Wondering how to make travel arrangements for your boss? You’re in the right place. To book and manage executive trips can be stressful. For your boss, their time away might be jam-packed with meetings, while trying to keep up with colleagues in different time zones, and dealing with jet lag. It can be a serious headache for administrative assistants like yourself trying to coordinate travel while handling a heap of other responsibilities.

Thankfully, solutions are available to help simplify executive travel, alleviate the admin, and remove many past pain points. Booking tools can streamline everything: from picking great accommodation and booking flights to automating your travel expenses and reclaiming VAT. 

Here we’re sharing eight easy steps  for making travel arrangements for executives a breeze.

How to make travel arrangements as a secretary in eight steps

By following these eight steps, you’ll free up time that you can then focus on the personal touches. Ready to impress your boss and elevate their business trip to the skies and beyond? Here are our top tips for how to make travel arrangements as a secretary. Let’s dive in. 

1. Communicate to create a successful travel experience

A positive travel experience depends on a few key factors:

• Clarity: maintain up-to-date details of all travel plans
• Support: ability to reach out for help at any point, particularly for changes
• Time management: quickly taking care of administrative tasks while on their business trip
• Personalization: getting the travel experience that suits their needs
• Bleisure: a sprinkle of leisure activies outside of business hours for the traveler to unwind and make the most of their trip 

For each trip, identify the non-negotiable priorities and (for longer trips) one or two personal things that will make the stay more enjoyable for your boss. Remember, everyone is at their best when balanced, fully rested, and able to focus on the job at hand—not worry about their upcoming flight!

Feedback is also important: after the trip, try to have a quick conversation with your boss about how the trip went and what you can do differently next time. If you want to formalize this process, you can put together a pulse survey and have it in their inbox upon return. Build upon each experience, its feedback, and continuously improve.

2. Find a travel management tool to arrange travel and accommodation

Harnessing first class technology can help businesses streamline the corporate travel management process. Rather than scrolling through several websites to find the best prices, office managers can use a travel management tool to find suitable options quickly.

How to book transport for your boss

When selecting transportation, keep in mind the details that will make the trip more comfortable for your boss. Do they prefer an aisle or window seat? Do they have airlines or rental car companies where they accrue loyalty points or can get access to lounges? 

After noting these preferences, by using a travel management tool like TravelPerk, you can book flights, trains, car hire and accommodation your boss will love, in just a few clicks.

Boasting a vast travel inventory, TravelPerk allows companies to input and automate corporate travel policies (and their approvals) in minutes. After establishing these parameters, business travelers or executive assistants can search through options safe in the knowledge they are compliant and in-budget.Plus, whether it's securing an aisle seat for a flight or a room away from the hustle and bustle of the ground floor, TravelPerk's optional concierge services can ensure executives' preferences are met every time.

How to book accommodation for your boss 

When choosing accommodation, consider the amenities your boss might appreciate. Good Wi-Fi is a given, but they might want a decent-sized desk, on-site coworking space, or private meeting rooms. They might want to have gym facilities or 24/7 room service. 

Another important consideration is the location. Take a look at your boss's schedule and pinpoint an area that makes the most sense for their itinerary.

A travel management tool should provide a wide range of accommodation options, from well-known chains to boutique options—TravelPerk users will have the best of both worlds. 

Once you’ve coordinated travel arrangements, vet your choices to double-check if they are suitable for your boss. Use Hotel Wi-Fi Test to make sure connection speeds are up to scratch. It’s also a good idea to scan reviews for elements you know will matter to your boss—the good and the bad! 

TravelPerk users can benefit from seeing where other colleagues have stayed, making it easier than ever to get the inside scoop from trusted teammates. 

Finally, when selecting a travel management tool, confirm that the system has an easy-to-use travel app so that your boss can access their itinerary and other services on the move.

3. Have a point person for itinerary changes in the eleventh hour

Making travel arrangements for executives involves expecting the unexpected: like any trip, business travel can spring suprises, whether an unfavourable weather forecast or a last-minute cancellation, 

but corporate travelers often face additional challenges out of their control that require immediate changes to their schedule.

Comprehensive, 24/7 support is a must, particularly for busy executives who don’t have the time to sort out new travel arrangements. At TravelPerk, your boss can reach our team of human customer support agents in a target response time of 15 seconds, 24/7, 365 days a year. 

4. Help prepare your executive's cell phone

When asking yourself how to make travel arrangements as a secretary, it’s useful to walk through every aspect of your boss’ trip to pick up on the small details that are often overlooked: prepping your executive’s mobile phone is an important one.  Phones can be used for so much more than communication——they're great tools for eliminating the daily hassles of navigating a new area, language, and currency! 

Recommend a currency converter app and a translation app (Google Translate still holds the title as best translation app) to help your boss navigate international travel. This should be top of mind when you’re considering how to make international travel arrangements for your boss.  Many of these apps also have offline features, which is a travel essential. 

With TravelPerk, corporate travelers can book travel arrangements, get updates to their itinerary, access maps offline, andreceive 24/7 support all within themobile app.

5. Keep track of your traveler’s preferences

Preferences change with time and circumstance. Your exec might prefer proximity to the client or local office for short trips but want to be near walkable restaurants and the city landmarks to enjoy their free time on longer trips. They might even prefer traveling with ground transportation like trains or car rentals over flights.

Never assume you'll remember, even with the most diligent and careful planning. Keep a running list on an easy-to-edit file, or use TravelPerk to safeguard this info for every traveler you’re booking for. 

Here are some important categories to note:

• Frequent flyer programs in use
• Transportation and seating preferences (window, aisle, forward-facing)
• In-flight meal preferences (especially any allergies!)
• Contact details of important people they would like to have a copy of their itinerary

With TravelPerk, you can add a special request to each booking that our concierge service will take care of: like a late checkout or extra legroom. Some preferences might hold true for every trip. Others might be more specific. 

Maintaining this list of priorities and preferences will eliminate repetitive conversations and save everyone time in the long run.

6. Simplify travel expenses reporting

Expense reporting can feel like a significant time snatcher. Tracking money takes longer than spending it. 

Help your boss get expense reporting done in a flash bydownloading a receipt-scanning or management app like Pleo. It may be worth adding these to your company tech stack too. If your exec handles expense reporting on their own, you can pre-fill some of the trip details so that they can complete the task faster.

Nothing beats automation:TravelPerk integrates with various third-party expense management  apps, including Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense (previously Divvy), so that trip costs are stored safely, and travel spend reports are rapid.

7. Prepare an in-depth travel itinerary for your boss

With a travel management solution like TravelPerk, the details of each trip can be found in one place (with just one login!). However, for those times when your boss isn’t using a travel management platform, it's important that the information is accessible offline.

While screenshots are a quick and easy method of ensuring your boss has access offline, you can go the extra mile to prepare a travel itinerary that includes elements specific to their particular business trip in a way that’s easier on the eye. 

Here are some top tips for creating a clear itinerary: 

• Break down each day and walk through activities
• Note booking confirmation numbers and contact numbers for car rentals
• For flights, include airline phone numbers, the terminal's address, confirmation numbers, flight numbers, seat reservations, and any membership numbers for loyalty programs
• Specify platforms for train journeys where possible
• If you have any pre-booked car services, include these details and the contact numbers for the driver and the company
• Include the address of their specific hotel and the contact details for the front desk in case there are multiple hotels with the same name
• Note check-in and check-out times for hotel stays: very important!
• Add your boss' meetings to this itinerary, noting the attendees and objectives of each
• To go the extra mile: include LinkedIn photos of meeting attendees to ensure a warm greeting
• Highlight any periods where your boss has free time
• After you have completed the itinerary, save it as a PDF and email it to your boss

8. Go the extra mile

The best part of automating and outsourcing aspects your corporate travel management is being able to focus on the extra details your boss will appreciate. This attention to detail will set you apart from other administrators and really impact your boss’ trip. 

Here are some examples of little extras that you can prepare in advance for your boss:

• Luggage tags
• Business cards
• Talking topics and contact details of the local host (client or office manager)
• Healthy, travel-friendly snacks 
• Restaurant recommendations based on their preferences s - you can even use a concierge service like TravelPerk to secure reservations
• Tips for how to spend any downtime. Be sure to highlight options that require tickets and book these in advance
• Travel adapters and surge protectors

Take a second to figure out the little things that will make a big difference for your exec, and keep a running list for future business trips.

The ultimate executive travel arrangements checklist

Having a checklist that you can refer to before your trip helps you prepare for both the expected and the unexpected. Anticipating your boss's needs ahead of time will make the journey more successful and save you both time.

To get you started, we've recapped the tips above into a handy checklist you can refer to when planning your boss's next trip, and the next, and the next!

Establish the key markers for success

• Ask your boss what needs to happen to make this business trip a success
• Make arrangements in line with their priorities
• Ask for feedback on their return to improve future plans

Find a travel management tool

• Select a travel management solution that has a mobile app so execs can keep track of their itineraries and receive updates on the road
• Use automation features to help choose accommodation and transportation within corporate travel policies
• Cross-check options against your boss's personal preferences
• Use Hotel Wi-Fi Test to check connection speeds
• Check reviews (even better if you can hear from colleagues)

Suggest your boss downloads the following apps (or similar)

• TravelPerk: to access itineraries and receive updates on the go
• A currency converter app, such as XE currency converter
• A translation app, such as Google Translator
• Any hotel apps relevant to their stay
• Recommend your exec takes advantage of apps’ offline features when needed.

Keep track of your executive's preferences and necessities

• Any frequent traveler programs in use
• Transport seating preferences
• In-flight meal preferences
• Any hotel preferences or loyalty programs
• Allergies, intolerances, and food preferences
• Late checkout needs
• Extra legroom preferences
• Transportation preferences (trains, car rentals, flights, etc)
• Contact details to send itinerary to designated loved ones

Prepare all documentation

• Check passport is in date
• Double-check any travel visas
• Print car/travel insurance information
• Print any COVID-19 travel documents (vaccination certificates, test documentation, etc) TravelPerk’s travel advice board is a good resource to use for this. 
• Prepare and print an in-depth itinerary: including meetings and other planned activities

Prepare the "little" extras to go the extra mile

• Backup luggage tags
• Extra business cards
• Talking topics and contact details of local hosts
• Preferred snacks for the road
• Restaurant recommendations they’ll love
• Travel tips for any free time
• Downtime activities: massages, gym passes, spas, etc. 

Keep all travel details in one place offline

• Create a PDF document for each trip
• Ensure your boss has printed copies of their in-depth itinerary
• Consider a travel app to keep this all in one place for you

Prepare for expense reporting

• Speed up reimbursements by downloading a receipt management app such as Yokoy or Spendesk
• Keep a digital copy of your travel expense policy handy—or use a travel management app to do it for you! 
• Keep any paper-based receipts as a backup. Providing a physical receipt wallet is a good reminder for your exec to do this

Making travel arrangements for executives as simple as possible

There you have it, eight steps to keep in mind when booking travel for executives. These trips don’t need to be stressful, but they do need to be smooth. Make them memorable for all the right reasons and give your boss the experience they deserve. 

