TRAVELDon’t visit Leeds without pocketing our guide to its venues and sights

STAYHistoric grandeur meets subtle chicat this Edinburgh town house hotel

CONNECTWhy being social at conferences means more than just a handshake

Summer 2014

AIRPORT LOUNGES TO MAKE YOU FORGET

YOU’RE IN TRANSIT

WHY HAS SPORTING CARDIFF SET ITS

SIGHTS ON BUSINESS?

GLITTERINGPRIZE

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES

WE FACED LAST WINTER

DESTINATIONA CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS PUBLICATION

C A P I T A T R A V E L A N D E V E N T S 3

Summer 2014

I N T H I SI S S U E

ContentsMinutes

8 10 THINGS TO TAKE ON BOARDFrom US flights for a tenner to Travelodge’s expansion and Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 – via the latest updates on HS2 and Crossrail

9 THE HOTLISTSniff your way round York, carve your own ice room – and sleep among the clouds (almost) at the Shard’s Shangri-La hotel

10 ZEITGEISTTry before you buy: hotels are increasinglyputting their furnishings and décor on sale and letting guests literally own the room

11 HAVE YOU TRIED…?Extreme team building isn’t just a workout,but a way of strengthening trust in colleagues.Should you be taking the plunge?

12 OVERNIGHT EXPERTBecome a member of Le Club and reap rewards across Accorhotels

13 TALKING POINTOur experts chat about putting a travel policy in place – and making it a hit with travellers

14 CALENDARKeep these events on your radar – they’ll see you through the busy months ahead

15 10 TOPFrom data to consolidation, tips for getting the most out of your RFP

18 THAT FIGURESThe big numbers behind the storyof how we’re travelling by train today

Features

20 DESTINATION: CARDIFFThe Welsh capital’s won on the sports field – and now it’s setting its sights on business

29 USER-GENERATED CONTENTCan delegates put themselves centre stage?

35 POCKET PLANNERThe lowdown on Leeds, to pull out and keep

40 THE ROXBURGHEA historic Edinburgh hotel reconceived

46 EIGHT OF THE BEST: AIRPORT LOUNGESPlaces to while away your pre-flight periods

50 CASE NOTES: SSE STORM BOOKINGSThe challenges of putting up tired engineers when rain (and wind, and lightning) sets in

Insider’s Guide

55 THE INSIDERGet to know the CEO: Paul Boyle shares his insight and experience

56 TRAVEL CLINICOur experts share inspirational incentive ideas and advise on tackling low online adoption

58 INSIDE OUTTips on visiting Monte Carlo, Brussels and Vienna – plus SnowDome fun in Tamworth

61 TAKE FIVEOur pick of the best apps for business travellers

63 ON TRACKThe latest news from inside Capita Travel and Events

66 OUT OF THE OFFICEA pop-up hotel, and the smell of burning rubber, at Silverstone

5 WELCOMETrevor Elswood reflects on the year so far – and our new voice of the customer campaign

p58

p40

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I N PA RT N E RS H I P W I T H

SilverDoor Capita ad:artwork 05/03/2014 12:21 Page 1

C A P I T A T R A V E L A N D E V E N T S 5

Would you believe it? The days are getting longer, the World Cup and Commonwealth Games are looming – at last, we’re looking forward to summer.The past few months have sped by for us at Capita Travel and Events as we’ve been working hard to further our understanding of our customers’ needs and tailor our services accordingly.

I look back on the first half of this year with pride, safe in the knowledge that there’s already been a lot of success. Back in February, we took the Business Travel Show by storm at a stand abuzz with familiar faces and plenty of new ones (and I’m confident this wasn’t just down to the free sweets!). When we weren’t soaking up the wisdom of industry greats, we were sharing our own insight and expertise. I took to the stage to discuss the future of technology in business travel, while our director of consulting services, Sam Welch, looked at policy compliance in the light of a hardening

WelcomeBUILDING ON SUCCESS

market (read more on p13). And the bubbly was in full flow as Raj Sachdave, head of rail product UK and international, launched our integrated taxi booking service. Previewed in the last issue of Destination, this allows customers to book a taxi that coordinates with their train’s arrival – continuing our aim to make your travel experiences as easy as possible.

