Advantage to look at Focus Group changes

Advantage to look at Focus Group changes

ADVANTAGE Travel Centres has added new entry criteria and is considering a change of direction for its Focus Group.

The group was set up a year ago to provide stronger buying power for Advantage business travel agents when dealing with suppliers. But now members are considering competing head to head with multiples to target large corporate clients.

Advantage business travel director Norman Gage said:”Members are keen to turn Focus from a buying group to a selling group.”

This would mean targeting large corporate clients, telling them they don’t have to buy from multiples to get regional representation. Gage added that standards are also being tightened for membership.

Gage said:”We’re going to do an audit and look more closely at each agent. We have included the fact that members have to personally attend two out of the three meetings scheduled for next year.”

A technology committee has been set up to source a self-booking system for Focus Group members as a matter of urgency and Advantage is producing a Web sales training tool advising how to close a sale.

&#42 Focus Group meetings for next year have been set. The first is on January 10, hosted by British Airways, followed by May 16 and September 12.