. This means the industry can focus on the technical issues that

Several companies have fallen foul of hacks, highlighting our fragmented sector’s vulnerability to data breaches”

matter: data documentation, management and security. See the ICO website for details of what's needed.

damage to reputation, financial loss, or any other significant economic or social disadvantage. “Tell it all, tell it fast, tell the truth” and you’ll be fine.

What’s at stake?

The ICO has the authority to impose fines of £17 million, or 4% of turnover, for regulation breaches. Many articles have stated GDPR will cripple any company found guilty of a breach. However, UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says these are the maximum fines and would only be imposed on repeat offenders that don’t play by the rules.

Who’s ready?

Fewer than 50% of companies are expected to be ready by May 25.

But what will the government, itself unprepared and under-resourced to examine everyone, do in the travel sector?

I think one large, rich business will be investigated and made an example of, in an effort to frighten everyone else.

What must be reported?

We’ve also seen headlines stating that all data breaches must be reported. That’s not strictly true. Only those personal data breaches that are likely to result in a risk to people’s rights and freedoms must be reported. And individuals need only be contacted if this is the case too – examples include discrimination,

What next?

Everyone needs to prepare to document how they capture, manage and protect data. Lack of preparation may lead to non-compliance, and while an initial fine might not be high, it could seriously damage your brand's reputation. Comply now and May 25 could be a day to look forward to!

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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TMCs / Technology

switched

ON

TMCs' unrelenting evolution is both powered by and reliant upon new technology, says Gillian Upton, who examines the tools and services on offer

T

echnology has been a dramatic enabler for TMCs, allowing them to flex their business model, respond to developments and extend services.

The traditional TMC model is to plan, book travel and report but new models are required to integrate into mobile and web services, to create data platforms and open technology platforms.

A PwC study on Millennials at Work highlighted that 59% consider what technology would be available when weighing up a job offer – and mobile is the most urgent development of all.

In 2016, just over two-thirds (67%) of travel managers provided, or planned to provide, apps for booking. This year the figure has leapt to 89% according to the GBT/ACTE Modern Business Traveller study.

Despite the cost, TMCs are delivering mobile. The ATPI Group recently launched ATPI TravelHub, a platform that gives travel managers and bookers access to the relevant travel tools and technology data all in one place.

Click Travel’s booking tool, Travel.cloud, is already mobile optimised, while Statesman Travel is replacing its third-party white label mobile offering with the in-house built Dash Mobile – the fruits of being acquired by Travel & Transport this autumn.

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“We now have 120 developers; we had four before,” says Mervyn Williamson, MD at Travel and Transport Statesman.

“BCD is moving towards three or four different models to embrace mobile, web, data and open technology platforms,” explains Chris Crowley, Senior VP London. ”We want a more holistic environment.”

BCD will have fewer offices and staff, more consultative and marketing staff, more homeworkers and more multilingual, multiplatform call centres. The company is mostly reliant on third parties, while emergency services and mobile is proprietary. Data is not outsourced. “We cherry pick the best in the market,” says Crowley.

It’s a typical picture, allowing TMCs to choose the right tool for each customer.

Some argue that building in-house technology allows greater flexibility and bespoke opportunities; others that the cost

Some argue that building in-house technology allows greater flexibility; others use thirdparty providers to shoulder the R&D costs”

is prohibitive and use third-party providers to shoulder research and development cost – or they acquire the expertise.

New and improved

Giles Travel invested £500,000 in its Atlas self-booking tool to replace a third-party option. “It is a big risk for us but for a tweak it was taking months and months to acknowledge the request, let alone do the actual work,” says David Giles.

“We own our technology and our focus is on innovation and continuous improvement,” says Vicki Williams, Director of Customer Solutions at Click Travel.

Statesman's Mervyn Williamson refers to launches in 2018 of “significantly advanced technology not available in this country”.

CWT's popular To Go mobile app was developed by World Mate and then CWT acquired the company. It has since been improved and connects with aggregated content, GDS content and direct connects.

The TMC will be launching a mobile flight booking platform in 2018 with the same look and feel. “It’ll be the same multi-channel user experience,” promises Dan Kelly, Director of Product Marketing EMEA at CWT. “It’s always about the user experience,” he says. “Where we can develop tools ourselves that’s what we do.” 