If you’ve now figured out you’ll be more effective with a travel management app underwing, then book your TravelPerk demo today, and let’s see where we can take you—or your boss, in this case! 

Happy booking! 

The post 8 Steps for Making Travel Arrangements for your Boss appeared first on TravelPerk.

A corporate travel planner—also referred to as a corporate travel manager or corporate trip planner—is responsible for every aspect of business travel. They play a valuable role within the business, and can end up saving a lot on travel costs and other business travel-related expenses.In this article, you’ll learn all the benefits that come with corporate travel management from a dedicated role, and why it's a necessary role to fill within your business. We’ll explore the ins and outs of what a business travel planner does as well as options on employing a travel planner in-house or outsourcing this valuable resource.

What is a corporate travel planner?

A corporate travel planner is in charge of all company travel for employees. From securing accommodation and venue spaces, to organizing budgets and travel compliance, to making restaurant bookings, or booking various types of transport—they’re responsible for every stage of the trip.

What does a corporate travel planner do?

There are many tasks that a corporate travel planner will need to do. These are some of the typical duties you’d expect to find in travel planner job descriptions:

• Handles credit card schemes and charges
• Handles business trip expenses and reimbursements
• Looks after all overseas travel arrangements and logistics
• Manages relationships with travel vendors and use of travel agencies
• Provides all travel documents for insurance and any regulations in place
• Develops relevant corporate travel policies and programs for corporate travel
• Develops an improved travel program for both international travel and domestic travel

Prior to having a corporate travel planner, the role of a travel manager would usually fall into the hands of an office manager or someone that operates within the HR department. However, due to an ever-increasing rate of business travel, there’s more need for a dedicated and exclusive role for this task.

As well as having great communication skills, ideally, the individual needs quite a few years of experience within the travel industry. This experience is essential when it comes to acquiring travel, making rapid decisions, and handling crises.

With 400 million Americans going on long-distance business trips annually, there’s no doubt the demand for this role will continue to grow.

So, we know you need a travel planner. Now’s the time to decide how and where you hire that person—or team of them.

What makes a good corporate travel planner?

As you can tell, a competent corporate travel planner must be a multitasking pro, but there are certain other qualities that make a great trip planner: 

• Excellent communication: a corporate travel planner will be the point of contact between employees and the respective airlines, hotels, and more. Keeping on top of correspondence and circulating relevant information is key to a job well done.

• Strategic thinkers: planning business trips is often like a game of Tetris, fitting various blocks together until you reach a coherent itinerary. Taking into account all the different demands can be challenging, and you’ll need a strategic mind to help solve some puzzles along the way. 

• Being adaptable: corporate travel can be subject to last-minute changes, so business travel planners must always expect the unexpected, and be prepared to make last-minute modifications. 

• Respecting privacy: a corporate travel planner has access to a vast amount of your company’s and your employees’ private data, so finding someone trustworthy is essential (as well as the latest security tools to provide an extra layer of confidence).

• Attention to detail: when booking travel for your executives is on the cards, it’s the little things that go a long way. A business travel planner has the power to make or break a trip with small, personalized perks your executive travelers will love.  

Hiring a corporate travel planner in-house vs. via agency

You can choose to hire a travel planner internally to manage business travel booking, or you could find an agency to supply the role for you. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Ready to explore a few?

The pros of in-house corporate travel planners

• With an in-house travel planner, you’ll likely have access to the role more so than an agency. Perhaps they’re sitting in the same office, or on the other end of a Slack message, either way, your business is their only priority. 
• This person has been specifically selected for the role: the selected individual is likely to be more trusted as a result
• Having someone in-house can make generating and processing travel reports easier, as this person is traditionally more in line with the company goals and has access to company data
• An in-house travel manager can work closely with your finance team to ensure everyone’s keeping within the travel budget, finding the best rates for their bookings, and reporting to their line managers accordingly
• An in-house business travel planner will likely utilize software and travel booking tools like TravelPerk that can assist with many of the daily tasks they have, and automate the more mundane ones, or those prone to human error 

The cons of in-house corporate travel planners: 

• With an agency planner, you only pay for the hours you need them for—without the financial commitment of hiring them full-time
• Expertise is crucial, and it can be near impossible to meet the wider resources and collective know-how of an agency with one individual
• Having one travel planner may not be scalable: for example, if your business suddenly has a great demand for travel bookings, one person will likely not be able to handle the workload

The pros of agency corporate travel planners:

• Travel management companies (TMCs) offer guaranteed travel expertise and comprehensive services to different types of companies
• Agencies provide access to multiple corporate trip planners and efficient booking systems—you’ll also get access to their toolkit for booking flights, acquiring rental cars and much more 
• An agency can help develop a corporate travel management program that suits your business and its budget—optimizing your cost savings and tracking patterns in employee travel to ensure compliance 
• Another bonus of outsourcing a corporate travel agent is that you’re not dependent on one individual. There are fewer chances of your team being stranded if something goes wrong and they’re in an out-of-office hours timezone.

The cons of agency corporate travel planners:

• Outsourcing may complicate team integration and accessibility
• TMCs may have limited flight and accommodation options due to pre-established partnerships 
• Hourly billing by TMCs can lead to higher costs for much-needed and often last-minute problem-solving compared to in-house roles 

By now, you should have a clearer understanding of whether an in-house travel planner or an agency solution is the best fit for your business. 

Ready to explore the top tools every travel planner needs in their stack? Read on.

Essential tools for corporate travel planners

Nowadays, most corporate travel planners will utilize various tools to stay on top of everything—regardless of whether they’re in-house or working in an agency. Travel management software is being used across the board. 

Here’s a list of the most popular tools for corporate travel right now: 

• TravelPerk: the all-in-one travel management platform that has become a go-to for many companies trying to streamline their business travel. The platform allows corporate travelers to book travel for themselves, or others, while staying within company policies and budgets. With a large inventory, rapid 24/7 customer support, and green options for carbon-offsetting, it’s achoice that’s taking flight with many. 

• Payhawk: business trips often require an accompanying expense management software in order to keep track of company spending. Payhawk is a leading solution, enabling businesses to automate manual processes, track company cards, and manage invoices through a single app—and Payhawk integrates with TravelPerk!

• Tripkicks: an add-on providing insights and alerts for trips, Tripkicks is a simple but essential tool to improve the business travel experience. Given the possibility for last-minute changes, this software enables travelers to stay on top of their journeys by providing travel guides, listing entry requirements, updating on cancellations, and more. 

• Goodwings: a platform facilitating responsible travel through carbon offsetting and calculation of travel emissions, Goodwings is an increasingly popular option for companies with a climate conscience. Goodwings provides various services to make business travel that much more sustainable. 

A corporate travel planner is essential for your business

Finding a solution for a corporate travel planner is not just about the cost savings, but the efficiency with which your corporate travel is handled.

Being able to get multiple staff to various locations on time, finding the cheapest flights, rail, or car transfers, having the right protocols and policies in place for emergencies are all tasks that can be handled by an efficient travel planner or TMC. 

It’s time to weigh up the pros and cons above and make a decision based on your specific company requirements.

If you need any advice along the way, TravelPerk is here to help.

The post Corporate travel planner: why do you need one appeared first on TravelPerk.

Before we dive in, let’s take a look at some of the challenges involved in business travel management and planning that so many travel managers can relate to. 

The challenges of corporate travel planning

Corporate travel planning has some of the same pain points you’ll encounter when booking personal travel. A family trip entails keeping within a budget, and trying to accommodate everyone’s needs when booking travel or accommodation. 

It stops there for private travel, but is 10x’d when it comes to corporate travel planning. Booking under the umbrella of corporate policies, employer duty of care responsibilities, entire team bookings, will make things that much more complicated. 

There are four key challenges for every corporate travel planner when it comes to business travel planning:

Compliance and control

Balancing employee mobility with adherence to organizational travel policies is crucial. Ensuring compliance with established guidelines mitigates risks associated with non-compliance: like breaking budgets or putting employees in vulnerable situations. 

Those who plan corporate travel also need to ensure things like vaccines, visas, passports, and other travel documents are all in order for the trip. 

Cost management

Escalating travel expenses requires the optimization of travel budgets—without compromising on the quality of travel arrangements. Identifying cost-effective solutions and getting the best deal for the company is an uphill climb corporate travel managers need to deal with. 

Traveler safety

Prioritizing the safety and well-being of employees during travel is imperative. Navigating geopolitical landscapes and addressing health and security concerns are part of the comprehensive risk management strategies that anyone planning corporate travel needs to have in their luggage.

Digitization

The digitization of the workplace has revolutionized corporate travel planning. It can help streamline processes by bringing many of your processes under one roof, or in one app in this case. 

But, it also introduces its own set of complexities. For example, managing multiple booking tools and third-party websites while ensuring data security is a beast that seemingly forever needs taming.

Besides these main areas, modern travel preferences have been changing. From the rise of bleisure travel to the demand for sustainable options, corporate travel planning requires a forward-thinking approach to be able to book with these preferences in mind. 

Now that we understand the many challenges there are when planning corporate travel, let’s look at how you can make corporate travel plans easier for you and your team.

7 Steps and best practices for planning successful corporate trips

We've all felt the headache of planning business trips. But, there's light at the end of the tunnel for corporate travel planners everywhere. Let's dive into seven best practices that can turn corporate travel planning hassles into hurrah!

1) Budget wise and clear

First thing’s first, let's talk money. Setting a clear budget lays the foundation for successful corporate travel planning. Knowing your financial limits helps prioritize expenses and prevents overspending. Plus, it ensures that you're getting the most bang for your buck for every trip.

Here are some key questions you should consider when it comes to budgeting for business travel:

• How much funding is available for this trip?
• How can we keep spend low, while not shortcutting on traveler safety?  
• Are there any potential cost-saving measures or alternative options to consider?
• Can we benchmark the return of investment (ROI) of this trip against previous trips? 

“A big thing we consider for business trips is the company’s expense policy, and giving employees the resources they need to act on it. Employees should have a clear understanding of what they’re allowed to expense, and how much they’re allowed to expense on each category. For example, hotels, food, and transportation all need policies, budgets, and clear guidelines.”

—Grace Berry, Assistant Management Accountant at LGT Wealth Management.

2) Craft a digestible corporate travel policy

Bullet points can help employees understand their destination's dos and don'ts, covering everything from safety protocols to preferred modes of transportation. A well-defined corporate travel policy keeps everyone on the same page, minimizing confusion and maximizing efficiency.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to take into account safety considerations for specific destinations within your company policies, as well as include any legal or regulatory requirements that the policy needs to address. 

Wrap all of this up in a one-pager if possible, deliver information in a way that employees will either remember it clearly, or can access easily and quickly while on the move. 

3) Choose the right travel management platform or software

When selecting a travel management platform, aim for a comprehensive solution that will feel like having a whole travel agency or experienced travel agent in your pocket. 

Look for a platform offering a wide inventory of travel options—including flights and accommodation—along with crucial features like duty of care, automated reimbursement approvals, and click-and-grab expense reports. 

