As Covid-19 continues to alter societies and economies, everyone is wondering what the future will look like. The novelty of meeting on video screens is going the way of learning to bake banana bread: It’s wearing off, and we’re wondering when we will meet again.
As governments, organizations, and the media work around the clock to make sense of the impact of Covid-19, the new normal is bandied around with casual abandon. But as business travelers grapple with issues for which there is no blueprint, one thing is for sure: Companies have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to scrap the old and welcome in the new - creating the optimum business travel environment of the future. So I don’t say 'new normal' – I say 'new you.'
We are working with customers around the world to help create this new paradigm, and despite all the noise, four core elements remain true in every scenario:
1. Employee wellbeing
Safety and wellbeing must be a top priority in a post-Covid-19 world, so now is an optimum time to integrate safety and security, data and 100% managed travel program compliance.
We’re looking at new technologies to offer information at the point of sale to help travelers make informed decisions around issues like entry requirements, quarantine restrictions, and even the last time a hotel was cleaned.
2. Travel policy essentials
Our customers are asking about new issues like pre-trip approval processes and how to successfully renegotiate supplier contracts in light of Covid-19. A post-Covid travel policy strikes a balance between employee well-being and savings.
To effectively revise a business travel strategy, access to historical data and the integration of real-time data from multiple sources, plus an understanding of the plan for recovery are essential.
3. Benefiting from educated advice
Companies will need assistance in how to bring back and manage business travel and conversation is a critical part of it - leaning in on experts, brainstorming with their peers, etc.
To facilitate dialogue, we host daily calls with client executives around the world to get real-time feedback. We launched a series of blogs and vlogs from our executive leadership team to help companies navigate the future along with a podcast featuring the International Olympic Committee.
We’re communicating with focus groups where customers of like-size, geographies and vertical markets can brainstorm, and we’ve also created microsites to guide clients, and a dedicated webpage.
4. Integrating the physical with the virtual
And what of those larger corporate meetings or industry events? As companies come to terms with realigned parameters, companies will need to see how to integrate the attendee experience and harness the energy generated from such gatherings into virtual offerings – a specialized proposition and skill set which many more are experiencing on smaller scales as you read this.
We will be publishing more on this subject in a subsequent post.
So, now is an extraordinary opportunity to re-evaluate everything, and engage in a more meaningful way with your travelers to provide choice, content and an environment to comply.
More than ever, innovation and growth depend upon it – so why not get in touch, and make the new normal yours.
Blog author: Kelly Kuhn, Chief Customer Officer, CWT
As governments, organizations, and the media work around the clock to make sense of the impact of Covid-19, the new normal is bandied around with casual abandon. But as business travelers grapple with issues for which there is no blueprint, one thing is for sure: Companies have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to scrap the old and welcome in the new.
Minneapolis, 28 May 2020: CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, today announces an expanded integration with Concur Travel, the leading brand for expense, invoice, and travel management solutions. CWT clients using Concur Travel can select RoomIt by CWT™, the hotel distribution division of CWT, as their enriched source of hotel content.
Launching in late May 2020, with a phased roll-out through the end of the year, CWT clients using Concur Travel can have all hotel content from RoomIt. As and when clients begin to look to their future travel plans, they will be able to access even more savings as well as additional reporting capabilities. This initiative delivers an upgraded booking experience that includes enhanced rate descriptions across web and mobile, so travelers can view the source of the rate and loyalty eligibility. Virtual payment is also available for all types of rates, so travelers do not have to use their personal or corporate credit card.
“We are proud to be a part of the first travel management platform to have this innovative connection in place with SAP Concur solutions, to provide an exceptional, consistent booking experience for travelers around the world, as and when they will need it,” said Patrick Andersen, Chief Commercial Officer and President of RoomItby CWT.
“Since the beginning, we have remained true to our focus on offering personalized choice for our customers,” said Max Miller, Vice President TMC Business Development at SAP Concur. “CWT has embraced the SAP Concur ecosystem, extending the power of Concur Travel by providing an even more personalized customer experience for hotel bookings with RoomIt by CWT. This exemplifies the kind of ecosystem collaboration intended to keep the customer at the center of our partnerships.”
All media enquiries: corepr@mycwt.com
CWT is a Business-to-Business-for-Employees (B2B4E) travel management platform. Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected – anywhere, anytime, anyhow – and across six continents, we provide their employees with innovative technology and an efficient, safe and secure travel experience. Every single day, we look after enough travelers to fill more than 100,000 hotel rooms, while our meetings and events division handles more than 100 events every 24 hours. Engage with us via Facebook, LinkedIn, Podcast and Twitter.
RoomIt by CWT™ is the hotel division of CWT, which books over 30 hotel rooms every minute. Offering more than 800,000 carefully sourced properties, RoomIt provides travelers with the amenities and loyalty programs they want, while helping organizations control their budget and improve travel oversight. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
SAP, SAP Concur and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Minneapolis, 28 May 2020: CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, today announces an expanded integration with Concur Travel, the leading brand for expense, invoice, and travel management solutions. CWT clients using Concur Travel may select RoomIt by CWT™, the hotel distribution division of CWT, as their exclusive source of hotel content.
While Covid-19 reshapes industries, economies and societies in previously unimaginable ways, business leaders need to think beyond immediate survival to unite employees and define culture for the long-haul.
Minneapolis, 1 May, 2020: CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, announces a strong performance for 2019, with increases in transaction volumes, sales, and revenues.
For most companies, domestic and international business travel has come to a standstill amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with virtual meetings filling the void.
There’s no rule book for pivoting a business during a global pandemic, but when it comes to innovation, necessity is the mother of invention.
Minneapolis, 23 April 2020: CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, today announces the following changes within its Executive Leadership Team (ELT) – Michelle McKinney Frymire is named Chief Finance & Strategy Officer, and Patrick Andersen is named Chief Commercial Officer and President of RoomIt.
Oct 06 – Oct 07
Omni Rancho Las Palmas
Rancho Mirage, CA
Nov 07 – Nov 11
Denver, CO
CWT is a Business-to-Business-for-Employees (B2B4E) travel management platform. Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected – anywhere, anytime, anyhow – and across six continents, we provide their employees with innovative technology and an efficient, safe and secure travel experience. Every single day, we... Show more