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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Technology / TMCs

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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Get the full picture of this new global organisation at atpi.com/globaltravel

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Find us on stand B440

17/11/2017 11:00 2/14/18 04:50 PM

17 11:00

Technology / TMCs

[

ON THE HORIZON

]

“Customers will get speed, efficiency and simplicity,” says Chris Crowley, Senior VP London at BCD, helped by the following new technologies: Blockchain, which sequences groups of processes together so it can link multiple suppliers together. It’s more secure, faster and less open to fraud.

More ‘gatekeeping’ technology akin to Amazon’s Alexa. This technology is proving particularly popular with younger travellers who are using less apps and using Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin to log into other products and services.

Dumb terminals. Travellers will be able to walk into a hotel or airport and scan a code on their phone to access all the information on their desktop, allowing them to work anywhere at anytime.

More travel interfaces powered by AI, fuelling the power of the mobile traveller.

What tools each client uses depends on what sort of client they want to be. Selfbooking tools mop up the point-to-point travel and consultants deal with more complex multi-sector journeys offline, while preferred airline and hotel programmes plus web scraping services such as TripBAM and Fare Fly contain costs by double-checking that the lowest logical fare has been booked.



Make it work

Levels of compliance are still dependent on company culture and whether the programme is mandated or not, and increasingly on how consumer-friendly the client’s travel programme is. SLAs and KPIs have given way to personalisation.

APIs and direct connects are enriching the content and this is delivering a consumer experience and, theoretically, happy and more compliant travellers.

CWT's Kelly says that while personalisation

With more clients expanding overseas, a major requirement of any TMC is geographical reach.

Marketing umbrellas and affiliates don’t cut it anymore”

is key, carefully curated content is optimum.

“Travellers don’t want lists and lists of options but personal preferences so it’s more relevant. Amazon presents suggestions based on what you’ve bought before and our data allows us to predict; it’s data science.”

CWT launched a Data Science team earlier this year, focusing on predictive data analytics. It will flag up booking habits and preferences. For example, how much top sales people travel, cost and how much business they bring in. Clients can then decide if they treat their top performers differently. Naturally, this will be a new revenue channel for the agency.

Predictive data analytics is the new buzzword and Business Travel Direct is in the game with SMARTInsight, enabling users to see how tweaks to policy would affect spend.

“During client meetings we can instantly show clients how a change in rate caps out of London or class of travel would affect spend,” says MD Julie Oliver.

Other data insights will shore up compliance, which is currently swayed by supplier loyalty programmes. Corporates can match what travellers would get by going outside the programme, says Kelly. ”We partner with preferred hotel partners and offer additional points.”

Traveller safety is a huge growth area, usually provided by third parties such as

International SOS and Anvil, while out of hours services are usually in-house.

Benchmarking, reporting and programme analysis are offered in-house, and some TMCs charge it as a consultancy service.

Basic reporting has changed dramatically.

“Account management of 20 years ago is very different today,” says Crowley. “Clients are not happy with reports listing cost per mile and the top 20 travellers.”

Total trip costs is the nirvana so expense reporting is a big opportunity. However, resistance to giving out corporate credit cards is slowing progress.

Worldly wise

With more clients expanding overseas, a major requirement of any TMC is its geographical reach. Marketing umbrellas and affiliates don’t cut it anymore and owned networks are the only way to ensure joinedup systems – GDS, back office and content – and consistent service across markets.

US-owned Travel & Transport’s acquisition of Statesman Travel will extend its reach into the UK, for example, while ATPI's partnership with Direct Travel will fill a gap in the US. “It’s great for customers,” says ATPI MD Adam Knights. “There is now a range of good independent global TMCs and they are a powerful alternative to the mega agencies.

CTM, Statesman and ATPI are a new breed.”

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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Benefit from Smarter Working Empower your employees to travel smarter, travel safely, and challenge unnecessary travel.

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To see how we’re partnering with organisations to interpret data and influence behavioural change, visit us at the Business Travel Show, 21-22 February 2018, stand B140.

Or find out more today by speaking to a member of the team:

capitatravelevents.co.uk travelevents@capita.co.uk 0330 390 0340

Capita Travel and Events Limited. Registered office 17 Rochester Row, London, SW1P 1QT. Registered in England No. 01094729. Part of Capita plc. www.capita.co.uk. All rights reserved.