You’ll also want to consider the quality of customer support you’ll be getting—you don’t want your travelers to be stuck anywhere without access to speedy help or they likely won’t be traveling again for your business. 

We spoke to Anja Sejfic, HR Business Partner at Rinkel. Anja shared some key considerations to keep in mind when choosing a travel management tool:

• What specific features and functionalities are essential for our organization's travel management needs?
• How user-friendly is the platform for both travel planners and travelers?
• What level of support and assistance does the platform provider offer?
• Are there any potential integration challenges with our existing systems or processes?
• What level of training and support will be necessary to ensure the successful adoption and usage of the software or platform?
• How can we measure the effectiveness and return on investment of the software over time?

4) Run thorough destination research

Before sending employees off on their adventures, do your homework. Dive deep into destination details like weather conditions, transportation options, and local safety concerns. 

It’s important to research any cultural or social norms that travelers might need to be aware of and pass this information on. This will enable your travelers to be successful in operating their way through a new environment.  

5) Craft detailed itineraries

It may seem daunting, but trust us, detailed itineraries for every travel booking are well worth it. These leave no room for uncertainty, covering everything from flight details to car rental pick-ups and drop-offs, business priorities, sightseeing spots, and free time for relaxation. They should be a mix of business and (personalized) leisure to ensure the travel experience is equal parts productive as it is enjoyable. 

Not only does this save travelers time, but it also adds a layer of organization that's invaluable during busy trips, and the template can be rinsed and repeated for future trips. 

6) Book in advance

Remember the golden rule: the early bird gets the worm. Booking flights and accommodation well in advance comes with cost-saving benefits galore. It allows for greater flexibility in choosing preferred travel options and securing corporate discounts where you can. 

However, keep in mind that you’ll also need to be prepared for some last-minute changes, so plan for those as much as possible and stay on your toes (or at your fingertips) when travelers are on trip. 

7) Choose your accommodation wisely

A good night's sleep is essential for productive business trips. After all, a well-rested traveler is a happy and productive traveler.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right accommodation for your travelers:

• How important is proximity to the primary business activities or event venue?
• What amenities or services are essential for ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay that’s within budget?
• Is the room far enough from street level if you’re booking in a busy city? 
• Is the accommodation type suitable for business travelers—we don’t want to be booking CEOs in hostels! 

By considering these seven best practices, you’ll be able to navigate the complexities of corporate travel with a little more confidence and efficiency than before.

Key metrics for measuring travel management success

Picture this: you’ve planned the trip, your travelers are now back in office. 

Now what? 

A key thing to do is evaluate the effectiveness of your corporate travel program. To do this, you’ll need to set some key performance indicators (KPIs) in place like: 

• cost savings achieved
• traveler satisfaction
• compliance rates
• percentage of changes and cancellations 

By analyzing these metrics after each trip by implementing post-trip debriefs, travel managers will be able to ensure more successful trips (and trip planning) in the future.

Make corporate travel planning a doddle with TravelPerk

Whether you’re a corporate travel planner or a travel manager, corporate travel can be made a whole lot easier when you use a travel management company like TravelPerk.

TravelPerk’s easy-to-use platform allows you to book transport, accommodation, and more from one place. You’ll be able to enjoy a baked-in duty of care solution, get real-time visibility on travelers and expenses, and access round the clock support with a 15-second response time.

The post The complete guide to corporate travel planning appeared first on TravelPerk.

The term ‘T and E’ is often used in business travel. In this case, the acronym can be for one of two options: travel and expense or travel and entertainment policy. 

In this quick guide to policy best practices, we’ll unpick what those two T&E phrases actually mean. Plus, how you can manage a T and E process for your corporate travel plan. 

What is T&E?

Travel and expense, or travel and entertainment, are any employee’s spending while traveling for work (a business trip) or entertaining a client. 

T&E expenses include travel costs, fees for renting meeting spaces, accommodation, business meals, overseas phone charges, and more. They include any necessary spending, previously agreed upon in a travel and expense policy, to work while traveling successfully. HR and finance departments are usually responsible for a company’s travel policy and T&E processes. 

What are the benefits of a T&E policy (and what happens without one)

Without an effective travel and expense policy, organizing corporate travel can be time consuming, frustrating and lead to frequent overspending. . A T&E policy, when it is accurate and automated, helps control costs  for business-related travel without micromanaging your team, Integrating policies into the latest travel solutions can reduce the repetitive questions your administrative team need to answer and ensure that your finance team has continuous access to the data and reporting they need. 

Without the right T&E policy, there will be unnecessary work with the approval process, reimbursements, expense report collection, and more. 

We asked Katharina Wodischeck from Adsquare when she thinks it's time for a company to automate their travel expenses. Here's what she said:

With only a handful of employees, managing travel expenses is still doable using Excel sheets and paper receipts. However, when companies are growing, the whole process of approving, reporting, and analyzing travel expenses gets more complex, and not only do finance and accounting teams take most of their valuable time for things that could be easily automated.

Companies should define what the status quo is and what they want to achieve with automating their T&E. Once the T&E process is automated, it's simple to keep up with company growth or increased employee travel, and it will save a lot of administrative costs in the long run.

Katharina Wodischeck, Finance Director, Adsquare

What does a T&E policy look like?

To follow widely regarded best practices, your travel and expense policy should cover:

• Allowable business purposes for travel
• Booking tool and process (for air travel,, hotel rooms, public transportation, and car rental)
• Basic spending guidelines for each category including details of eligibility for upgrades to
  business class or first-class airfaresBest practices for reimbursable expenses,including necessary supporting documentation (for food, ground transportation, and other small expenses)
• Examples of non-reimbursable expenditure e.g. personal entertainment and policies for alcoholic beverages and non employees joining business trips for leisure purposes. 
• The disciplinary action that will be taken if business travelers fail to comply with your policy

A T&E policy needs to clarify three elements for business travelers. First, the company policy around what business reasons will be acceptable for approving a work trip. 

Secondly, the process for booking travel arrangements, including what travel expenses the employee will need to get approved first. Finally, the policy should outline budgets allowed for different business travel related expenses and the consequences for deviating from these guidelines. 

T and E policies also state  tax obligations, reimbursement processes and give an overview of expense management. Policies may vary depending on your business home base and destination of travel. 

For example, international travel may rack up credit card surcharges for U.S. employees —tiny details like this need to be considered in a T and E policy.

Your travel and expense policy might consist of a document to teach travelers what tool to use for travel booking, how to file an expense reimbursement, and their per diem amount. But to optimize your corporate travel, integrating your policy into the latest tech tools can help you automate many of the processes.  

How T&E management tools can help

You might be wondering if there are any business travel management tools that can support T&E expense approval and reporting. Fortunately, there are. When you automate your policy, you experience a few important benefits manual processes can’t provide:

• Faster approval process and alerts for policy violations
• Cost savings from better policy compliance
• Accurate spending limits per team, department, or project
• Transparent, real-time data on travel and entertainment expenses
• Consolidated expense reporting from a single booking tool
• Advanced T&E cost tracking allowing finance teams to forecast future business travel expenses
• More accurate expense data. Analyze different expense categories and individual employee expenses in just a few clicks
• Ability to identify travel spend trends among employees and seek out loyalty memberships for experience-enhancing perks
• Faster reimbursement for out of pocket expense claims such as tolls, visa fees, travel insurance, business meals or mileage reimbursement when traveling in personal vehicles.

An automated travel policy is easier to understand and follow. For example, in TravelPerk, a hotel will state “Out of policy” if the nightly rate is too high. 

Travelers can also choose to toggle the button that only shows in-policy options, so they don’t see options that aren’t compliant. This option is available to toggle on and off, so travelers with short time frames facing last minute premium rates can request to book out of policy from their approver.

T&E tax implications

A lot of your employee’s business travel will be tax-deductible. As long as the IRS can recognize the activities as necessary to your industry niche. The harsh truth is that many businesses lose millions in unclaimed VAT on business travel programs. 

Your business doesn’t need to be registered in the country your employee is traveling to in order to reclaim VAT. Use TravelPerk’s VAT-friendly inventory, proprietary VAT calculator, and VAT in-house experts to guide you through setting up an automated VAT solution. It could save your entire business travel budget up to 25% every year going forward.  

The 5 best practices to streamline your travel and expense management

Follow these policy best practices to reduce violations, lower the effort required from approvers, and make auditing a breeze. What’s good for the traveler is good for the CFO too. 

1. Make it accessible 

 For successful travel and expense management your employees need to know your wishes. Ensure you store your corporate travel policies and essential information in a place all employees have access to. 

If you’re working with contractors or other service providers,you’ll need to keep in mind they may not have a company email and will need to accommodate them too. 

At the same time, your process needs to be understandable and straightforward. You don’t want someone to constantly reference how to follow the process; you want them to learn it once and for the process to stick. The simpler, the better. 

2. Be ready for mobile 

Traveling employees are on the go—the hint’s in the name. Their T and E documentation needs to be as on the go as they are. This means not expecting them to pull out their laptop and track their expenses every time they make one. Maybe they won’t have a moment to do this across the span of an entire day. 

Your T&E process needs to be mobile-friendly, so your employees can upload photos of original receipts, track costs and ensure any expenses are within policy  without needing to stop the pace of their day. 

3. Create clear policies 

The word policy has an ominous ring to it. The thing is, they don’t need to be overcomplicated. When you’re creating a T and E policy, remember who you’re making it for. Speak to your reader, use language they’ll understand, and keep it simple. 

4. Automate your workflow (and let travelers book for themselves)

Automation makes your travel and expense management more, well, manageable. Plus, it doesn’t take as long to set up as you may think. With TravelPerk, you can set up an automated travel and expense management process with a couple of clicks. 

You can select an already integrated expense partner like Expensify, Yokov and Paykawk. Or, integrate your own systems with TravelPerk’s expenses API—whatever works best for your business. 

Take the time to automate your T&E workflow, and you’ll be grateful for it in the future. Doing this eradicates lengthy email chains, and ensures nothing is overlooked. 

Plus, automating T&E will feed your business valuable spend management data, letting you know how you can optimize for financial benefit in the future. 

5. Onboard your automation tool 

The last step on your journey to creating a smooth T and E process is onboarding your automation tool and workflow. 

Ensure the entire business has a good overview of how the tool functions and how they can use it. Do it well the first time, and you’ll never have to repeat this.  

Say hello to simpler T and E workflows 

Follow this simple guide to set up business-wide workflows and policies to create a smoother travel experience for everyone. Plus, you'll boost compliance, save money, and potentially recoup up to 25% of annual VAT costs. 

The post T&E Policy appeared first on TravelPerk.

Domestic corporate travel is often cheaper than international business travel, so international travel involves different per diem rates. Per diem rates depend on the standard or previous cost of traveling to an area, plus the standard expenditure once there.

The relevant governing body, such as HMRC or GSA, determines both domestic and international rates. These are based on standard travel expenses associated with business trips to certain parts of the globe. 

Rates vary depending on where you’re coming from and where you’re going. From Alaska to Hawaii, New York City to London, there are unique international per diem rates for every location. 

