Here's some further insights from the packed agenda:
Corporate travel needs to be measured as part of work cycle
CWT APAC senior director Marty Lonergan stated "every organisation wants its workers doing more" however business travel needs to be measured. Mr Logergan stated: "It's not simply a matter of how they're performing".
Diversification is the key to commercial success; Consumers expect more products but want to make fewer decisions
CTM chief technology officer Timmo Rol stated: "Diversification is also really important, an impact here can be a business opportunity there". Commenting on competition and disruptors, Mr Rol noted: "If you're worried about something because you think it's going to do great, you need to be on that bandwagon and leverage it". He added: "From a corporate travel perspective, NDC is going to take off over the next year and hopefully it'll bring a lot more products to the market too... Customers expect more product choices but less decision making. And that's where we come in as a technology company... leveraging data. Artificial intelligence is going to be the next industrial revolution".
Passengers want 'information at their fingertips' as 'the technology is coming' for seamless travel
Expedia Group partner marketing director Demi Kavaratzis stated passengers want "information at their fingertips" and Expedia "does that quite well" and takes its cyber "security very, very seriously". She added that "the technology is coming" for travel to be seamless, however "the entire industry" is "not there yet". Ms Kavaratzis said Expedia has "some right steps in place" in creating seamless travel by supporting its customers throughout their whole journey.
LOOK OUT...
Exclusive executive interviews from Sydney will be published on CAPA TV in the coming weeks, as well as full coverage of the agenda sessions.
TMCs need to realise NDC allows airlines to 'control the game, not the GDSs'
Ord Minnett senior research analyst John O'Shea stated "the TMCs in the room need to start thinking not about what the airline will do for them", but realise that with NDC, the "airlines will control the game, not the GDSs. Mr O'Shea added: "TMCs need to think about what value they will bring to the table, not the other way round".
'Maybe we're asking too much' in airport efficiency
CAPA - Centre for Aviation chairman emeritus Peter Harbison advised "maybe we're asking too much" if we expect significant movement in efficiency of airport operations over the next five years.
The 'end goal' is to provide an end to end trip experience
Airbnb for Work lead ANZ Bond Leung stated "the rate of innovation and tech" will provide an automated traveller experience and "the end goal for us" is to provide end to end trip capacity at Airbnb. He stated 49% of corporate travellers seek a home experience while travelling. Mr Leung stated corporate travellers are increasingly extending trips and seeking facilities which are found in a home. He stated "choice and personalisation" is the "key" to corporate travel happiness. Mr Leung also said trust, safety, wellbeing, comfort, choice, personalisation and a sense of "belonging" is important to the traveller.
Two thirds of SMEs do not use corporate expense management programme
Divipay founder and CEO Daniel Knaiz stated 67% of SMEs do not have access to a corporate expense management programme. Business are either requiring employees to use personal finances or share a single company credit card, he noted, adding inefficient expense processes are "costly to the business" and create "unnecessary admin".
Virtual cards provide 'end clarity'
Mastercard director commercial payments Gregor Lochtie stated virtual cards provide "end clarity, you know whats been spent, you know who's doing the spending and you know that its authorised".
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]MORE INSIGHTS…
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