Untitled-2 11 Untitled-10

Travel Traveland andEvents Events 21/11/2017 16:27 11/21/17 04:34 PM

Q&A / TMCs

SCOTT PAWLEY Scott Pawley is Managing Director of Global Travel Management.

He tells TBTM about the TMC and airs his views on the wider industry Q You recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Advantage Travel Partnership.

Tell us how this came about.

I launched Global Travel Management (GTM) 20 years ago with my wife Natalie and we have gone from ‘zero to hero’. I’ve always ensured that through our membership of the Advantage Focus Group we have stayed at the forefront of technological developments. When my tenure as Chairman of the Focus Group Tech Panel came to an end in January 2016 I was asked to stay on for a further year. I have shared many cuttingedge initiatives GTM has developed with industry peers for free, which has led to millions of pounds in savings.

How does GTM – and its clients – benefit from being a part of Advantage?

Advantage is the largest national consortium of independent travel companies in the UK. By supporting each other we are able to hold our own against the international giants.

What we may lack in corporate might and financial resources we make up for by using industry-leading technology and maximising our flexibility.

Q

After the success of our 20th anniversary beer, Globe Trotter, we may consider bringing out other real ale labels with Thurston’s!”

Q What sort of businesses is the GTM clientbase comprised of?

Our client portfolio is a mix of around 400 SMEs from a wide variety of sectors. Of these, 50% are based outside the UK. They range in size and include brewing, the entertainment industry, IT, finance, oil and gas to precious metals and minerals.

Would you say you’re more of a tech or service-led TMC – or can you be both at the same time?

Q Tell us more about Without doubt you have to Focus Partnership and be both these days. You your role within it. need the tech side to “I have a lot of fun training GTM is a part of the make sure you’re three or four times a week Focus Group within getting to the market with a local bootcamp, Advantage, which faster but the human Scorpion Training. And I love represents 69 UK TMCs. interaction is really nothing better than going As Chairman of the Tech important to us. We for a bike ride – and then Panel I have been ideally have to understand our placed to introduce a customers to know what there’s always golf!” number of initiatives, testing services are important. We them at GTM and then passing prefer to offer them everything them on to members of the group initially and see how they work but for free. This has included Fare Finder Tool it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. So we software, which I invented, and has enabled give them what they want, track their members to achieve over activity and review it as our relationship £1million of air savings for the group’s evolves to make sure we are still giving members year on year. them what’s right for them.

Q

OUT OF THE OFFICE

Q What will be the biggest challenges for the TMC community in 2018?

Airline content and distribution is going to be our biggest challenge in 2018. More airlines are providing content through IATA’s NDC standard and are adding surcharges to bookings made via GDS channels. TMCs are going to find it harder to find the best price now as it’s no longer a one-stop shop. They are going to have to go through every airline’s NDC channel as well as the traditional GDS route.

Q GTM is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. How would you describe the journey so far?

The highs have definitely been that as a company we’ve grown to have 30 employees. We are doing well in our market and we are constantly adapting. We’ve had to weather two recessions. That was challenging but we got through them and came out stronger because we diversified and looked abroad for business and to emerging markets.

Q Finally, any developments at GTM we should be keeping an eye out for in 2018?

It’s a combination of evolution and revolution: we expect to see organic growth and are actively looking at acquisitions. At the same time we are always looking at developing new tools and ideas to make our industry more effective. After the success of our 20th anniversary beer, Globe Trotter, we may consider bringing out other real ale labels with Thurston’s Brewery!

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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TMCs / Distribution

[ AIRLINE STRATEGY ]

CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE TMCs and their corporate clients are caught in the middle of ongoing discord between airlines on one side and the GDS systems on the other, says Linda Fox

I

t's an understatement to say the distribution landscape is changing.

There are so many twists and turns currently in terms of technology as well as commercial arrangements that it’s hard to know how it may shake out.

Many travel management companies, particularly medium-sized and smaller businesses, are worried about the recent turn of events with an increasing number of airlines adding charges for GDS bookings.

It was Lufthansa that made the controversial decision two years ago to introduce a Distribution Cost Charge. But at the beginning of November British Airways and sister-carrier Iberia began levying their own charge on bookings made via the GDS. And during its third-quarter earnings calls Air France announced a plan to do the same in 2018. The airline said it’s nearly ready to implement NDC, adding that it wants to keep working with “old partners” – namely the GDS and travel agencies – but through NDC technology.