We’ve covered domestic per diem rates in depth—now we’ll turn our focus to international per diem rates. Here’s our comprehensive list of international per diem rates from both HMRC and the GSA.

HMRC per diem rates for international corporate travel

Homeland Revenue & Customs regulate and modulate the allowable per diem rates in the UK—both domestic and international. They do so by determining the standard cost of lodging, meals, and any incidental expenses that could occur when traveling on business to a specific country. 

When traveling internationally, the option to apply for a bespoke per diem allowance is still available. These payments should be agreed with HMRC and included in a P11D form. Employers can also choose to skip per diem payments altogether. However, these are considered taxable expenses.

HMRC’s current list of foreign per diem rates can be found on their official website. 

There are various ways to calculate your international per diem rate. Let’s use the example of an employee traveling on business to Geneva, Switzerland. The per diem rates for Geneva are in Swiss francs and are as follows:

In this example, the traveling employee arrives at Geneva Airport at 3 pm on a Monday and checks into a city hotel. They check out of the hotel on Thursday morning to catch the 9 am flight home.

The per diem payments are calculated using the benchmark HMRC rates as follows:

The 24-hour travel day rate is determined by adding the lodging rate. In this case, two 24 hour periods elapse, but it misses out on a third by six hours. This covers the employee until 3 pm Wednesday. 

Wednesday’s room rate is then paid, and a ten-hour rate is paid to cover actual expenses from 3 pm Wednesday to 9 am Thursday.It can seem confusing initially, but after a couple of tries, calculating per diem rates isn’t hard. It’s a lesser administrative burden than keeping receipts and compiling expense reports. For more examples on how to apply per diem rates, head to the HMRC list of examples.

GSA per diem rates for international corporate travel

In the continental United States (CONUS), domestic per diem rates are established by the U.S. General Services Administration. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) separates expenses into  “lodging expenses” and “meals and incidental expenses (M&IE).” These are rates to be used by federal employees when traveling internationally. However, they’re also used by private employees.

Foreign per diem rates are established by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) via the Office of Allowances. 

All foreign per diem allowances can be found on the Department of State website. 

Foreign per diem rates are revised monthly—stay up-to-date on the daily rates by signing up for notifications on changes.

Lodging expenses cover accommodation costs in the destination city. The amount, in dollars, is directly available on the DoS website.

Multiple allowances are used when determining the M&IE rate. The full list of both domestic and foreign M&IE allowances is here. M&IE is split into:

• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the location city. 
• Incidental expenses: expenses such as dry cleaning or taxi services.

Figuring out your M&IE allowance involves first finding out the rate you’re entitled to via the Department of State foreign per diem list.

For example, say an employee is traveling to Perth, Australia. First, head to the DoS foreign per diem drop-down box and select your destination.

Source

This will take you to a list of the per diem rates for individual cities in the destination country. Find your city—in this case, Perth—and find the daily M&IE rate.

Source

Then, head to the M&IE foreign per diem rates list and find the rate that applies to your business trip.

Source

After choosing a destination and checking the relevant lists, this is the breakdown of the daily M&IE rates for Perth. Employees should keep receipts and detailed accounts of when and where they spend these allowances.

Unlike when reporting per diem payments to HMRC, employees traveling from the U.S. must compile an expense report to be sent to the IRS. If not, the per diem payments and reimbursements will be considered a taxable expense.

Are international per diem allowances taxed differently?

Taxation on foreign per diem allowances is no different from taxation on domestic per diem rates. As long as they adhere to the regulating authorities’ guidelines, per diem payments are exempt from taxation.

A major difference between the UK and the U.S. per diem payment system is that the IRS always requires expense reports. Since the Finance Act of 2019, UK employers don’t have to provide expense reports or receipts if per diem allowances adhere to the benchmark rates. 

This isn’t the case in the U.S.—expense reports must be filed for every instance of expenditure, showing the time, place, and purpose of the business trip. 

Wrapping Up

International per diem allowances aren’t more complicated than domestic rates. They vary depending on the country of origin and destination. However, the way they’re handled is similar.

Nowadays, corporate travel isn’t just for big businesses. Small businesses are also sending travelers on business trips more often, and the tax benefits of per diem rates are worth understanding. For more information on per diem rates, check out the rest of the TravelPerk guide on per diem rates.

The post International per diem rates appeared first on TravelPerk.

Corporate travel reporting is a game-changer for travel managers and their travel stakeholders. It makes the demanding job of keeping tabs on employees flying around the world, 24/7, so much more efficient and scalable. Companies approach travel reporting in different ways: some handle their business reporting with a dedicated in-house travel manager, a COO, or an HR person, while others outsource to a travel management company (TMC). Others are simply unmanaged. It largely depends on the company size and demand for travel.

Business travel reporting is essential, but it’s not straightforward. There are budgets to track, last-minute changes to accommodate, and travel policies to comply with—to name a few. And  with global business always increasing, employees are on the move more than ever before.

Despite its complexities, business travel doesn’t have to be complicated. Automated business travel reporting has become the go-to solution for those managing business trips, with real-time updates, in-depth data analysis, and centralized information. -

In this guide, we’ll run through everything you need to know about business travel reporting, from common challenges faced by companies coming from unmanaged or managed setups to their best practices if you’re looking to manage your travel better. Along the way, we’ll explain how choosing the right travel reporting tools can ensure that your business trips continue to be a success.

Ready for a deep dive into all things corporate travel management? Let’s get to those reports!

Why is effective reporting on business travel so important today?

Thorough, detailed business travel reporting is essential to maintaining your company’s financial health. Comprehensive data can help travel managers identify trends in spending patterns and traveler behavior. This enables managers to analyze the efficiency of business trips made by employees and to optimize future company travel.

Here are the top advantages of effective reporting for your business:

Improved budget management

The cornerstone of effective reporting is budget management. Finance teams need comprehensive expense reports to understand where the budget is allocated and to make sure that expenses align with corporate objectives. The bottom line is to ensure finance teams know exactly where money is being spent—and where they’re overspending. 

Spotting potential cost savings opportunities

Business travel reporting allows organizations to identify areas where cost savings are possible. This might include evaluating travel options, negotiating with suppliers, and optimizing expense management.

Travel policy compliance

There's little point in a company setting up a travel policy if people don't adhere to it. Being able to report on whether your teams are constantly booking flights or hotels out of policy (e.g. over spending) means that you can address those issues if and when they happen. This system will also allow you to spot reasons for booking out of policy, for example, consistent last-minute bookings. 

Keeping track of expenses

Over-expenditure can be the silent leech on company finances, so expense tracking is essential. Having employee travel data in one place is a huge advantage, allowing managers to consistently ensure compliance and closely monitor travel spend in real-time.

Common challenges of effective business travel reporting

Business travel reporting isn’t without its challenges, which vary between unmanaged and managed business travel scenarios. Let’s explore.

Unmanaged business travel

Here are some drawbacks:

• Fragmented data: if employees are booking on different platforms, data becomes fragmented and difficult to track. This can be a nightmare for finance teams trying to stay on top of each and every receipt. Effective reporting hinges on gathering scattered data for an accurate ‘bigger picture,’ the foundation for effective accounting. 
• Unmanaged business travel often relies on manual processes: this increases the risk of human error and consumes precious employee time, which could be better spent on other tasks. Mistakes can be costly, and many cannot be reversed.
• Missing data: lost receipts, incomplete information, and inconsistent reporting practices can complicate business travel expense reporting. Overcoming these data gaps is essential for comprehensive reporting.
• Employee duty of care: unmanaged travel systems can make it difficult to track an employee down, especially when there are last-minute modifications. This presents a problem for the company as they’re bound to their employee duty of care, meaning they have a responsibility to look after an employee at all times, particularly in case of emergency.
• Not getting the best deals, or having control on spend: booking through third-party platforms will mean the company doesn’t get access to corporate rates, nor rack up any travel points for using certain membership programs at scale. At the same time, leaving employees to book on their own means a company has less control over their spend and policy compliance until it’s too late. 

Managed business travel

Managed business travel means that a company takes care of travel for their employees. They might use a traditional travel agency or an online travel management software (like TravelPerk). With travel software, employees are empowered to book their own trips, but all through the same platform, resulting in a much more controlled process as companies integrate their travel policies directly into the platform. Employees can maintain their independence while companies can effectively oversee their business travel. 

Here are some common challenges:

• Data overload: managed business travel often involves collecting a vast amount of data, which means that companies can struggle to determine which KPIs are most important to their business. Without focus and direction, data reporting isn’t much help.
• Knowledge sharing: implementing a new tool or system for business travel reporting is effective only if employees adopt and understand it. Effective training and knowledge sharing are the pillars of a successful transition.

Best practices for effective business travel reporting

Now we’ve identified the most common pitfalls of business travel reporting, we’re going to run through the best ways to address them, using advice from those out there managing travel right now. 

There are certain steps you can take to ensure effective business travel reporting on each and every trip. To make life easier for you, here are our top tips for consistently staying on top of employee travel. 

Set clear, concise policies and promote awareness

Organizations should establish clear corporate travel policies and ensure that employees are aware of them. This fosters compliance by making employees conscious of what can and cannot be expensed and booked.

Whether it’s expensing car rental, following reimbursement processes, or choosing more eco-friendly options to reduce the company's carbon footprint, there should be comprehensive policies in place for all eventualities.

Sebastian Ibarra, People Operations Manager at Kodify Media Group, shared his experience in policy setting.

“I’d recommend starting with a clear and concise travel expense policy that could include different “zones” with expense limits. An easy to follow process of uploading expenses and paying them out in a timely manner, if it’s a bigger company maybe investing in an expense management tool like Expensify to get accurate reporting and automatic reimbursement. 

Other than that, be sure when building a policy that it’s in line with company culture and creating the desired behaviors!”

Sebastian Ibarra, People Operations Manager at Kodify Media Group

Leverage technology to automate the process

Automated management tools are a game-changer in business travel reporting: they significantly speed up the process and minimize inaccuracies and delays. Utilize modern business travel solutions and expense management software with mobile apps to streamline the process—this way, employees can collect receipts to make reporting even easier and keep things on the go.

Consolidating all travel data in one place, using tools like TravelPerk, simplifies travel management and significantly improves data analysis. The single platform means no information gets lost, and it’s easy to see how individual employees are sticking to their travel budgets with real-time updates. 

In addition, the third-party integrations offered by TravelPerk mean that you can easily connect this data with popular expense management solutions like Divvy and Expensify.

We spoke to Anja Sejfic, HR Business Partner at Rinkel to understand how she uses technology to report on business travel.

“We’ve recently started using Pleo with TravelPerk and it has made reporting/reimbursing travel costs so much easier! We used to have to e-mail our receipts to the accounting department (very old-school, time-consuming and prone to delay), but now it’s all done in the app. You just snap a photo of our receipt, upload it to the app, your manager approves and you can be reimbursed straight away. 

This makes our reporting process a dream, and saves hours of time.”

