Business Travel Executive, Dec 2020/Jan 2021

40 Business Travel Executive askBTE com December 2020 January 2021 TT THINK TANK JENNIFER STEINKE Global Head of Travel PPD Inc CHERYL BENJAMIN Travel Services Manager Dart Container Corporation CHRIS BROCKMAN Manager Global Engagement WTMC GLORIA A GONZALEZ Travel Manager In each issue of Business Travel Executive the members of our Buyer Think Tank offer their individual thoughts on whats hot whats cool and whats coming next in managed travel The Think Tank is a team of eight veteran travel managers from programs that run the gamut in size and complexity but each member contributes a unique viewpoint Travel Buyers POV brings fresh perspectives and ideas to inspire innovation and thought leadership in the corporate travel industry With the prospects of an effective vaccine being rolled out against the coronavirus the thoughts of our Business Travel Executive Think Tank are turning to recovery and the role of travel managers in the business travel world of the future One consistent theme has been the way the pandemic has elevated the standing of the travel manager as the advocate for and the go to authority around all things travel As the industry prepares for some kind of reboot in 2021 the Think Tank team shares thoughts on what the aftermath of the crisis will look like for corporate travel and for the people who manage it TRAVEL BUYERS POV Brave New World of Business Travel Stronger Than This Crazy Virus Due to the global pandemic shutting down all corporate travel in early 2020 the role of a travel manager has changed drastically Unfortunately many have been laid off or completely lost their jobs while others have been re purposed to other areas of their company to assist with other projects during this travel downtime This pandemic has caused havoc across the travel industry so we do not have any precedent in modern times to handle this in the corporate world As a travel director whose position was dissolved due to the collapse in travel and events my thoughts could be a little different from others Being a travel advocate and subject matter expert in the field is more important now in the midst of these changes not only to your C Suite but also to your travelers your risk department human resources and all your companys employees My career path completely changed this year but thats even Navigating an Unsure Future With the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic travel has changed for the foreseeable future Suddenly duty of care is front and center for corporate travelers and management Travel managers are actually being consulted about their expertise in determining what the future holds for travel and getting back to normal Relationships they cultivated with their peers and suppliers matter They are being asked to prognosticate how to navigate an unsure future Look Beyond the Crisis Regardless of the global environment either in COVID or the before times it comes down to being prepared and carrying yourself with confidence to speak up Data needs to be timely and accurate While this was once just about your travel data this has now expanded to encompass knowledge of where the plague is on the rise what your vendors are doing to keep travelers safe and what governments whether national or local are doing about it