Many of larger and mid-market agencies such as American Express GBT, Carlson Wagonlit, FCm and HRG have announced separate arrangements over the BA surcharge whereby the fee is avoided on bookings made

22

within “participating GDS”. But where does that leave the wider TMC community?

Gary McLeod, Managing Director of Traveleads, is concerned that no one is considering all the other elements TMCs deal with that the GDS model facilitates.

He says the TMC community has always embraced change but up until now evolution has meant increased efficiency.

“We seem to be going backwards in terms of what technology brings to the whole customer servicing equation,” he says.

“As far as we can see, NDC seems to be focused purely on allowing airlines to cut distribution costs by cutting out the GDS.” McLeod adds that if every airline introduces a different API, then the TMC is dependent on that carrier building in all the elements needed for an efficient workflow.

He added there are concerns about costs being passed back to the end traveller as APIs are integrated and multiple online

portals have to be developed in order to be able to access airline content.

Travelport President and Chief Executive Gordon Wilson says few travel agencies are ready for NDC-style connections but adds that airlines are waking up to the fact that the technology does not cover all the other processes involved in managing a booking.

Wilson adds that in a strange way NDC, as well as the wider distribution changes, is helping GDS by “highlighting their value beyond aggregation”.

Traveleads’ McLeod also believes that the end-to-end costs of implementing NDC would most likely outstrip GDS costs – a fact that IAG chief Willie Walsh acknowledged in its third-quarter earnings call.

Walsh told analysts the company would incur additional costs in the short to medium term with the introduction of its charge. He also said the airlines want a relationship with the GDS, adding that the traditional model is “no longer fit for purpose”.

However, McLeod and other travel agency executives will likely argue that the alternative technology being introduced to them is also not up to the job and that few of the proposals out there are actually designed to put the customer first.

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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HERE’S TO THE COOL, CALM AND CONNECTED. To a travel management platform that lets your business glide through.

One that drills down deep to find you the best value.

A savvy system that always keeps your staff up to date.

So they stay connected.

And never miss a connection.

A platform where you can see everything clearly with complete business transparency on local and global market fares.

Here’s to working smarter.

To travelling the world.

Effortlessly. reedmackay.com

Untitled-1 1 304405_ReedMackay_BusTraveller_FP_275x210mm.indd 1

11/24/17 11:37 AM 24/11/2017 08:58

MeetingsPro, the future of strategic meetings management.

Search, plan, book and manage your meeting and conference needs in a single online tool. Maximise use of internal meeting rooms to reduce costs, and access external venue availability.

Find out more - visit us at the Business Travel Show, 21-22 February 2018, Olympia London, stand B140.

01904 420 810 ask@nysgroup.com nyscorporate.com

NYS Corporate is part of Capita Travel and Events Limited, part of Capita plc. www.capita.co.uk.

Registered office: 17 Rochester Row, London, SW1P 1QT. Registered in England No. 01094729. All rights reserved.

Untitled-2 11 Untitled-10

22/11/2017 10:14 11/22/17 01:05 PM

Reader's rant / TMCs

[ READER'S RANT ]

QUIT THE NAME CALLING! An anonymous travel manager asks TMCs to rise above some recent displays of questionable behaviour

The day of the industry event rolls round and you’ve donned your tribal colours, practiced your battle cries (have you seen our new reporting suite/tracking tool/chatbot?) and blown your budget on the best freebies and most eye-catching stand.

You’re there to smile until your cheeks hurt and extol the virtues of your company above all the others and you’ll bend over backwards to get my business, particularly if you can pinch me off a rival. It’s good because as a client I like feeling valued and I also like freebies. What I don’t like is the rise in pernicious chat about the other TMCs on the sales floor.

We’ve all had a wry smile from a salesperson when they find out who we’re currently using but until now they’ve managed to maintain a dignified silence. However the tides have been turning and it feels like entering a conversation with a potential new TMC can be like taking a place at the Hunger Games as you defend your previous

decisions. Your commenting on how awful they are is a sure-fire way of indicating that you think I’m a moron.

Why not stick to talking about what you do that’s better than or different to the others?

Telling me how bad other companies are just makes you look petty and insecure. You have a finite amount of my time and you don’t want me to leave your stand with a head filled with your opinions about rivals rather than what you can offer me.