We’re also basking in the glory of winning the Meetings & Incentive Travel Best Intermediary Agency (more than 40 employees) Award for the sixth consecutive year (p63). Thank you to all who took the time to vote; we couldn’t have done it without you. What you think matters, and because we want to continue to provide a valued service, we’re launching a voice of the customer campaign. Keep an eye out – we’d welcome suggestions and comments on how we can make our service and technology as forward-thinking, and as relevant to your needs, as we can.

Trevor Elswood, chief commercial officer, Capita Travel and Events

THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED FOR US IN THE M&IT AWARDS. WE COULDN’T HAVE WON FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR WITHOUT YOU!

Capita Travel and EventsMeridian Court, 18 Stanier WayWyvern Business ParkDerby DE21 6BFt: 0871 521 9800e: travelandevents@capita.co.uk@CapTravelEventswww.capitatravelandevents.co.uk

Paul Boyle Chief executive officerTrevor Elswood Chief commercial officerIan Carron Chief information officerAlan Hardy Chief financial officer

Neal Poole Head of marketing

Editor Laura EvansEditorial assistantLily HowesSenior sub-editor Gemma DeanArt director Shelley VarleyAccount director Rachel WalderManaging director Polly Arnold

Destination © 2014ISSN 2052-4536 Published on behalf of Capita Travel and Events by Think The Pall Mall Deposit 124-128 Barlby Road London W10 6BLt: 020 8962 3020e: destination@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Printed by Taylor Bloxham, Leicester

Capita Travel and Events does not necessarily agree with, nor guarantee the accuracy of, statements made by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any opinions they may express in this publication.

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This is Oxford.The next stop is Singapore.

FGW26856 Singapore_Destination Mag 275x215.indd 1 17/03/2014 10:33

C A P I T A T R A V E L A N D E V E N T S 7

This issue:TRAIN MEETS PLANE

ICE ARCHITECTUREOWNING THE ROOMAIRLINE ALLIANCES

TEAMS AT EXTREMESTALKING POINT

CARD CLASHACCORHOTELS’ LE CLUBRFP HEALTH CHECKS

TRAVEL CALENDAR

MinutesYour round-up of news, views, trends, tips and must-know insights from across the travel, accommodation, meetings and events industry

First Great Western, Heathrow Express and Singapore Airlines have teamed up to form the UK’s first rail-fly partnership

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The HS2 project could help resolve the housing

crisis in the South East. HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins said better rail links with the Midlands and the North would not only boost economies, but also ease the pressure to live and work in London. The former Network Rail boss made his mark on the project this spring with proposals to accelerate its second phase by building the 43-mile stretch to Crewe in the first construction period, and to postpone the £700m plan to connect the HS2 line to HS1, which runs from St Pancras station to the Channel Tunnel. Mayor of London Boris Johnson, meanwhile, has backed calls for a cycle route alongside the HS2 line between London and Birmingham.

Hilton Worldwide has pledged to ‘open doors’ for one million young people by 2019. Announcing its global commitment

at the World Economics Forum Annual Meeting 2014, the company said it will focus “on programmes and partners that connect, prepare and employ young people around the world”, as well as continuing to employ young people across all divisions of its 4,000-plus hotels, and o§ering mentorships and apprenticeships to help prepare them for the world of work. The travel and tourism sector as a whole is the world’s largest employer, accounting for almost 10% of the global workforce; it is expected to generate 73 million new jobs by 2022. Almost 300 million 15- to 24-year-olds around the world are currently neither studying nor in work.

