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TBR Global Chauffeuring
27th February 2019

Business Travel Show 2019: A recap

Last week, TBR Global exhibited for the second year in a row at the largest event in the EMEA corporate travel calendar, the Business Travel Show at London’s Olympia.

It was an action-packed two days for our team, who met with a wide array of delegates, from buyers and established clients to fellow industry suppliers. Located near the central café, we were very much in the ‘hub’ of the action. The atmosphere from the surrounding stands, meeting areas and conference spaces was palpable; highlighting just how much our industry has grown from the first Business Travel Show 25 years ago.

Beyond manning the stand, our team had the opportunity to explore the exhibition, noticing key trends and popular talking points repeatedly highlighted at Travel Technology Europe – the tech portion of the event which took place up-the-stairs, and the main exhibition floor.

Lukasz Biegus, IT Director, found the information provided on AI (artificial intelligence) to be of particular interest, namely how the technology is currently being harnessed for fraud detection and as a key enabler for data cleansing. Lukasz also found the increasing use of voice-controlled interaction a main area of focus in 2019, as well as efficiencies and scalability, integrating legacy systems and building compelling digital experiences for clients as key challenges the industry will face this year.

Cheryl Bamford, Senior MICE Account Manager, noted that minimising spend whilst maintaining quality and duty of care is a key priority for travel buyers this year. She also recognised there is an increased focus on smart, intuitive technology apps to optimise the booking and travelling experience, whilst enhancing internal efficiencies for TMCs. Cheryl also commented on the increasing number of travel companies that have championed a number of green initiatives, from the booking process through to service delivery. Overall, there have been extreme leaps forward for sustainability in a historically pollutant industry and this year’s BTS reflected that.

Peter Nixon, Head of Roadshows, identified that the pendulum between managed and unmanaged travel spend has swung back towards the managed side, due to an increased focus on duty of care. Peter also noticed that connectivity and integration is more important now than ever within such an innovation driven industry.

As the industry saturates, it is vital TBR grows in parallel alongside it. Participating in events like the Business Travel Show places us in good stead to engage with clients, existing and potential, as well as competitors and possible partners. We hope you enjoyed visiting our stand at this year’s BTS and look forward to seeing you all in 2020!

If you would you be interested in finding out more about TBR, then get in touch today.