It’s also quite amusing to sit there with you representing ABC and running down XYZ when you and I both know you spent many years working for XYZ and extolling their virtues. You all hop between companies without a backwards glance so how loyal are you really to your products?

It’s a sad sign of the times that the TMCs that stand out are the ones who don’t indulge in idle gossip – it’s almost like they’re focusing on what they’re paid to do!

Everyone wants to be the best but bitterness about companies in the same position as you, facing the same challenges and moving towards the same innovations just makes you look weak.

A novel idea would be to stay in your own lane and remember, ‘What Susie says of Sally, says more of Susie than of Sally’.

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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2/13/18 03:00 PM

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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“As an independent TMC we have many strengths that our clients value such as intimate market knowledge, a real focus on innovation and the ability to provide a personalised service but with global standards,” commented Julie Oliver, Managing Director of Business Travel Direct.

“We had a challenge in not being able to provide the same levels of service for clients on a global level. With ATG, we have found the missing piece. Now our clients can go global while staying local, meaning there is no compromise on service levels.”

“With ATG we can deliver tailor made rather than off the peg solutions.”

Ohio-based ATG is one of the largest, independently-owned global TMCs, operating a network of offices in 72 countries with US$5 billion travel spend.

For corporates this means having access to global service combined with that all important personalised, local service.

The network is made up of ATG owned offices and independent and market leading TMCs, with in-depth local market knowledge. This is backed up with technological infrastructure including a customised, single sign-on Travel Vortal booking tool that delivers local solutions through a gateway customised for each client.

All TMCs in the network share ATG’s ethos when it comes to looking after business travellers and providing an individual service for corporates, helping the TMC stand out from the crowd.

Business Travel Direct is the UK TMC service provider for ATG clients worldwide and has a dedicated Team working on the ATG innovation platforms, servicing ATG’s global clients.

Tammy Krings, CEO of ATG, is looking forward to a long working partnership with Business Travel Direct, “Business Travel Direct and ATG have a shared vision to provide creative solutions and be transparent with customers while understanding that each client and region is unique.”

ABOUT ATG ATG is a global network of independent and market leading TMCs $5 billion travel spend each year Operates in 72 countries worldwide Technology innovators ISO certifications

ATG SERVICES Traveller tracking Collect, trace and analyse travel expenditure Cost savings Improved policy development and compliance Improved productivity with reduced booking and reimbursement times Client Branded Single Sign on gateways to local content and solutions Global service consistency

An ideal ATG client would be customers who buy globally but are looking for regional relationships with one contract and one implementation team. Julie Oliver

Part of the ATG Network

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For more information call 01895 450 701 businesstraveldirect.co.uk/atg-uk 24/11/2017 11:39 11/24/17 12:14 PM

The Directory / TMCs

TMCs 2018: Who does what

Your guide to a selection of leading travel management companies in the UK Travel management company

Annual turnover

Annual transactions

Company size

Head office (UK)

Established

Advantage Business Travel

£3billion (combined UK)

Not disclosed

120 independent UK TMCs / 190 locations

London

1978

170 staff / 4 offices

London

1991

London

2014

(including the Focus Partnership) Altour

Specialist sectors served: members serve all sectors of the economy

£120million UK / $2.9billion globally

600,000 (UK)

Specialist sectors served: entertainment, media, finance, fashion, insurance, investment, fund management, movie production, music American Express Global Business Travel

$1.3billion UK / $24.8billion globally

Not disclosed

960 UK staff / 12,000 staff globally

Specialist sectors served: professional services, finance, insurance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, media, entertainment, mining, energy, technology, information services Applehouse Travel

£28.7million

56,000

40 staff / 1 office

London

1984

278 staff / 9 offices worldwide

London

1988

55 staff plus 1 implant

Worcester

1990

2,000 staff / 100+ locations worldwide

London

2002

Specialist sectors served: finance, information technology, energy, SMEs, retail The Appointment Group

£170million

425,000

Specialist sectors served: corporate, private clients, sports, film & media, touring and entertainment, events

Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine. Annual turnover figures quoted refer only to business travel in cases where a company also deals in leisure travel

ArrangeMy

£21million

65,500

Specialist sectors served: car manufacturing, retail, charity, care ATPI Group

£1.2billion globally

Not disclosed

Specialist sectors served: retail, engineering, fashion, financial and legal. ATPI Griffinstone serves shipping, energy and offshore sectors; ATPI Sports Events for events and clubs Barrhead Business Travel