The new and improved Terminal 2 at Heathrow

is to open in June, following a £2.5bn revamp by Spanish firm Luis Vidal + Architects. Designed with the overarching aim of ‘making every journey better’, the redevelopment includes a simplified check-in process, wider use of self-service technology, and shorter walking distances between transportation and airport gates. Terminal 2, The Queen’s Terminal, will be home to Heston Blumenthal’s Perfectionists’ Café and the first airport branch of John Lewis. Heathrow Airport served a record number of passengers during 2013: 72.3 million, almost 10 million more than the total population of the UK.

Singapore Airlines, Heathrow Express and First Great Western have partnered to create the UK’s first rail-fly partnership.

Travellers jetting o§ from 11 destinations in south-west England, including Bath, Bristol and Cardi§, can now arrange, through www.rail-fly.com, international flights and rail fares under one booking, meaning a journey from the heart of Bristol to Brisbane in Australia can be carried out using just one ticket from end to end. The scheme aims to simplify long-haul trips for both business and leisure travellers – the rail-fly website recommends the best train to catch to make a specific flight, for instance. But it’s not just about convenience. Someone travelling from Bristol to Brisbane could save as much as £140 on an economy SaverExpress fare, or £190 with a BusinessExpress ticket.

The total investment Lufthansa is making

across its fleet. As part of this spend, the airline is joining 40 others in o§ering a premium economy service. Travellers will enjoy 50% more room – thanks to seats up to 3cm wider and with a 97cm pitch – as well as a welcome drink, individual power socket, meals served on china, one additional checked bag and an amenity kit containing travel accessories. The new service will be available on Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8 long-haul flights from November, and across the fleet by the end of 2015.

Flights to the US for under £10 are on the

cards, courtesy of Ryanair. Michael O’Leary, the airline’s chief executive, hopes to o§er tickets to New York and Boston for €10 (£8.35), with flights back to Europe even cheaper, although passengers would have to pay extra for everything from meals to baggage. It could, however, be five years before the tickets are available.

NEWS DIGEST

10 THINGS TO TAKE ON BOARD

We round up some of the key industry stories from the past few months

THE HOTLIST

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High speedsTravellers could be able to fly from London to New York in as little as three hours on the S-512. If it takes off, the supersonic jet will reach speeds of Mach 1.8, versus a Boeing 777-300’s Mach 0.8.

Skyscraper suitesThe Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard, London, opened in May, making the skyscraper home to western Europe’s loftiest hotel.

Plane spottingHeathrow has opened an observation deck in Terminal 4. The 270-degree viewing platform gives plane spotters a view of the southern runway, the control tower and British Airways’ Concorde.

City scenterVisit York has launched a scratch-and-sniff visitor guide. Aromas are inspired by, among other things, York’s railway heritage and rural environs. You can even get a whiff of horses galloping to the finish at York Racecourse.

Icy nightsRooms in Sweden’s Ice Hotel can now be carved to suit a resident’s taste. Creations have included a pole-dancing polar bear and a London Underground train.

The amount Travelodge is investing in developing and improving its estate, including building 15 new hotels

and creating 1,000 jobs. Five of the new hotels will be located in London, adding to the 60 hotels the company currently operates in the capital; in all, the new properties will bring the Travelodge estate to 514 hotels and more than 39,000 rooms. The hotel chain will also continue its modernisation programme, rolling out new-look contemporary rooms with signature Travelodge Dreamer beds across every property. These investments, combined with ongoing business development, mean Travelodge is looking to recruit 1,000 people in hotel management, reception, restaurant, customer-service and guest-room-cleaning roles.

Canary Wharf’s new Crossrail complex

will open in May 2015, three years before the station itself becomes operational. The six-storey building, which will connect to the recent Jubilee Place shopping centre extension, will include a semi-open balcony where diners will be able to look over the water. It will also be home to the first Everyman Cinema in east London and feature a landscaped park and community facility. But it’s not just the shopping and dining complex that’s ahead of the curve. Developer Crossrail Ltd has been praised for employing women in almost a third of its roles, compared with an average of only 20% in the construction industry as a whole.