Anja Sejfic, HR Business Partner at Rinkel

Train your employees and gather feedback

Effective training and feedback mechanisms are essential for minimizing mistakes and maximizing compliance. Encourage employees to provide insights into what works and what doesn't, and be proactive about addressing their concerns. This has a couple of benefits: not only does it boost engagement and employee recognition, but it also ensures a smooth process.

We spoke to Cécile POMPEÏ, Chief People Officer at Sistema Biobolsa, who shared her viewpoint on how effective training and compliance starts with culture. 

“I've read the book No Rules Rule, and I try to go with this principle I learned there: it's more important to build a great culture and trust, having an environment in which people know what to do and don't do than endless policies. 

Some employees will sometimes take a chance and try to overspend on a trip or do something they shouldn't do. If you try to always go against this, you'll end up building longer and longer policies that no one reads anyway, constantly adding to all the things people can't do. 

So, it's simpler to write a short, clear policy with a very efficient process, and then train on culture and build trust for the company. I'm a Chief People Officer, I have four country HR heads reporting to me, and that's the advice I give them when they building their policies.”

 Cécile POMPEÏ, Chief People Officer at Sistema Biobolsa

Run regular audits and update your policies where necessary

Business travel reporting should allow organizations to analyze trends and identify opportunities for savings. Based on the insights you gather, companies should be prepared to update travel policies to stay competitive and cost-effective. Certain metrics and KPIs, including booking tool adoption, negotiated savings, and carbon emissions, can help you evaluate your travel program performance—data you can use to keep optimizing your travel policy as and when.

Start today to stay on top of your company’s business travel

Optimizing each company's journey can eventually make a huge difference. With TravelPerk, an industry leader in business travel, you can access the airlines and hotels you’re used to, with the bonus of collecting all your travel data in one place.

The all-in-one booking platform allows employees to make their bookings based on their preferences, while your company can add in any necessary travel policies or restrictions in a few clicks. 

With the additional option of third-party integrations, you can link up your existing travel tech stack to ensure a seamless transition. Finance teams can enjoy a full overview of company travel spend, and managers can keep a close eye on employee comings and goings.

With its world-class inventory, TravelPerk also builds significant cost-saving opportunities—many more than your average travel agency. With a phone number linking you to 24/7 customer service, you’re only a call away from expert assistance.

What are you waiting for? Free up those hours spent on pesky admin and streamline your company travel process today by signing up for a free demo.

The post The Complete Guide to Business Travel Reporting appeared first on TravelPerk.

With corporate event spending projected to skyrocket by 83% this year, choosing the right corporate event management company is not a decision to be taken lightly—it’s a strategic investment that’s pivotal to the success of your future events.

From conceptualisation to execution, these organisations have the hands-on, specialised experience, contacts, and insights needed to pull off the events your clients and network deserve. 
This list of the ten best event management planning companies in the United Kingdom, each of which offers unique services, to help you turn your vision into memorable experiences while navigating the intricacies of event logistics with ease.

The 10 Best event management companies in the UK

1. TravelPerk

TravelPerk is a best-in-class business travel platform that empowers travelers to connect with their colleagues in real life. With TravelPerk, booking, managing, and coordinating event travel is made easy.

TravelPerk customers also benefit from a comprehensive MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) service. An in-house team of event experts is available to help you with venue sourcing, booking management, timeline management, duty of care, and more.

Due to hybrid and remote working, we recognise that companies are increasingly eager to gather team members in person. Our close relationships with suppliers mean you’ll get the best deal, every time. You’ll also benefit from consolidated invoicing and payment, all on the TravelPerk platform. 

Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain

Offices: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Berlin, Chicago, Boston, Miami

What types of events can you plan with TravelPerk? 

We offer support for a variety of event types, including:

• Meetings of 2-50 attendees
• Conferences of 50-1000+ attendees
• Awards ceremonies
• Charity nights
• Team building events
• Hybrid events
• Roadshows
• Offsites

What event planning services does TravelPerk offer?

TravelPerk offers event management services to customers in the US, the UK, Spain, Germany, France, and other European countries. These may include:

• Group bookings
• Audio/visual effects
• Incentive programs
• Ground transportation
• Theming and production services
• Project bookings
• Delegate registration
• And more!

We can be involved in your event as much or as little as you want, depending on your needs. Request a demo below!

2. Liquid Media Live Events

Liquid Media is a leading event production company that works throughout the UK and beyond to create the most engaging events. From conferences to employee award shows, Liquid Media Live Events work with a mix of creatives, technical, and support staff to deliver excellence in everything they do.

Location: Swindon, UK

Instagram: N/A

What type of events do they plan? 

Corporate event planning, corporate meetings, virtual events, and more.

What services do they offer?

Event production, audiovisual equipment hire, and event management.

3. Wonderland

Wonderland is a creative events planner that provides entertainment for modern, trendy events. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, they've helped many businesses with memorable event production in the retail, travel, luxury, and technology sectors.

If you have a tight budget, Wonderland could be a great option to help you create a bespoke event at a price point that doesn’t break the bank.

Location: London, UK

Instagram: @wonderlandeventsuk 

What type of events do they plan? 

Corporate events, private parties, fundraisers, weddings, and more.

What services do they offer?

Technical support, sound and light production, DJ services, and event logistics for various including corporate events and weddings.

4. Beyond Certainty

Beyond Certainty offers innovative event management services to help organise corporate events all over Europe and the rest of the world. They specialise in creating intimate event experiences and extravagant celebrations for global brands.

Location: London, UK

Instagram: @beyondcertaintyevents

What type of events do they plan? 

Corporate parties, conferences, weddings, and private parties.

What services do they offer?

Corporate and private events, event management services, venue finding, audiovisual equipment, and more. 

5. Firebird Events Ltd

Firebird Events Ltd aims to leave a lasting impression on all its clients and guests. Knowing that successful events are key for companies, Firebird Events Ltd creates unique events that prioritise attention to detail.

Firebird Events can do it all—from professional conferences to exciting team-building events. Whatever it is you’re looking for, these event specialists likely have a solution for your needs.

Location: Hampshire, UK

Instagram: @firebird.events

What type of events do they plan? 

Conferences and award-winning shows, weddings, and parties.

What services do they offer?

Event planning for corporate events, video production, live events, and more.

6. Alpha Events

As part of the largest conference organisers in the world, Alpha Events put on some pretty impressive events. If you're looking for a top event that’s sure to leave a long-lasting impression, this is certainly an events management company to consider.

Location: London, UK

Instagram: N/A

What type of events do they plan?

Corporate conferences, exhibitions, charity events, and music events.

What services do they offer?

Audiovisual services, corporate events planning, and event logistics.

7. Eventurous

Established in 1989, Eventurous is a long-standing company that specialises in providing inspiring conferences, team-building events, and event enhancements for many businesses across the UK.

Despite having some top brand events under their belt, like Sky, Staples, and the restaurant chain Zizzi’s, Eventurous is also able to provide smaller-scale events for SMBs looking to put together something special for smaller teams. 

Location: Midlands, UK, and London, UK

Instagram: @eventurous_ltd

What type of events do they plan? 

Virtual team building and in-person team building events, corporate Christmas parties, gala dinners, conference production, milestone parties, and more.

What services do they offer?

Event management and planning for corporate, event production, event entertainment, and team development events.

8. Four Impact Ltd

Providing corporate event and media production, Four Impact Ltd is a company that will cater to any event or media needs that you have. The company has worked with a variety of brands both big and small, including Dulux, McDonald's, and Akzo Nobel.

Four Impact Ltd. specialises in providing high-quality training, content, and event production for business events of all kinds.

Location: Woking, UK

Instagram: N/A 

What type of events do they plan? 

Gala dinners, conferences, gala dinners, exhibitions, and more.

What services do they offer?

Event production, media production, delegate management, project management, and more. 

9. TBA

TBA is a creative agency that has created some memorable experiences and special events across the world. 

TBA Group is a great option if you’re looking to create a branded event for your organisation—whether it’s for employees or for clients. They’ve got the experience and the know-how to go above and beyond expectations.

Location: London, UK

Instagram: @tba_grp

What type of events do they plan? 

Virtual and in-person events and experiences for top brands.

What services do they offer?

Event planning, event design, and full-service event management.

10. Rockitfish Ltd

Rockitfish Ltd specialises in organising events with maximum creativity and innovation at the forefront. The team approaches every brief with a driven attitude and tailors each experience to the business involved. 

With a blend of “magic and logic,” Rockitfish is able to provide anything from conference production to team-building days for SMBs. They’re a great, budget-friendly option if you’re looking to save some pennies along the way.   

Location: Hertford, UK

Instagram: @rockitfishcreative

What type of events do they plan? 

Conferences, award shows, corporate parties, and company celebrations.

What services do they offer?

Conference production, event management, brand experiences, and people engagement.

Wrapping up on the top event management companies in the UK

Whether you're organising a series of product launches around the UK, a large conference, or a corporate dinner for your management team, hiring an event management agency is key to simplifying the entire process. 

Plan your next event without the hassle with TravelPerk Events. Our all-in-one corporate travel management platform simplifies the management of travel plans, attendees, venues, and schedules to help companies like yours create corporate events and unforgettable experiences.

To discover how to manage exceptional events without chaotic spreadsheets schedule a live, personalised demo today.

The post 10 Best corporate event management companies in the UK appeared first on TravelPerk.

Travel managers and finance managers will know how complicated managing a domestic or global business travel program can get. To make sure your travelers stay safe and book cost-effective options within budget, it makes sense to have an organized policy to regulate how they travel. 

But if your current business travel policy isn’t working, you may be wondering what exactly is going wrong.

Why do travelers keep booking business trips outside of policy? Maybe they’re unfamiliar with the rules, or perhaps the process isn’t working the way it should? How can you streamline your policy to improve compliance? 

If you think your current setup could use some improvements, you may want to think about bringing in a flexible travel policy. By adding some “wiggle room” into the rules, you can make sure travelers get the best deals, and that your policy is adapted to your organization’s needs.

Read on to learn what flexible travel policies are, and how you can make them work for your company. 

Strict travel policies vs. flexible travel policies: what’s the difference?

If your company has a strict travel policy, this means that travelers have to stay within fixed parameters when booking travel, no matter what. 
For example, there may be a strict maximum budget for domestic or international flights or accommodation bookings, and there may be fixed rules on the types of transportation to use, or expenses that can be reimbursed. There may also be rules on flexible tickets/flexible flights, first-class versus basic economy fares, cancellation policies, or specific airlines to use (United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Jetblue, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, etc.) In addition, there may be rules about travel insurance or roundtrip tickets. Organizations that need to tightly control costs often opt for a strict travel policy.

On the other hand, a flexible travel policy allows for more autonomy when booking business travel. Travelers can opt for their preferred airlines or hotels, and may have more flexibility on travel costs depending on the season, fare differences on different future travel dates, and other factors.

Why are companies turning to flexible travel policies?

The COVID-19 pandemic made many individuals and companies understand the value of flexibility in travel, since it highlighted how quickly travel industry conditions and travel plans can change due to external events. In general, flexibility allows travelers to “think on their feet” and make the best decision based on current circumstances.