£15million

55,000

15 staff / 2 offices

Glasgow

1976

708 staff / 8 offices and c.13,000 staff globally

London

1981

Specialist sectors served: law, marine, finance, energy, oil & gas, automotive BCD Travel

£604million UK&I / $24.6billion globally

Not disclosed

Specialist sectors served: finance, film & TV, entertainment, professional services, advertising, media, pharmaceutical, FMCG, energy, defence, technology, consulting, sports, SMEs Blue Cube Travel

£33million

27,194

35 staff / 4 offices

Richmond

2003

122 staff / 4 offices

Langley, Berkshire

1970

Derby

1972

Specialist sectors served: technology, finance, law, oil & gas, retail Business Travel Direct

£85million

294,000

Specialist sectors served: SMEs, services, security, defence, multinationals, marine, education, medical, retail Capita Travel and Events

£550million+

Not disclosed

c.1,000 staff / 6 UK offices

Specialist sectors served: all sectors including construction, education, energy, engineering, finance, legal, logistics, manufacturing, professional services, public sector, retail, telecoms, utilities Carlson Wagonlit Travel

$22.4billion (globally)

59million (globally)

1,157 UK&I staff / 20 UK&I locations

Potters Bar, Hertfordshire

1980

Manchester

1959

Specialist sectors served: all sizes and sectors, including finance, media, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceutical, telecoms Clarity

£430million

c.2.5million

547 staff / 13 UK offices, one each in Ireland and Netherlands

Specialist sectors served: particular experience in retail, infrastructure, professional services, marine, oil & gas, charity, central government, higher education and elite sport industries Click Travel

£164.2million

c.1.57million

209 staff

Birmingham

1999

87 staff / 4 offices

Glasgow

1989

400 staff in Europe / 2,200 staff globally

London

1988

Specialist sectors served: legal, retail, public sector, recruitment, utilities, telecoms, charity, education, technology, infrastructure Clyde Travel Management

£46million

200,000

Specialist sectors served: marine, oil & gas, corporate Corporate Travel Management (CTM) (including Redfern Travel) CT Business Travel

£504million (UK & Europe)

3.82million (Europe)

Specialist sectors served: legal, finance, insurance, pharmaceutical, media, advertising, retail, technology, architecture, energy, public sector, sport, plus Event Travel Management division

£21.1million

Not disclosed

63 staff / 3 offices

Tunbridge Wells, Kent

1988

Specialist sectors served: include, but not limited to, finance, media, technology, pharmaceutical, recruitment, energy, fashion, retail, education, insurance

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TMCs / The Directory

Travel management company

Annual turnover

Annual transactions

Company size

Head office (UK)

Established

CTI – Trusted Travel Partner

£75.5million

413,000

117 staff / 5 offices

Manchester

1983

Specialist sectors served: all sectors including manufacturing, telecoms, professional services, energy, retail, fashion, technology, plus divisions for marine travel and meetings & events

CTM

£47million

140,000

60 staff / 2 offices

Redhill, Surrey

1987

266,000

130 staff / 4 offices

London

1980

Not disclosed

30 UK staff / 2,000 globally

Edinburgh (European head office)

1890

Specialist sectors served: technology, education, government, security, retail DialAFlight Corporate Travel

£130million Specialist sectors served: SMEs

Direct Travel

(incorporating Colpitts World Travel) Diversity Travel

£3billion+ globally

Specialist sectors served: include, but not limited to, SMEs, professional services, multinationals, biotech, pharmaceuticals, arts, education, financial services, telecoms

£59.9million

164,000

136 staff / 3 offices

Manchester

2007

19 staff / 2 offices

London

2002

3,000+ employees globally / 65+ countries

London

2002

100 staff / 2 offices

Eton, Berkshire

1969

832 UK staff / 6,500 staff worldwide

New Malden, Surrey

2004

Specialist sectors served: charities, academic organisations, not-for-profit EFR Travel

£24million

19,000

Egencia

$6.4billion globally

Not disclosed

Specialist sectors served: serves companies off all sizes and sectors Eton Travel Group

£43million

120,000

Specialist sectors served: SMEs, pharmaceutical, IT, retail, finance, legal, music, groups FCM Travel Solutions