The events industry has more work to do when it comes to embracing apprenticeships. That was the message from

MP Nick de Bois when he opened International Confex in March, maintaining that “there are not enough apprenticeships in the industry” at present and that too few people are taking up event apprenticeships as alternatives to degrees. Industry experts believe there are too many tourism qualifications available – more than 600 – and that simplifying the o§ering will make it easier for prospective apprentices to find the most suitable schemes.

Birmingham City Council is set to sell the National

Exhibition Centre (NEC) to help settle a £1bn wage bill owed to serving and former employees. The NEC is expected to be sold for up to £300m when it goes on the market alongside the LG Arena, the National Indoor Arena and the International Convention Centre. Opened in 1979, it hosts more than 140 events and attracts 2.1 million visitors a year. Female sta§, including home-care workers and school cooks who were paid less than men for work of equal value, are among those receiving payouts from the council.

£100,000,000

10 S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 | D E S T I N A T I O N

ZEITGEIST

A TO B

OWNING THE ROOMDepending on your luck and location, the décor of your next hotel might be anything from plain to plush to outright garish. If the fittings and furnishings strike an aesthetic chord, rejoice. Whether it’s a unique piece of art, signature silk sheets or a lampshade you just can’t do without, hotels from boutique B&Bs to global groups are increasingly letting guests buy it as is, right there and then.

Take Marriott Hotels. If you’ve stayed in a Marriott and can’t stop thinking about the comfortable sleep or the intensity of the shower spray, you’ll want to stop by the company’s online shop, where everything from your room’s mattress and duvet to the shower head or mirror is but a couple of clicks and a card payment away.

Other hotels are embracing the ‘buy the look’ mantra even more literally, by making it part of their raison d’être. Take the Laura Ashley hotel, opened

last year in Elstree, Hertfordshire, which is adorned entirely in décor and furniture from the design company. There isn’t a better way to trial a colour scheme or test-drive a chaise longue than living with it for a day or two.

Art is one area that’s particularly open to the takeaway market. In our Spring 2013 issue, we looked at the rise of hotels bucking the trend for bland bought-in-bulk wall decorations; the good news for guests looking to build their own collections is that many don’t just display art, but act as dealers, too. The Omni Dallas Hotel in Texas, for instance, features in its guest rooms and public spaces more than 7,000 original pieces of art from 150 local artists, all of which are purchasable.

So wherever you’re staying, if an item catches your eye next time you’re away from home, it’s worth a word with the concierge. Who knows? For a modest sum, it could be yours.

Shop till you drop off: hotels are letting guests ‘buy the look’ of their sleeping quartersBooka stay

To find out more about ‘try before you buy’ hotels

such as Marriott, contact Capita Travel and Events

Laura Ashley bedroom furniture for sale

What’s an airline alliance?Several airlines linked together by a formal partnership. They’re designed to cover the customer wherever they are in the world, and they’re a great way of ensuring you get the best value and the greatest convenience – especially when your itinerary is on the complex side.

What airlines are involved?There are three major alliances. Airlines within an alliance complement, rather than compete, in terms of their coverage. So Oneworld includes British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia, whereas SkyTeam has Air France, KLM and Delta. Star Alliance boasts the likes of Lufthansa, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

FLYING IN FORMATIONWhat’s the deal with airline alliances? Air product coordinator Josh Collier picks out the pertinent points

What’s the point?It’s just much simpler! Using members of a single alliance makes everything cheaper and more consistent. Want to travel around the world? They can tailor-make a trip for you. Changing planes? Your baggage allowance will stay exactly the same, so you don’t need to worry about jettisoning luggage midway through your journey.

What’s the future?Rather than new alliances being formed, it’s likely the three existing alliances will grow even more. If you’re looking for the next wave of carriers set to join up, keep your eyes on the Gulf states. Qatar Airways recently joined Oneworld, but many of the other Middle Eastern carriers haven’t signed up – yet.

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C A P I T A T R A V E L A N D E V E N T S 11

HAVE YOU TRIED...