Although inflation in travel prices is stabilizing in Q2 2023 according to TravelPerk data, costs continue to fluctuate over time. Unexpected circumstances can lead to changes in prices and availability that make it difficult or impractical to comply with a fixed travel policy. 
For example, if a travel policy only allows travelers to book airline tickets with a specific carrier, that airline may suddenly raise prices or cancel all flights on a certain day, while new flights with a last-minute check-in may still be available on other airlines. Travelers therefore wouldn’t be able to reach their destination on time and within budget without breaking policy. 

3 key benefits of adopting a flexible travel policy

Empower employees and increase their satisfaction

Flexible policies give employees more freedom to choose the travel options they want. Since individuals might have specific preferences, this allows them to select the hotels, rail tickets, and airfares/flight tickets that best suit them. Autonomy and freedom of choice are important for employee engagement, with nearly 80% of autonomous employees being engaged at work, according to data from Effectory.

Travel policies have a strong effect on employee happiness. In North America, 79% of travelers say their business travel experience impacts their overall job satisfaction, while 83% of European travelers believe this as well. 

Enable travelers to choose the best booking options

With flexible travel policies, travelers can choose the best options based on real-time travel data. This is important, because travel prices fluctuate over time, and by season and departure date. For example, a price limit that makes sense in the winter may not make sense in the summer when prices are higher.

Dynamic, automated travel policies adjust themselves to current market conditions, ensuring that travelers book reasonable rates while taking into account fluctuations in pricing. 

Create a policy that can be easily improved and refined 

If you’re familiar with lean start-up methodology, you may know about the cycle of experimenting and iterating on a product to improve it. The same methodology can be applied to any business problem or process, including travel booking policies.

To create the best travel policy, you’ll want to observe what works and make adjustments over time to improve compliance. It also helps if you have access to past data, so you can understand trends and fluctuations in travel prices.

How TravelPerk makes setting dynamic travel policies easy

TravelPerk is an all-in-one travel technology solution for business travel booking,with a modern software interface and easy-to-use workflow. Companies use it to get the best hotel rates and corporate travel discounts for cost savings, fulfill duty of care obligations, manage sustainability and carbon offsetting, streamline expense management, easily enjoy flexible bookings and cancel or rebook with minimal change fees, and more.

TravelPerk customers can also use the platform to create automated travel policies and workflows. Travelers can make bookings independently, and will easily be able to stay on-budget without any micromanagement, as the policies are built right into the platform while they are booking. This leads to over 90% policy compliance and fewer out-of-policy bookings.

Managers can choose to approve traveler bookings manually or automatically for full peace of mind. Travel managers can define their policy and workflow within the platform, and can update it as often as is necessary. They can even add multiple policies if needed.

Best of all, with TravelPerk, travel policies don’t have to be fixed—they can be dynamic and flexible. With the Dynamic Budgets feature, admins can set up policies that automatically fluctuate along with seasonal costs, different provider rates, and changing service costs.      

Managers can set percentage caps on flights and hotels based on the cheapest or median options available. All they have to do is input their desired percentage on the Travel Policy page within the software. If they’ve also set a maximum budget, travelers won’t be able to exceed that—any price above the maximum will be marked as out of policy, even if it’s within the dynamic budget range.

The post Benefits of a flexible travel policy appeared first on TravelPerk.

If you’re a sustainability manager looking for ways to meet your corporate social responsibility goals and have a positive impact on the environment, you may have looked into carbon offsetting programs. 

According to a report from Conservation International and the We Mean Business Coalition, nearly 92% of business leaders say reducing carbon emissions is an “urgent” priority for their organization, while 89% view carbon credits (purchased for carbon offsetting) as a valuable tool to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

But not all carbon offset programs and providers are the same. A survey of senior sustainability officers commissioned by AiDash found that 43% of chief sustainability officers (CSOs) seek assurance from ratings agencies to validate the carbon offsets they use, while 41% report having trust issues with carbon offsets. 

So how can you find the right carbon offsetting programs to meet your sustainability goals? 

Read on to learn more about how these programs work, and what to look for when choosing one for your business. 

What are carbon offset programs?

Carbon offset programs are designed to help businesses combat climate change by mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) they produce.

Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by cutting their own emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and making more eco-friendly choices, but there will still be some residual emissions left after doing this. Carbon offsets are a way of compensating for these residual emissions, making the business carbon neutral.

Businesses buy carbon offsets at a fixed price to make up for each metric ton (tonne) of CO2 they emit. These offset credits contribute to an activity for carbon reduction in the atmosphere—for example, an environmental project run by a non-profit organization. In this way, the company can reach “net zero” emissions.

What to look for in a reliable carbon offset program

There are many different carbon offsetting programs out there. Some popular types of climate solution initiatives include:

• Forestry (reforestation, tree planting, and preventing deforestation)
• Methane capture
• Renewable energy projects, such as wind farms or hydroelectric power plants
• Direct carbon capture
  

It is very important to choose reliable programs with third-party verification, so that emissions can be properly offset. Contributing to unreliable programs means offsets will not be effective, and may lead to accusations of “greenwashing.”

Effective carbon offset programs should:

• Make a tangible, measurable environmental impact on CO2 emissions that is accurately-measured and permanent
• Be properly supervised and efficiently run
• Benefit local communities
• Be VERRA (Verified Carbon Standard/VCS) approved
  

6 of the best carbon offset programs for companies

1. GreenPerk

If your company sends people on business trips frequently, perhaps you’re looking for a carbon offset program for business travel.

TravelPerk is an all-in-one business travel tool and platform for travel booking, management, and reporting. As part of the platform, TravelPerk offers GreenPerk, an industry-leading carbon offset solution. 

GreenPerk allows you to offset 100% of the CO2 emissions from your business trips for just 1% of the total travel cost. The software automatically calculates your carbon footprint using TravelPerk’s in-house tool, GreenPerk API. These calculations comply with the standard set by the World Resource Institute: GHG Protocol for Corporate Accounting. You’ll then be charged a fixed price of €10 per ton of CO2.

These funds will be collected in a pool and invested in VERRA-certified projects. All GreenPerk projects are hand-selected by experts and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They offer guaranteed valid, third-party verified emissions reductions that are permanent, and also have additional benefits for local communities and the environment. 

Some examples of specific projects from GreenPerk include:

• Biogas capture in Thailand
• Forestry in Cambodia and Indonesia
• Hydroelectric power in Turkey
• Wind power in China

2. TerraPass

TerraPass offers carbon offsetting solutions for individuals, businesses, and events. With TerraPass, companies can support CO2 reduction projects on a monthly subscription basis.

The TerraPass website offers carbon footprint calculators to help you understand the footprint of an event, or of your business and daily life activity, as well as the cost of carbon offsetting.

All of TerraPass’ carbon offsets are certified by industry-leading third-party verifiers, including VERRA, the Gold Standard, the American Carbon Registry, or the Climate Action Reserve. And TerraPass completes Green-e Climate Certification, the industry’s highest level of third-party assurance, each year.

TerraPass funds projects around the world that destroy greenhouse gasses and produce renewable energy. These include land gas capture, clean energy from wind power, farm power, and other initiatives. Some examples of TerraPass projects include:

• Landfill gas combustion in Virginia
• Forest management in Kentucky
• Preservation of rainforests in Papua New Guinea

3. NativeEnergy

NativeEnergy is an established carbon offset program that has been around since 2000. Its quality, transparency, and rigorous standards make it a leader among carbon offset programs. It is a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp.

The program has carbon offset calculators for both businesses and individuals. These include travel, events, household, and freight calculators. They allow people to measure their carbon footprint and calculate the cost of investing in carbon offsets. 

With NativeEnergy, users can buy offsets as a one-time purchase or as a monthly, quarterly, or annual offset. All projects are validated and verified by third-party organizations such as the Gold Standard, the Verified Carbon Standard, the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards, the American Carbon Registry, VERRA, or Plan Vivo.

Most projects cover reforestation and emissions reduction. They aim to positively impact communities and ecosystems while reducing or removing CO2. NativeEnergy offers clean water, nature-based, on-farm, and renewable energy projects, among others.

Some example projects include:

• Regenerative farming in the Canadian Prairies
• Improving agriculture and livelihoods in Uganda
• Brazilian pastureland regeneration
• Protecting the Northern Kenya Rangelands

4. Sustainable Travel International

Sustainable Travel International is dedicated to protecting the world’s most vulnerable travel destinations. They are focused on safeguarding nature, combating climate change, helping empower communities, and tackling waste and pollution. To do this, they take a collaborative approach involving local communities, destination managers, local governments, tourism businesses, and travelers.

The organization offers a carbon footprint calculator that generates the total carbon footprint of a flight and shows how much it will cost to offset that footprint.

Sustainable Travel International’s projects include clean and efficient energy, blue carbon, biodiversity initiatives, and forest conservation. These projects are verified by the Gold Standard, VERRA, and the Climate Action Reserve, among others. Some examples include:

• Hydro power plants in Indonesia
• Rainforest conservation in Brazil
• Farm biogas projects in Thailand
• Wind farms in the USA

5. Carbon Checkout

This software app can integrate into e-commerce stores, allowing customers to invest in carbon offsets while they shop. It’s one of the world’s leading carbon offset retail distribution networks.

Using the app is easy: once it’s been integrated, customers can balance the carbon footprint of their orders in just one click, and then track their carbon offset contributions on the Carbon Checkout website.

Carbon Checkout contributions are pooled to fund renewable energy projects. These projects include wind and solar energy projects, as well as landfill gas capture initiatives. They are third-party verified by the Clean Development Mechanism, VERRA, the Gold Standard, and more. Some examples include:

• Wind power in Mexico, Bulgaria, Argentina, and South Dakota
• Landfill gas capture in Virginia, South Carolina, and Turkey

6. myclimate

Myclimate offers a wide variety of third-party certified carbon offset projects, and helps create jobs and improve living conditions in communities around the world. It offers education programs, carbon footprint calculators, and full transparency.

Myclimate’s educational programs have reached over 65,000 schoolchildren and 11,000 trainees in Switzerland, plus 1400 students and young professionals in its global network. Its climate offset programs serve NGOs, companies, and private individuals. They adhere to standards like Plan Vivo and the Gold Standard. Some examples include:

• Water preparation in Uganda
• Biogas plants in India
• Solar cookers in Bolivia

Choose the right carbon offset program for your business

With so many great carbon offset programs to choose from, you should have no problem finding one that works for you. When selecting a program, be sure to consider its cost, reliability, effectiveness, and suitability for your needs. 

The right program should provide offsets for the specific purpose you would like (such as business travel), and it should also offer access to certified projects that are transparent and reliable. 

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Incentive travel programs help you reward hard work and motivate sales teams and other high-performing employees. However, the purpose, desired outcomes, and motivation for planning corporate incentive trips are entirely different from planning business travel.

A well-executed incentive trip sets the stage for increased productivity, loyalty, and employee engagement -- and dedicated travel incentive companies can help you create the ultimate travel experiences that achieve these outcomes.