(incorporating Corporate Traveller) Flightline Travel Management

£723million

1.81million

Specialist sectors served: over 50 industries including finance, pharmaceutical, energy, legal, engineering, manufacturing, technology, entertainment, fashion

£5.2million

27,666

6 staff / 1 office

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire

1999

Amersham, Buckinghamshire

2002

32 staff / 2 offices

Woking, Surrey

1997

48 staff / 3 offices

Hull

1833

147 staff / 6 offices

Colchester, Essex

1927

20 staff / 1 office

London

1983

182 staff / 3 offices

London

1982

Farnborough, Hampshire

1845

Specialist sectors served: law, automobile, finance, manufacturing, medical, aircraft, public relations Giles Travel

£45million

182,000

61 staff / 1 office

Specialist sectors served: various, but particular specialism in pharmaceutical, automotive, retail and oil & gas Global Travel Management

£26million

50,300

Specialist sectors served: brewing, medical, media, SMEs Good Travel Management

£20million

60,000

Specialist sectors served: SMEs, marine, oil & gas, manufacturing, construction Gray Dawes Group

£109million

370,000

Specialist sectors served: finance, fashion, energy, construction, professional sport Harridge Group

£14million

Not disclosed

Specialist sectors served: business travel, corporate and private events Hillgate Travel

£180million

410,000

Specialist sectors served: City specialist, but also includes retail, media and manufacturing HRG

£16billion globally

Not disclosed

14,000 staff globally / locations in over 120 countries

Specialist sectors served: specialist staff for all sectors plus expertise in government, marine and energy, meetings, groups and events, sports and VIP services Ian Allan Travel

£43million

172,116

91 staff / 2 offices

Shepperton, Surrey

1964

130 staff / 3 offices

Colchester

1982

Birmingham

2007

Specialist sectors served: corporate, academic, charity, humanitarian, not for profit, events Inntel

£73million

360,000

Specialist sectors served: financial and professional services, transport, media, distribution, manufacturing, meetings and events Kanoo Corporate

£30million

34,000

Specialist sectors served: SMEs, corporate, leisure, groups, incentives

28

45 staff / 9 offices

Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine. Annual turnover figures quoted refer only to business travel in cases where a company also deals in leisure travel

Specialist sectors served: legal, property, finance, retail, advertising, sports

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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The Directory / TMCs

Travel management company

Key Travel

Annual turnover

Annual transactions

Company size

Head office (UK)

Established

£174million

402,000

305 staff / 7 offices

London

1980

Petersfield, Hampshire

2002

Specialist sectors served: not-for-profit, NGOs, charity, humanitarian, faith, missionary, academic organisations Meon Valley Travel Group

£40million

100,000

86 staff / 2 offices

Specialist sectors served: emergency medical assistance, manufacturing, retail, schools groups, event management, recruitment, private equity, white label leisure, loyalty fulfilment Midas Travel Management

£25million

Not disclosed

25 staff / 1 office

London

1998

59 staff / 4 offices

Liss, Hampshire

1981

York

1977

London

1972

Specialist sectors served: private sectors including finance, legal, communications, media Norad Travel Management

£33.4million

139,000

Specialist sectors served: all sectors with particular specialities including marine, energy, yachting, shipping logistics NYS Corporate

(part of Capita Travel and Events) Omega World Travel

£40million+

198,000+

63 staff / 1 office, supported by remote workers

Specialist sectors served: telecoms, finance, pharmaceutical, retail, industrial, healthcare, public sector

£35million UK / £750million globally

Not disclosed

30 staff / 2 offices (UK) and 600 staff globally

Specialist sectors served: medium size UK and global SMEs in industries such as finance, private equity, pharmaceutical, healthcare, engineering, media, marine, government

Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine. Annual turnover figures quoted refer only to business travel in cases where a company also deals in leisure travel

Reed & Mackay

£250million

630,000

400+ staff / 3 UK offices; locations worldwide

London

1962

Handforth, Cheshire

1982

Specialist sectors served: professional services, legal, finance, insurance, technology, marine, offshore Review Travel

£14.6million

91,378

29 staff / 3 offices

Specialist sectors served: legal, finance, media, credit agencies, sport, education, manufacturing, construction Simplexity Travel Management