EXTREME TEAM BUILDING?And, more importantly, should you? It’s time to don your camouflage and protective headgear as we investigate the (teetering) highs and (plummeting) lows that can test teams to their limits

‘Activities with different stages enable everyone to get stuck in’

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xtreme team-building activities fall decidedly into the Marmite

category, loved and loathed in equal measure. Swinging from treetops or battling army obstacle courses isn’t everyone’s idea of an enjoyable day out of the o³ce, but it could be just what your team needs to get back to basics and bond.

In a world where many of us fall into a working rut – sat at the same desk, day in, day out, working on similar projects that exercise the same skill sets – it’s high time we got out of our comfort zone and into the great outdoors. Whether it’s reliance on your colleagues’ aim, strategy or intuition, trust is at the heart of most team-building exercises. But it’s never more imperative than when you’re physically dependent on someone.

Perhaps your peers are directing you as you drive, blindfolded, through a racecourse. Maybe the boss is at the other end of your rope as you abseil down a vertiginous wall. When your safety (and success) is in someone else’s hands, trusting them and their judgement is paramount. High-adrenaline and physically challenging activities force individuals to face their fears and form make-or-break bonds with those around them.

“These types of activities o§er trust-based objectives and a physical aim for the group. For those that love the great outdoors or enjoy exhilarating activities, this can be a very good choice and cannot be replicated with other, ‘low-key’ challenges,” says Capita Travel and Events senior event specialist Andy Edwards. The benefits of such

activities, he adds, include “team bonding, providing a memorable activity, confidence building and trust exercises”.

Of course, extreme pursuits aren’t without their drawbacks. Accessibility, for one – challenges that depend on physical strength and ability often exclude those with disabilities or health issues, pregnant women or older team members, and those who’d rather lose their jobs than crawl through mud or get shot at with paintballs. “While some are keen to show their physical ability, a vast amount of people shy away from this type of activity,” points out Edwards. “It’s not for everyone.”

The alternative? Andy believes an objective-based team build o§ering a collaborative approach is of far greater benefit when it comes to building an e§ective team. It’s a perspective Ben Parkinson, commercial director of corporate events company Bluehat Group, agrees with. “Team-build days should give everyone the opportunity to shine,” he says. That said, Parkinson doesn’t believe the fact that they invoke knee-quivering apprehension in some should mean writing o§ extreme activities entirely. “Activities with a variety of di§erent stages enable everyone to get stuck in.”

He suggests Bluehat’s Chequered Flag exercise – which requires teams to design and build a pedal-powered kart,

create a pitch for sponsors and, eventually, race – as a good example of a balanced activity. It ticks the right boxes for creative minds, strategic thinkers and those with the gift of the gab. Similarly, Beat the Clock – 101 varied challenges, of which teams must complete as many as possible in two hours – gives people the opportunity to stick to the physical side of things or steer well clear. As Parkinson puts it: “The most successful teams are those that plan, understand each other’s skill sets and play to their strengths.”

At the end of the day, a team-building event that fails to incorporate everyone’s skills, abilities and preferences is likely to fail before it’s even begun. But if everyone’s on the same page, there’s a lot to be said for pushing a team to the brink.

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Horsley Park, a De Vere Venue

OVERNIGHT EXPERT

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN A…

I won’t turn down a shiny new loyalty card, but what does it actually get me?That depends on your loyalty level. The higher your tier, the more you’ll earn. You can rack up points from all sorts of purchases at Accorhotels, including (of course) hotel stays, but also food and drink in the restaurant and bar, and spa treatments. The perfect excuse to treat yourself to a late-night tipple, hearty breakfast or well-deserved massage!

If you insist! Can I earn points in any other way?You can indeed. Earn bonus points using Le Club’s Facebook app – specifically, by checking in to hotels, collecting themed badges and challenging your friends. Just make sure the app is synchronised with your Le Club account.