Whether you're looking for customized sales incentive programs, destination expertise, or comprehensive event management services, this guide will help you find the right partner to create memorable experiences for your top performers.

What is an incentive travel company?

An incentive travel company or incentive travel agency specializes in designing and managing tailored experiences for organizations. They create comprehensive and customized trip itineraries that align with your company’s goals and preferences – taking care of everything including travel, accommodation, and activity arrangements. 

As well as managing trip logistics, incentive travel companies also negotiate contracts and deals, use their industry knowledge and connections to maximize the impact of incentive trips, and create unique, bespoke experiences that go beyond traditional vacations. 

Benefits of using a travel incentive company

To create unforgettable and impactful trips that align with your organizational goals, travel incentive companies can add an extra special touch.

Utilizing established supplier networks

With their established partnerships and relationships with various suppliers, including hotels, resorts, transportation providers, restaurants, and tour and activity companies, incentive travel companies can access favorable rates, book exclusive experiences, and deal with contract negotiations on your behalf.

Expert destination knowledge

Feeling torn between choosing a weekend in New York or a week at a Spanish resort? Incentive travel companies are masters at selecting the right destinations, accommodation options, and activities according to your needs, budget, and trip objectives. 

Managing on-site logistics

Handling on-site logistics is an important factor, and incentive travel companies have this covered. They coordinate everything from detailed itineraries, managing transportation, and overseeing suppliers, to providing on-site support and preparing contingency plans. They’ll even take care of the small details like event décor, gaining VIP access to desirable locations, and planning group activities and private events. 

Cost optimization 

Their established relationships and networks help them negotiate lower rates and, on some occasions complimentary upgrades. Better still, incentive travel companies can also suggest alternative dates and/or destinations that could help you save a significant amount of money while still providing a once in a lifetime experience that your employees deserve. 

Risk management and mitigation

Incentive travel companies develop risk management strategies and contingency plans to account for  any unforeseen events, safety considerations, and logistical issues that may arise. 

Measuring and evaluating the trip’s success

Incentive travel companies will help you evaluate the success and return on investment (ROI) of your trips and incentive programs. They provide tools and resources that measure results and attendee satisfaction against your trip objectives.  

Top 7 incentive travel companies 

1. TravelPerk

TravelPerk is a full-service travel management company with an all-in-one, cutting-edge digital platform for all your corporate travel needs. For travel managers in charge of managing employee incentive trips, TravelPerk’s platform enables you to handle and control all aspects of the trip in-house, saving you time and money.

Handling every detail of your trip planning from sourcing the perfect destinations to securing hotel and flight reservations, managing smooth check-ins, arranging reliable ground transportation, and even taking care of prepaid restaurant bookings, TravelPerk ensures a hassle-free experience from start to finish. 

The company also offers access to the a huge travel inventory for flights and accommodation, as well as the most comprehensive range of corporate travel features in the industry. 

Their dedicated group booking service for trips of 9 people or more removes the stress of juggling multiple travelers' arrangements by providing: 

• Over 25,000 negotiated rates on hotels when booking with TravelPerk
• A concierge team to suggest once-in-a-lifetime activities and book pre-paid restaurants for your stay.
• Access to a 24-hour customer service line for all attendees, where a team of real people is on hand to answer any questions. 
• VAT recovery reports can help you save up to 20% on incentive trip costs.  
• Improved compliance with travel policies baked into the platform.
• The ability to pay, report, and invoice all company travel with just one account. 

2. ITA Group

ITA Group is a global engagement agency that specializes in creating and managing impactful employee engagement and incentive travel programs. The company designs and executes personalized, authentic experiences that recognize and reward employees. 

ITA Group’s services include: 

• Expertise in destination management. 
• Immersive brand experiences. 
• Concierge air travel. 
• Risk management and traveler safety services.
• Pre- and post-analytics for insights into the trip’s success. 

3. Maritz Global Events

Maritz Global Events describes itself as an experience design company that creates travel incentive experiences and unforgettable experiences to motivate salespeople and top performers. 

As well as delivering comprehensive incentive travel programs, the company is committed to waste reduction strategies, carbon footprint mitigation, and socially responsible practices. 

Maritz Global Events’ incentive travel services include:

• Travel program design and campaign communications.
• Sourcing and contracting hotels and venues.
• Simplified registration and ticketing.
• On-site support and coordination.

4. Creative Group

Creative Group is a corporate meeting, incentive, and recognition company that offers end-to-end services, including program design, logistics management, and attendee engagement. The company’s focus is on creating immersive, customized, and memorable experiences that inspire and motivate attendees.

Creative Group offers the following benefits: 

• Customized group incentive travel programs tailored to a business’s specific goals, preferences, and budgets.
• Relationships with hotels, independent properties, destination management companies, airlines, and transportation companies. 
• Mobile apps, interactive platforms, and digital tools provide attendees with real-time information, engagement opportunities, and personalized communication.

5. BI Worldwide

BI WORLDWIDE is a global engagement agency that designs and delivers solutions to engage employees. The company creates, manages, and measures exceptional group travel incentive programs from start to finish, and provides sales incentives and employee recognition solutions.

The company provides the following services: 

• An event management app that engages attendees before, during, and after trips. 
• Destination selection and management.
• Planning unique excursions, team-building exercises, and exclusive events.
• On-site event management services.
• Data analytics and reporting tools to measure the performance and impact of group incentive travel programs.

6. Cadence Travel

Cadence Travel is a travel management company that designs incentive travel trips for businesses. The company can provide support to internal teams in charge of travel management or an outsourced, turnkey incentive management program for your business. 

As part of their offering, Caden Travel provides the following services: 

• Customized incentive travel programs according to requirements and preferences.
• A dedicated trip planner that acts as a single point of contact for all trip-related operations. 
• Hotel sourcing, negotiating, and contracting specialists. 
• On-site staffing for logistical support.
• Attendee travel monitoring to ensure duty of care.

7. Brightspot 

Brightspot is an incentive travel company that specializes in designing and managing incentive programs and trips. Their experts are CMPs (Certified Meeting Professionals) that have deep knowledge of the travel industry and extensive experience in designing corporate events and meetings. 

As an incentives and events agency, Brightspot offers the following services:

• Customized sales incentive programs to help drive performance improvement and sales engagement. 
• Incentive trip planning.
• Integrated engagement campaigns.
• Incentive software platform to help companies manage their incentive travel programs. 

Wrapping up 

No matter what type of incentive trip you’re planning, the ultimate goal is to provide employees with a rewarding experience. 

Even if you’re well-versed in booking business travel arrangements, getting all of the nitty-gritty details right for an incentive trip can be overwhelming. After all, attendees are expecting memorable experiences, not a corporate business trip. 

When you partner with TravelPerk, you can rely on our teams to craft personalized, impactful, and unforgettable incentive travel trips that leave a lasting impression and drive the desired goals for your organization. Our dedication to excellence and intuitive digital platform ensure that your incentive trips are managed seamlessly from start to finish. 

To discover how your incentive travel program can benefit from TravelPerk’s comprehensive and innovative travel management platform, request a demo today.

The post Top 7 incentive travel companies appeared first on TravelPerk.

Incentive travel programs are powerful tools for delivering exceptional experiences to outstanding employees -- and your top performers deserve the top incentive trip destinations. 

As a travel manager, you know that incentive trips are not just vacations, but incredible rewards for hard-working team members that fuel employee satisfaction, loyalty, and performance. But how do you choose between bustling cities, seaside getaways with pristine beaches and captivating blue waters, and serene retreats? 

From sun-kissed sand beaches and majestic mountains to enchanting islands and breathtaking national parks, we take a look at a range of the best incentive trip locations, highlight the best activities in each location, and the best time to visit to help you plan your company’s next getaway. 

15 of the best incentive trip locations

1. Santorini, Greece

Santorini is a unique Greek island renowned for its whitewashed buildings, iconic blue-domed churches, and unforgettable sunsets -- plus, Santorini is the only inhabited caldera in the world. 

The island’s rich history, fascinating architecture, and breathtaking views make Santorini the perfect setting for an incentive trip that promises unforgettable experiences. 

Activities: Explore picturesque villages like Oia and Fira, savor local wines in vineyards and wineries, relax on volcanic beaches, and witness unforgettable sunsets. 

Best time of year to visit: April to October for warm weather and less crowded streets.

2. Amalfi Coast, Italy

The Amalfi Coast is a scenic Italian region known for its dramatic cliffs, colorful coastal towns, and Mediterranean charm. From the famous Amalfi lemons to some of the freshest seafood available in the world, this region is a huge hit amongst food enthusiasts. 

Offering a mix of natural beauty, cultural heritage, gourmet cuisine, and serene beaches, The Amalfi Coast is a great backdrop for any incentive trip. 

Activities: Visit the charming towns of Positano and Ravello, enjoy authentic Italian dishes, explore historic sites like Pompeii, hike along coastal paths and mountain trails, and take boat tours to nearby islands.

Best time of year to visit: May to September for warm weather. 

3. Big Sky Resort, Montana, USA 

Nestled in the Greater Yellowstone Region, Big Sky Resort delivers a treasure trove of different mountain experiences. Far from just a ski resort, Big Sky offers a variety of activities and several different accommodation choices to suit everyone. 

Plus, with over 30 nonstop flights connecting more than 25 destinations, Big Sky is the most connected mountain resort in the USA. 

Activities: Zipline tours, guided hikes, nordic skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and scenic lift rides. Plus, enjoy the resort’s complimentary pool, hot tub, and fitness center.

Best time of year to visit: The winter season is a popular time for skiers, while summer and spring are best for hiking and outdoor activities. 

4. Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, is steeped in history, offering a mix of old-world charm and a bustling cultural scene. The city is perfect for history buffs and those interested in Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo architecture. 

The historic center of Prague is a UNESCO World Heritage site that will transport visitors back in time with its cobblestone streets and incredible buildings. Throughout the historic center are several landmarks including the Municipal House, the Grand Powder Tower, and the Jewish Quarter. 

Activities: Explore Prague Castle and the historic Old Town Square, walk across Charles Bridge, visit the astronomical clock, and enjoy traditional Czech cuisine.

Best time of year to visit: May to September for warmer weather. 

5. Four Seasons Resort and Hotel, Mexico City

The Four Seasons Hotel in Mexico City offers a high-end, luxury resort in a bustling metropolis. Set in hacienda-style property with a fountain courtyard, the Four Seasons Hotel is also home to serene gardens, a fire pit area, and singing birds.

Service is tailored to each guest for a highly-personalized experience, guests are provided with world-class dining options, and guests can take advantage of a tequila and mezcal bar and a health club. 

The five-star luxury hotel is also located close to Chapultepec Park, and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes, galleries, and designer boutiques within a five-minute distance.

Activities: The hotel can arrange balloon rides over the Teotihuacan pyramids, organize forest picnics, plan excursions to Oaxaca, and arrange private art and architecture tours. 

Best time of year to visit:  October to April for milder weather. 

6. Malta

Malta, a small archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, is known for its rich history, stunning coastline, and natural beauty. 

