The Business of Travel

Julian Walker, Vice President of External Communications and Public Relations for CWT, and Shawn DuBravac, CEO, Avrio Institute, sit down at the 2022 GBTA Convention to discuss the recently released 8th Annual CWT GBTA Global Business Travel Forecast 2023. Topics include the pressures on travel supply pricing, staffing challenges, and rising overall costs against a backdrop of strong travel demand and capacity limitations.

How should we be thinking about the current state of business travel and the industry and what might be coming next and why? Henry Harteveldt, founder and travel industry analyst for Atmosphere Research sat down with Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention to provide his informed perspectives on the general outlook for global business travel over the next year, when we might see recent travel disruptions dissipate, the potential long-term effects on travel brand loyalty, and what business travelers are thinking about now as they get back on the road and in the air.

Chris Ely, Research Director at GBTA and Ashley Sulewski, Global Strategic Manager at Uber for Business, discuss travel managers’ thoughts on how ground transportation has evolved post-pandemic in relation to sustainability, managed meal programs, bleisure, and more. Interested in seeing the data firsthand? Download our first-ever US and Canada–based ground transportation report here.

Group travel and events are coming back but how can booking and managing them be even better? Ryan Morris, Vice President Sales, Groups 360, joined Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention for a discussion including how booking group rooms and event space online is changing, what is now the typical group size and booking window, instant booking and the importance of robust hotel group inventory and rates and how the right tools can solve room block management headaches for travel planners.

With business traveler health and safety at the forefront now more than ever, medical assistance networks can play a critical role. David Sarafinas, Vice President, US Medical Assistance for Collinson Group joined Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention to discuss why a network is essential to providing medical assistance, the importance of relationships and vetting providers, and how network information is used. 

In this 4th installment of ‘It’s SME Again’ podcast series, we chat with Dewitt Jones, world renowned Nat Geo photographer and motivational speaker about how travel can enhance or detract from performance, and how there is more than one right answer in travel, and life. We have previously spoken with road warriors from professional baseball to film and television production to an Olympics Water Polo team. One of the common threads we have discovered is how travel is a key ingredient to success in the sports, media, and entertainment industries. Joining live from GBTA Convention 2022 in San Diego, hosts Amy Thiessen and Greg Bell have an insightful conversation with Dewitt Jones on how to celebrate what’s right in both life and travel. Dewitt Jones, in his twenty-year career with National Geographic, Dewitt Jones lived the vision of “celebrating what’s right with the world” and embraced an attitude that took him to new heights both in business and in life. He found that the creative tools he employed as a photographer had even deeper application when applied directly to his personal and professional growth.  Discover the beauty of being open to possibilities and reframing problems into opportunities. Using his own extraordinary photographs as illustrations, Dewitt weaves a visual tapestry of emotion and content. One that allows you to touch your own passion: to balance your head with your heart: and to come away inspired with your own creative potential. GBTA’s Sports, Media & Entertainment committee (SME) currently has 20 committee members from high-level positions within the travel community. Our buyers represent many of the leading sports, media and companies in the world, from professional sports teams and leagues, players associations, movie studios, film production companies, music labels, and so on. On the supplier side we also have top reps from the major travel companies from the airlines, lodging, ground transportation.  The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s largest professional association representing the $1.4 trillion business travel industry. Collectively, our members directly control more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually, and also represent every facet of the global travel industry marketplace. The goal of the SME podcast is to leave you with up-to-date insights and relevant, actionable guidance.  

Charlie Bacharach, Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Travel Leaders Corporate, part of Internova Travel Group, sits down with Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention to share his perspective on the latest business travel trends based on recent booking patterns, the biggest issues for corporate travel managers, and the role sustainability is playing in shaping the focus for corporate travel stakeholders. 

Meetings are back, but they’re not the same!  Join this podcast to learn how you can be prepared for the meetings of today, consider your options, plan ahead, be flexible, budget and most importantly educate your stakeholders and collaborate with your suppliers.

After navigating a global pandemic for well over two years, what’s your new normal? In a new podcast series – “Back and Better Than Ever” –  learn from incredible women coming together to discuss what “returning” means to them. In this episode, Kate Nichols, Founder of Go Jane, Go, a global community of 1,000+ women who travel for business, joins Shannon Jackson, Business Development Leader at Avis Budget Group Produced by GBTA WINiT’s Return to the Office & Return to the Road Committee, the “Back and Better Than Ever” podcast series explores unique views and voices from guests that have various ties to business travel. Hear the shared experiences that all business travelers have likely endured in some capacity – while gaining insight on how to continue to prevail together.

Townsend Bailey, head of Corporate Responsibility, Americas, and Soojin Yoon, Manager, Corporate Responsibility, both from IHG Hotels & Resorts joined Debbie Iannaci, head of GBTA Communications and Research during the 2022 GBTA Convention for a deep discussion on sustainability. Topics include how sustainability is evolving in the hospitality space, where IHG is focusing its efforts, the benefits of environmental sustainability, and how corporate travel managers can help influence change.