| Picture: Image Bank |
PLAN your time carefully at the Business Travel Show and
instead of just leaving with tired feet, you could have seen the
industry’s latest innovations, heard the hot topics debated,
munched your way through chocolates, drunk champagne and won a
holiday.
With around 200 exhibitors packed into London’s Olympia
between February 1-3, there will be plenty of new products and
services launched, as well as refreshment respite on stands.
Here’s Travel Weekly’s guide to the Business Travel
Show.
| Plan ahead |
09:30: make sure you pre-register online at
businesstravelshow.com so you can walk straight in on the day. Mark
Tami MP, the Guild of Travel Management Companies parliamentary
adviser, will officially open the show.
| Up, up and away |
10:00: the airlines are aiming to impress
agents at this year’s show. Malaysia Airlines will unveil its
new business-class seats and there’s a chance to win a pair
of return business- class tickets to Penang, Langkawi or Kuala
Lumpur.
Have your say on what makes the perfect airline at the Etihad
stand. The best suggestion wins a trip for two flying business
class to the United Arab Emirates with accommodation at the new
Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The Etihad corporate sales team
will be promoting its business travel services.
The British Airways stand will have a Club World seat and a
self-service kiosk so agents can trial the self-service check-in.
There will also be demonstrations of how boarding cards can be
printed from home computers. And if that gets you tense, there will
be massages on offer using Molton Brown products.
Gulf Air’s new first and business-class seats will be on
display and the airline will be promoting its Better for Business
package, which includes Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies.
| A dead cert |
11:30: the Guild of Travel Management Companies
will be updating delegates on changes to its Certificate in
Business Travel qualification, including the withdrawal of
workplace assessments, a new online examination and further
Government funding. The seminars will be held on the first day of
the show at 11.30am and 2.30pm. Places are limited so make sure you
book early. For details contact GTMC on 020-7222 2744.
| Production line |
12:00: want to see what the competition is up
to? Check out rival agencies’ new products being launched at
the show.
TQ3 Travel Solutions is launching its Skygate fare search
system, which allows consultants to search for web fares as well as
global distribution system-listed fares.
The Travel Company will showcase its revamped online booking
tools, and its management information tools Online MIS and Online
MIS Lite.
P&O Business Travel is offering travel buyers the
opportunity to sample the product with a one-month free trial. It
is also giving away a romantic weekend for two in Paris and
sponsoring classical musicians who are performing at the
show’s cafés.
| Munch bunch |
13:00: time for a spot of lunch. Restaurants
include Pizza Express, Pret A Manger and Salut Café Bar.
| Hot topics |
14:00: the latest industry issues will be
debated at seminars and masterclasses running throughout the show.
Topics include GDS deregulation and the debate over whether
procurement managers should buy travel.
| Lovely bubbly |
15:00: there have been a series of
multi-million pound hotel revamps this year as competition hots up
in the sector. Visitors to the Hyatt stand can win a weekend at the
new Park Hyatt Zurich.
There will also be information on the £4 million revamp of
the Hyatt Regency Birmingham.
Meet the new Concorde Hotels sales team over a glass of
champagne, and see its new GDS programme and upgraded website.
From 11am each day the Accor stand will be offering champagne
made under a specially selected label for the Sofitel St James
hotel.
| Lounge lizards |
16:00: Eurostar is sponsoring the VIP lounge at
the show, which will be in the style of its lounges at London,
Paris and Brussels – designed by Philippe Starck. If
you’re lucky enough to get an invite, take a well-earned
rest. There’s also a competition to win travel with Eurostar
on its stand.
TheTrainline stand is offering demonstrations of its site and
products. As well as champagne and chocolates, giveaways include
mouse mats and season tickets.
| Get the message |
16:30: Galileo will showcase its new SMS
Messaging Service on its stand every day at 4pm, where visitors
will be served champagne and canapés. Its Service Fee
Calculation and Management tool, which helps agents to manage fees,
will also be demonstrated.
