Maritime Travel's Gary Gaudry with Bertram Fernandes of Ledcor Industries
Jeff Wright and Mary Heron of AerLingus
Ian Race of Vision Travel with Nancy Tudorache, Regional Director Canada of the GBTA
It was a pretty impressive group: almost 500 buyers and sellers of corporate travel met at the cavernous Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the 10th annual Global Business Travellers Association Canadian conference.
They convened, they chatted, they learned, they cut deals. The 3-day conference also featured a host of PD sessions including travel procurement, risk management, and dealing with maverick travellers. There was also a trade show floor featuring corporate travel suppliers from airlines to limos, hotels and airport lounges.
The big news over the past year in rental cars is the entry of Zipcars into the marketplace, partnering with the big guys such as Avis/Budget. Now offered across the US and in Toronto and Vancouver, Zip can be part of your corporate agreement and works out cheaper than taxis or limos, perfect if the client needs a car just for a few hours. Zip also works well with many corporations’ sustainability policies.
Also attending were folks from VisaCenter in Ottawa who for $15 to $100 per visa will take away your visa headaches. Any tips? The BRIC countries and Africa are the highest demand regions for their services, with visas taking up to 25 days for Russia. “Don’t delay in visa processing for your clients! We hear a lot of ‘I didn’t know’!”
Got clients who travel to a destination for 5 nights or more? What about an extended stay hotel? Tami Baker of Extended Stay America told me they have almost 700 studio-to-3-bedroom properties in the US and ones in Toronto (Vaughan), downtown Ottawa and St. John’s. “A lot of our clients are in the oil and gas or mining sectors. And we’re a great option for relocating employees who are house hunting.”
It was nice to see Mary Heron, newly-named Regional Sales Manager, Canada for Aer Lingus. Featuring daily B757 service from YYZ to DUB, the airline has some imaginative offerings including an upgraded B-class meal service for economy passengers for just $20; $40 to upgrade to the exit row or $30 for extra legroom in rows 9 and 10.
As Nancy Tudorache, Regional Director of GBTA told me, “We are all about advocacy and helping our members keep up with changes and technology.” Lots to keep track of indeed!