Sounds fun. You mentioned tiers – care to elaborate?You start on Classic status, but get more stays or points under your belt and you’ll

climb the ranks. Silver status is reached after you’ve stayed 10 nights or earned 2,500 points; Gold after 30 nights or 10,000 points. The big one, Platinum, kicks in at 60 nights or 25,000 points. You need to stay at least once a year to make sure your points don’t expire.

And what exactly do those points get me?What don’t they get you, more like it. You can use your points to book hotel rooms or redeem them across the Accor network in exchange for a host of privileges, from free Wi-Fi and priority check-in to room upgrades, executive lounge access, discounted spa treatments and, if you’re in need of a little smoothing out, a complimentary pressing service.

Not too shabby. But can I trade them in outside Accor’s estate?Certainly. You can cash them in with Accor’s partners, including Club Med, Europcar, Shell and Fiesta, as well as

swapping them for air miles to spend with selected international airlines.

Where do I sign up?Join Le Club online and your card will be sent to you after your next stay at a participating hotel. You can earn points at more than 2,700 hotels in 92 countries, but redeemable rewards differ per hotel.

In a nutshell…l Great for: Frequent travellers who want to make their hotel stays all the more luxurious.

l Hidden bonus: Le Club members can also bag access to VIP events, including film premieres, sporting events and musicals.

l Aspire to: Platinum level, where you’ll be treated like a VIP all year round. Enjoy early check-in and late check-out, welcome drinks, room upgrades, access to private online sales and guaranteed room availability up to two days before arrival.

LE CLUB, ACCORHOTELSFrom Novotel to Sofitel, via Mercure or ibis, one of the benefits of this loyalty scheme is the broad network of hotels it covers. We take a look at its other plus points

WHEN… each event or conference space is unique and adaptable to your needs. De Vere Venues’ portfolio is broad, ranging from castles and historic country homes to contemporary conference centres and luxury hotels with dedicated meeting spaces. Its properties span the UK, so whether you’re in central London or rural Cheshire, there’s a convenient space at your fingertips.

WHEN… space, booking and budgets are flexible. Whether you need a meeting room for a one-hour catch-up, a high-tech auditorium for 3,000 people or something altogether more bespoke, De Vere Venues will deliver. Hand over your brief and budget, and the team will work to give you what you need.

WHEN… top technology costs nothing. All venues have the latest AV gubbins available, from videoconferencing tools to wireless projectors – not to mention free Wi-Fi! And there’s a team of fully trained experts on hand should (heaven forbid!) any technical difficulties arise.

WHEN… good grub goes without saying. De Vere prides itself on high-quality food that’s perfect for any given occasion. Tuck into the extensive menu at its award-winning Steam, Bake & Grill restaurants or ask the team to whip up some mid-meeting refreshments, put on a group BBQ or host an intimate private dinner.

WHEN… your loyalty is rewarded. With De Vere’s Showtime Rewards you earn one point for every £1 spent on your venue booking – and as the same scheme works across De Vere Hotels and De Vere VILLAGE properties, too, there’s plenty of opportunity to ratchet up your balance. Redeem your points on a range of products, from cameras and clothes to champagne, or exchange them for vouchers to spend at Amazon, John Lewis and M&S, among others.

DE VERE VENUE

Commuters in the capital will have noticed the new phrase: ‘card clash’. Transport for London has coined it to describe the chaos caused by contactless payment

cards and Oyster cards interfering with each other, resulting in double payments. Contactless cards are already in use on buses, and will be

accepted on the tube and trains later this year. The solution is to separate

the two cards. You’ve been warned!

who knew?

I N B R I E F

TALKING POINT

THE ADVISERSam Welch, director of consulting services – accommodation and meetings

When implementing a travel policy, before anything else, make sure you do your research. Analyse your management information, and your expense and payment data. Make sure you understand any existing policies or guidelines. Talk to budget holders and industry colleagues, as well as your travel and events agency and any suppliers, to ensure you get a full picture of where your company is currently, and where you should aim to be.