£6.8million

Not disclosed

15 staff / 1 office

London

2011

Not disclosed

20 staff / 1 office

Dartford, Kent

1973

20 staff

Bristol

1940

1,700 Travel Counsellors globally / 6 offices

Manchester

1994

Specialist sectors served: all sectors Sunways Business Travel

£12million

Specialist sectors served: finance, accountancy, pharmaceutical, law, IT, insurance, film & TV production, building services, architecture, SMEs Thornton's Travel

£7.2million

Not disclosed

Specialist sectors served: SMEs, legal, engineering, public centre, energy, group travel Travel Counsellors for Business

£130million

110,000

Specialist sectors served: sports organisations, information and communication, finance, insurance, professional, technical, public administration, defence Traveleads

£40million

135,000

64 staff / 2 offices

Leeds

1971

London

2005

London

1974

London

1981

51 staff / 4 offices

London

1980

18 staff / 2 offices

London

1972

45 staff / 2 offices

London

1970

64 staff / 4 offices (UK) / 450 staff globally

London

1992

Specialist sectors served: energy, sport, medical, legal, media & broadcast, education, charity, finance, technology, manufacturing Travel Leaders UK (Protravel International UK, Tzell UK, Colletts Travel) Travel & Transport Statesman

£120million

Not disclosed

53 independent agents / 34 staff / 3 offices

Specialist sectors served: leisure, corporate SME, finance, music touring, film/TV production, fashion, VIP concierge, medical repatriation, MICE

£159.2million

Not disclosed

150 staff / 3 offices / 2 implants

Specialist sectors served: finance, legal, advertising, technology, media, energy, architecture Uniglobe Travel

£221million

485,000

40 UK locations

Specialist sectors served: media, IT, marine, telecoms, finance, legal, fashion, pharmaceutical Wayte Travel Management

£35.5million

70,000

Specialist sectors served: oil & gas, finance, manufacturing, legal West End Travel

£12.85million

30,500

Specialist sectors served: corporate travel core, plus specialists in sport, groups, conference and incentive travel Wexas Travel Management

£27million

54,000

Specialist sectors served: tech, finance, retail, legal, creative and group travel Wings Travel Management

£100million

207,126

Specialist sectors served: energy, marine, security, engineering, specialist finance, travel-critical companies

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

TMC directory_V2.indd 81

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TMCs / Data

Size doesn’t matter The size of a TMC is the least important aspect in the process of selecting and appointing an agency, according to new research conducted by Business Travel Show on behalf of The Business Travel Magazine.

The most important element of a TMC’s business pitch? Pricing, perhaps unsurprisingly, is top of the pile, with an agency’s technology provision in second place.

A TMC’s cultural fit with the customer and its consulting services were third and fourth, with company size bottom of the list of concerns.

While over half of travel managers surveyed were happy with the service they receive from their TMC, there is overwhelming discontent regarding the technology they supply.

A staggering 96% of buyers said TMCs fail to deliver a satisfactory service in this area.

The survey sample comprised over 150 travel managers.

• The Business Travel Show takes place on February 21-22 at Olympia London.

What is most important to you when appointing a TMC?

1 Pricing 2 Technology provision 3 Cultural fit 4 Consulting service 5 Size of TMC

23%

Are you HAPPY with the service you receive from your TMC? YES

53%

11% NO 36% Don’t USE a TMC 30

In which areas do you think TMCs fail to deliver satisfactory service?

96%

Technology

73%

Data provision/analysis

50% Cost/ROI

50%

Consulting/advice

46%

Customer service

0%

None of the above

66% of the survey sample are UK based.

The remainder work in continental Europe

20% of the survey sample spend more than £10million on business travel annually

25%

of the survey sample manage more than 1,000 business travellers

57%

of the survey sample spend less than £1million on business travel every year

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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Making Business Travel affordable

10

YEARS

SINESS TRAVEL AFFORDA ING BU BLE MAK SINCE 2008

Your business is our business At Applehouse, we know that business travel is essential for company growth, as well as benefitting the UK economy through increased trade (Oxford Economics Research 2016).

We understand the importance of achieving a balance between returns on investment, traveller satisfaction and budgetary requirements, all incorporated within a duty of care culture.

We don’t just get you there, we help you before, during and after your trip, with our all day, every day service.

Call us today to find out more about our services, discuss how we can assist you or simply for a free quotation.

0207 355 8509 | sales@applehousetravel.co.uk | www.applehousetravel.co.uk

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