With a variety of fascinating historical sites, charming villages, and vibrant cultural festivals including the Valletta Carnival and the Malta International Arts Festival, employees will be able to immerse themselves in the local traditions, music, and performances.

Activities: Explore the UNESCO-listed capital city of Valletta, ancient temples like Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, and the fortified city of Mdina. For those who want to up the ante, Malta offers great hiking routes, diving experiences, and natural wonders like the Blue Grotto and Dingli Cliffs.

Best time of year to visit: The best time to visit Malta is during the spring and autumn seasons.

7. Reykjavik, Iceland

The largest city in Iceland, Reykjavik is also the gateway to Iceland's breathtaking natural wonders. The city’s unique geology and untouched beauty make it one of the top incentive travel destinations in Europe.

It’s a perfect destination for employees who will delight in outdoor and adventure activities and enjoy the city’s vibrant culture. 

Activities: Explore waterfalls, visit geothermal hot springs, take in the dramatic landscapes, explore ice caves, witness the Northern Lights, and bathe in the famous Blue Lagoon. 

Best time of year to visit: The summer months from June to August provide longer daylight hours and milder temperatures for outdoor activities.

8. Vancouver, Canada

Sat between mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver offers a perfect blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty. 

The city offers a range of outdoor activities, a thriving culinary scene, beautiful beaches, glacial lakes, and lush forests for a well-rounded incentive trip experience.

Activities: Explore Stanley Park, visit the vibrant Granville Island Public Market, and take in breathtaking views from Grouse Mountain. Take part in outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and kayaking.

Best time of year to visit: Vancouver's generally mild climate throughout the year makes it an attractive destination for incentive trips all year round. 

9. Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is famous for its sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. With its stunning beaches, warm hospitality, and a plethora of water activities

The island's pristine beaches create an idyllic setting for an incentive trip, but visitors can also indulge their adventurous sides with visits to the island’s many temples and elephant sanctuaries, and enjoy the lively nightlife scene.

Activities: Explore the streets of Patong, relax on the powdery sands of Kata Beach, and relax on Phang Nga Bay. For water-based activities, visitors can enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving, and island-hopping to the Phi Phi Islands. 

Best time of year to visit: The dry season from November to April is the ideal time to visit Phuket. 

10. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas is a huge draw for visitors and makes the city a top incentive trip destination. Also known as the entertainment capital of the world with its countless casinos, extravagant shows, and vibrant nightlife, Las Vegas offers an experience unlike any other. 

For those who don’t want to try their luck in the casinos, the location is great for a day trip to the Grand Canyon, kayaking on the Black Canyon, and visiting the Valley of Fire National Park. 

Activities: Visit world-class casinos like Caesars Palace, indulge in shopping malls and fine dining restaurants, and try out attractions like the High Roller observation wheel.

Best time of year to visit: Las Vegas can be visited year-round, but spring and fall offer milder temperatures. 

11. Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is a resort town with stunning landscapes, glacier-fed rivers, and ancient forests. As well as adventurous activities like ziplines, jetboating, and skydives, visitors can also enjoy the clear mountain air, visit nearby fjords, or unwind at the numerous luxurious spas and wellness retreats. 

Activities: Experience bungee jumping, skydiving, and jet boating, or take a cruise on Lake Wakatipu. The town has a vibrant dining and entertainment scene, with a wide range of restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. 

Best time of year to visit: The best time to visit Queenstown is during the summer months from December to February for milder temperatures. 

12. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Punta Cana is a tropical paradise in the heart of the Caribbean. Luxurious, all-inclusive beach resorts are dotted around the town surrounded by a vibrant atmosphere. 

As one of the best Caribbean destinations, Punta Cana offers relaxation, adventure, and luxury all in one place.

Activities: Relax on Bavaro Beach, go snorkeling or scuba diving in the coral reefs, or enjoy luxury spa treatments. Visitors can also visit championship golf courses, go on catamaran cruises, and zip line adventures. 

Best time of year to visit: The dry season from December to April is the most popular time to visit.

13. Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Yosemite National Park is renowned for its awe-inspiring landscapes and natural wonders. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Yosemite offers granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and ancient giant sequoia groves. 

Explore the iconic sights of El Capitan and Half Dome, hike along picturesque trails, and take in the beauty of Yosemite Valley. 

Activities: Visitors can indulge in wildlife spotting, camping, rock climbing, and stargazing. Yosemite’s rivers and lakes are also perfect for swimming, fishing, and rafting, while white water rafting is available on the Merced River, just outside the park.

Best time of year to visit: The best time to visit is during the spring and fall months when the weather is mild. 

14. Six Senses, Douro Valley, Portugal

The Six Senses Douro Valley hotel and spa in Portugal is nestled among vineyards and hills with views of the terraced vineyards of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Douro Valley. 

Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, the hotel offers rejuvenating spa treatments and wellness programs, an infinity pool, farm-to-table cuisine, and experiences such as tile painting and water sports. 

Activities: Tour vineyards, attend wine tastings, and take scenic walks, bike rides, or boat trips along the river. 

Best time of year to visit: The Douro Valley's beauty changes with the seasons, making it a perfect destination to visit throughout the year. 

15. Balearic Islands, Spain

Each as beautiful as the next, the Balearic Islands comprise Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. Famous for stunning beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and vibrant nightlife, the islands are one of the best incentive trip destinations. 

Each island has its unique charm, and as well as renowned gastronomic excellence, the islands also boast a wealth of health retreats, iconic landmarks, and outdoor adventures. 

Activities: Visit unspoiled beaches and historical sites, enjoy the unmatchable nightlife, indulge in water sports, take a sailing trip, and feast on the local Mediterranean dishes.

Best time of year to visit: April to May and September to October for warm, mild weather. 

Let us help you choose the best incentive trip location for your top-performing employees

With so many great options for incentive trip destinations, it can be challenging to decide where to go next -- will it be Hawaii, Costa Rica, or New York?

If you want to make the whole process of booking incentive trips easier, TravelPerk can help. We’re experts in organizing hassle-free incentive trips, from sourcing the perfect location to handling travel arrangements and accommodation. If you need help booking and managing your company's incentive trips, request a demo today to discover how TravelPerk takes care of everything, so you can focus on creating memorable experiences for your team.

The post 15 great destinations for your next incentive trip appeared first on TravelPerk.

Corporate incentive travel programs are more than just a travel trend. Designed as a perk or employee incentive, the travel experiences you provide can improve employee engagement and retention, boost productivity, and in turn, deliver business growth. 

When it comes to successful incentive trip planning, the devil is in the detail. If you want the lowdown on how to plan an incentive trip for your organization, this quick guide lists everything you need to consider.

What to consider when planning an incentive trip

Setting clear goals for the trip 

The first step in planning incentive travel trips is defining what outcomes your organization wants to achieve by delivering such a memorable experience. 

As much as incentive trips are designed to reward top performers, you’ll also want to keep your company goals in mind. When rewarding employees with travel, you might also want to consider how the trip will foster better teamwork, motivate employees to work towards specific business goals, or inspire loyalty. 

With these goals in mind, you’ll have a better idea of what type of incentive trip you want to plan, including how to determine the types of destinations and activities that align with the objectives. 

Setting a budget

Determining your budget for the incentive trip is the next important step in creating lifetime experiences for your employees without breaking the bank.  

As well as taking into account how many employees will be traveling and how long the trip will last, you’ll also need to consider travel expenses including flights, trains, accommodation, meals, activities, and insurance costs.  

Plus, bear in mind that incentive trips might also have tax implications for both your business and employees. 

Choosing the destination and dates

With your objectives and budget firmly established, Your next task is choosing when and where the trip will take place. Remember to take into account the seasonality of the destinations, the availability of hotels or resorts, and any potential conflicts with other corporate events or holidays.

While there are plenty of incentive travel destinations to choose from, you’ll want to research places that align with both your trip objectives and budget. Choose options that include activities that align with the interests and preferences of your team members -- after all, incentive travel is distinct from business travel, and you should prioritize rewarding and motivating employees, rather than imposing itineraries that may not suit their preferences.

You’ll also need to consider the region or country’s local culture, safety, and suitability for both your trip objectives and team members. 

Finally, once you’ve finalized the destination and travel dates, make sure to plan the trip in advance. This will enable you to secure better booking rates for travel and accommodation, ensuring availability while also saving you money in the process.

Planning the itinerary and activities

A detailed itinerary makes for a successful trip. When planning activities consider the duration of the trip -- striking the right balance is key -- ensure that the itinerary includes enough activities without overwhelming travelers. You’ll also need to ensure that employees will be able to enjoy free time and wellness experiences in addition to team-building exercises. 

Consider the diverse interests, preferences, and demographics of all employees and incorporate activities that are enjoyable and engaging for everyone. Plus, make the trip extra special by planning unique experiences and activities that employees wouldn’t be able to do at home. 

Coordinating logistics and travel arrangements

Now that your itinerary is set in stone, you’ll need to arrange accommodation and transportation for your employees. 

Look for hotels or resorts that can accommodate your group size, provide a range of activities, and offer excellent guest services. Additionally, make travel plans that cater to the needs of the entire group, regardless of where they’re traveling from, and make arrangements for employees to move around when they reach the destination. 

Planning group travel trips can be daunting, and even with the expertise of professional travel planners and travel companies, it's normal to feel overwhelmed by the logistics involved.

Luckily, corporate travel platform TravelPerk is on hand to simplify incentive travel planning processes. We take care of every detail -- including sourcing destinations, making hotel and flight reservations, managing check-ins, arranging ground transportation, and even making prepaid restaurant bookings -- to make trip planning a hassle-free experience.

Communicating and engaging with participants

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful trip. Once arrangements have been made, provide regular updates to employees, communicate details about the itinerary and activities, and remind them of what documentation they’ll need to prepare - especially for international travel.

If you’re planning an incentive trip for less than 9 people, don’t get lost in long email threads and endless calendar invites; the TravelPerk Events solution enables you to both arrange travel and accommodation and collaborate and communicate plans all from one place. From here, you can easily share trip details, logistics, agendas, and itineraries with attendees and keep them updated on details or changes to the plan. 

Measuring the success of the incentive trip 

Finally, think about how you’ll measure the success and impact of the trip once it’s over. Asking employees to evaluate their experience will not only help you iron out any logistical details, but will also help you create benchmarks for any subsequent trips. 

Ask employees to provide feedback on the experience via a short survey; ask them what was done well and if they have suggestions on any opportunities for improvement. Some time after, ask senior leaders to evaluate the impact of the experience on your initial trip objectives to help better align goals and experiences in the future. 

Provide memorable experiences with successful incentive travel management

How you plan incentive travel trips can make or break the experience. A solid plan will result in improved productivity, loyalty, and engagement, and also help boost company culture and morale. On the other hand, a lack of a well-prepared plan results in a waste of time, money, and effort.

If you need help booking and managing your company’s incentive trips, TravelPerk can help you save both time and money by using the combined buying power of our clients to negotiate exclusive discounts on your behalf.

The post How to plan an incentive trip: a step-by-step guide appeared first on TravelPerk.