One common mistake is neglecting to engage the travellers within your company. This is your chance to challenge the status quo, and invite them to join you in doing so. Ask them where they’re travelling to, and why – and what they think of the current suppliers. This is also the time to explain to sta§ why a policy is needed, and answer any initial questions they might have.

After that, it’s time to document what you’ve found out by researching and engaging. Agree your core business objectives and preferred booking methods; consider any budget constraints, and whether the policy you put in place will be a series of guidelines or an absolute mandate. Will one policy work for the whole business, or do di§erent divisions need di§erent versions? This is the time to look in detail at your needs when it comes to rail, air, car rental, accommodation, and meetings and events.

Once your policy has been drawn up, you’ll need to begin educating your community of travellers. Draw up a recommendations and benefits paper to make it easy for them (and help bring them round to your way of thinking). Get buy-in from stakeholders, and communicate clearly to all frequent service users what’s changed, and what’s expected of them. Make use of all relevant media, including intranet sites and online booking tools, to get the word out. This is the time for you to make people see why a policy is good for them, as well as the company.

Finally, even when your policy’s in place, don’t forget to keep monitoring its success. Every month, review performance and compliance, take a look at your costs, and seek ongoing feedback from those who are actually using the service: the travellers. Oh, and don’t cling to your original vision. It’s likely you’ll need to refine your policy over time to make it as good as it can be.

THE ENFORCERJon Bolger, interim travel and fleet category manager for Capita group

Capita used to have a policy that was very much traveller-led. You could book hotels, as long as you didn’t breach the relevant rate cap for the area. We wanted to change that and implement a policy where we could properly leverage our considerable volumes, meet our duty of care obligations and drive costs down without sacrificing the quality of hotel.

Once people understood the policy and why we were changing it, the vast majority came round to our way of thinking. We spent a huge amount of e§ort on the initial communications with travellers, providing detailed information on the policy changes and why they were being made. We also held several calls and meetings with stakeholders to explain why the policy change was beneficial, both operationally and financially – why, for their safety and welfare, the company needed to know where they were staying in case of emergency. Another benefit was that they wouldn’t need to search so hard to find a hotel, because the online tool would do all the work for them, and any property they stayed in was well known and used by other Capita travellers.

Travel is a very emotive thing. Everyone has an opinion. Of course we had people who weren’t initially happy with the new policy, either because they didn’t like being told what to do or because they couldn’t necessarily use the same hotels as prior to its implementation. But once they saw the policy was not focused on reducing quality or choice and why the change was needed, most, if not all, accepted the change.

When we get complaints, we have to try and understand the reasons and take appropriate action. Any complaint is taken very seriously. We ask for details, and whether they raised the problem during their stay. Then our dedicated complaints team investigates and takes action as appropriate. In most cases, the hotel is in the best position to resolve the issue there and then.

The perfect travel policy doesn’t exist. You have to make tweaks as it matures and as requirements change. The ideal policy is

black and white – you need as little grey as possible. Cost is important, but don’t

sacrifice everything for it. The key is balance, and getting that right is an ongoing

challenge.

Sam Welch of Capita Travel and Events and procurement contractor Jon Bolger share their thoughts on why – and how – travel guidelines should be implemented

POLICIES ON POLICY

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARYSporting events, travel shows and party conferences are taking over venues up and down the UK throughout the next few months. Whether you’re planning an event or simply attending some, keep these busy dates in mind when booking accommodation and travel

End on endA travel arrangement that combines two itineraries into one ticket – for example, flying from New York to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Sydney on a single ticket, rather than two separate ones.

JARGON BUSTING

King George VI Chase, Kempton Park, Surrey

The France Show, London

Destinations, Olympia, London

World Travel Market 2014, ExCel, London

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, The O2, London

London Fashion Week – Spring/Summer 2015

Great North Run, north-east England

Ryder Cup, Gleneagles, Perthshire

The Luxury Travel Fair, Olympia, London

Clothes Show Live, NEC, Birmingham

Destinations, EventCity, Manchester

Excursions, Alexandra Palace, London

Edinburgh International Festival

Cowes Week, Isle of Wight

Lib Dem Party Conference, Glasgow

Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford, Manchester

Notting Hill Carnival, London

TMI (Tourism Management Institute) annual convention, Durham

Champions Day, Ascot, Berkshire

Procurex Live (Scotland) SECC

MotoGP British Grand Prix, Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Labour Party Conference, Manchester

Conservative Party Conference, Birmingham

For advice on organising your travel, meetings and events

around busy dates, or to arrange a visit to any of these events, contact

Capita Travel and Events

26 Dec

3-6 Nov

9-16 Nov

8-31 Aug

2-9 Aug 4-8 Oct

16-18 Oct24-25 Aug

11 Oct

18 Oct

21 Oct

29-31 Aug

12-16 Sep

7 Sep

23-28 Sep 6-9 Nov

5-9 Dec

15-18 Jan

24 Jan

23-25 Jan

29 Jan – 1 Feb

21-24 Sep

28 Sep – 1 Oct

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY 2015

AUGUSTOCTOBER

EPIn hotel terminology, this stands for European plan, but has nothing to do with geographical location. It’s a rate that covers only room cost and not meals; an American plan, in contrast, includes three meals a day.

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Find out more If you need help streamlining your supplier

processes, contact Capita Travel and Events

C A P I T A T R A V E L A N D E V E N T S 15

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WAYS TO CUT THROUGH YOUR RFP CONFUSIONCould your approach to choosing suppliers benefit from a little clear thinking? Lisa Fry, Capita Travel and Events’ sourcing manager – RFPs, shows you how

Combine spendBring hotel spend

together with meetings and events spend. Negotiate with venue providers alongside your preferred hotel suppliers to get the best rates. And don’t forget to consider how your company uses its own meetings space.

Consider costs and added value

Ensure you take into account costs such as tax, transport to the hotel, car parking, breakfast and Wi-Fi. Negotiating free extras – think breakfasts, Wi-Fi, flip charts or meeting rooms, or simply tea and co§ee – will add value, but only for things that are needed anyway.

ConsolidateMake sure you

have all locations covered, and enough hotels to cope with the demand for each location. Consolidating your hotel programme will put your agency in a better position for negotiation with suppliers.

Agree on a strategy

Outline your objectives for the RFP, from budgets and cost reduction targets to policy rate caps and new projects. Set timelines, and consider the tool that will be used to manage the RFP. There are many benefits – such as accuracy and e³ciency – to using an eRFP tool.

Understand the market

Benchmark, benchmark, benchmark – against industry rate increases, market forecasts, rates submitted versus any previously negotiated and industry peers. Don’t forget to consider performance against both rate caps and key pricing terms; you need a balanced proposition that doesn’t sacrifice too much for the sake of cost.

Put a policy in place

Budget for your travellers, considering price, room grades and the seniority of sta§. Senior stakeholder buy-in of the policy may help you encourage people to book specific hotels; increasing volumes is a great way to maximise rate negotiation.

Be open to new opportunities

For longer stays, think about independent hotels or apartments; make sure you check out properties that have opened recently. Consider the type of property – choosing a budget brand may not always be the cheapest option. You can often negotiate a three-star full-service alternative for the same price, if not cheaper.

Engage with stakeholders

Listen to your people; they’re the ones with the valuable information about new projects and locations that may be on the cards. They might also have feedback on the current preferred suppliers that could help enhance the user experience.

Availability is everything

It’s no good negotiating a rate you can’t actually book! Ensure your agent works to secure specific room allocations and agree last room availability rates, as well as managing blackout periods and keeping these to a minimum. That way, whenever you need a room from a preferred supplier, you’ll have one.

Understand your data

Know how much is being spent, where and with which suppliers. Look at areas such as room types and meal plans, any long-stay bookings, and use of day delegate or basic room hire rates. This information may put your agent in a better position for negotiation.

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