FCM Upgrade MEA Issue 4 by Flight Centre

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ISSUE 4

FCM TRAVEL SOLUTIONS MEA

Elevating business travel intelligence

Service delivery shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a game of chance

Breaking the mould

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fcmtravel.com/en-ae @FCM_MEA

Welcome

Issue 4

t FCM, we have prided ourselves on the unique way we service our clients via small teams of dedicated consultants, blending this approach with innovative travel technology solutions. However, as booking activity goes increasingly online in many parts of the MEA region and other automated functions get slicker, is there a danger that service will be relegated? The lead feature article in this issue of Upgrade (starting on page 4) examines what service provision travel managers should expect of suppliers and intermediaries in a digital world. Data privacy has also gone into overdrive in our digital world in the wake of high-profile data breaches this year

and the impact of GDPR. Data is essential for meeting corporate and traveller expectations but what data do your suppliers actually need? Turn to page 8 for an insight into getting the balance right. On page 10 of this issue, we explore the steps that travel managers need to take to ensure that their programme takes all travellers into account. On the subject of awards, I am delighted to report that FCM has been awarded for the 9th year in a row by the World Travel Awards as the ‘World’s Leading Travel Management Company’ 2019. This is a huge achievement and a tribute to the dedication and drive of our people, our agile approach and culture of fluid thinking, all of which enables us to deliver the right solutions for our customers across the MEA region and beyond. I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Upgrade.

Ciarán Kelly Managing Director, MEA Regional Network FCM Travel Solutions

Contents 4

EDITORIAL COMMISSIONING EDITOR

Dial S for service Finding the right service delivery for the company and the traveller

Betty Low

CONTRIBUTORS

FCM News FCM’s expansion into four new markets

Catherine Chetwynd, Mark Frary, Linda Fox FCM EDITORIAL ADVISER Vanessa Aves

Balancing act What data do your suppliers actually need?

Connecting rooms Corporate hotel programmes are becoming much more dynamic Brain dump How biometrics are changing how travellers move through journeys

Ciarán Kelly DESIGN PRODUCTION & MANAGEMENT WonDesigns, Caren Johnstone LEAD DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATION Leanne Armstrong

Mixed signals What travel managers can do to support more diverse corporate travellers

ILLUSTRATION André Albuquerque, Oliver Sleeman PUBLISHING

13 Cairo Our guide to doing business in Egypt’s big, bustling capital city

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING SALES

MANAGER Alice Taylor

Remote controls Isolated venues can focus delegate attention

©FCMUPGRADE 2019 Images sourced from suppliers, FCM Travel Solutions, and stock photography New business enquiries contact@ae.fcm.travel Editorial and advertising enquiries enquiries@fcmupgrade.com FCMUPGRADE.COM

TRAVEL MANAGERS PROGRAMMES

Dial S for service It’s essential to find the service delivery that’s right for the company and the traveller

e no longer seek service from our suppliers for only one reason, or expect it to be delivered through one channel. Take your average supermarket trip as an example. Hake is on offer, but you don’t know what to do with it – either you snatch a recipe card from a display or ask the person handing it over to you at the wet fish counter for tips. And when it’s time to pay, you can choose to speed up the process by scanning your own shopping - or you can place your items on a conveyor belt for someone else to do it while discussing the weather. And that’s without even going near the customer service desk when you’ve been overcharged or need to organise a delivery. Anyone who wants to eat at home needs to shop, but different people need and want different service delivery. The same is true for corporate travellers. Business travel is not only about automated transactions. It’s about service. WHO’S IT FOR? Service is needed both by travellers, who might need help with a change of travel plans or cancellations, and by management to fulfil corporate objectives. According to Dusko Kain, Head of Account Management, England for FCM Travel Solutions, “There has to be an equilibrium between traveller satisfaction and delivering cost control/savings.” And travellers have different service expectations and needs. Millennials are much more comfortable online but many travellers, especially in certain sectors and markets, want a more offline service. From disrupting

Issue 4

technology start-ups to more traditional professional services such as law and consultancy, companies have different cultures and so do their travellers. And it’s not just the organisation that will define the traveller’s profile. As Carol Randall, Managing Director of Sage Consultancy says, “Just because you’re

“

If it’s an emergency, you don’t want to listen to ‘press 3 if...” Dusko Kain, Head of Account Management, England, FCM Travel Solutions

in the same company doesn’t mean you have same profiles.” Travel needs also affect the kind of service required – online might be cheaper and easy to use for pointto-point trips but for more complex journeys involving multiple flights and nights away with different suppliers, perhaps needing extras such as visas or ground arrangements, a personal service is likely to be more efficient and time and cost-effective. And managers need service from their suppliers whether it’s prompt handling of disputed invoices or supporting a new product or service. WHY IS SERVICE NEEDED? Support Any kind of business transformation – a new online tool, for example – may need training and access to a support desk. Any product or service can break down or be disrupted. When things go wrong, the client will need expertise and service from the provider. Disruption Journeys can be disrupted for many reasons. Flights can be cancelled due to weather conditions, labour disputes, an incident or going ‘tech’.

FCM’S TRAVEL ASSISTANT SAM (FCM’s Smart Assistant for Mobile) is an app which makes all the information, documentation and advice travellers need available in one user-friendly place. FCM clients can have their actual bookings connected, but anyone can receive more general support such as destination information. Travellers can also input their travel arrangements themselves and have some itinerary management. If the traveller shares their trip information and location SAM can send travel updates such as changes to the flight gate or departure time, as well as any relevant security alerts. SAM is a chatbot-based interface backed up by real people who can communicate with the traveller through the app.

“If there’s an emergency or a crisis, you work along with risk management to make sure travellers are safe and okay,” explains Dusko, “except for media customers who you’re trying to get in rather than out.” Booking changes New travel arrangements might be needed because of overrun meetings or traffic. A change in business plans can require a change of itinerary. New flights or accommodation arrangements require service. WHAT COMPRISES SERVICE? In a digital age, there is more variety in how service can be delivered. “Personal” service need not be in person, nor indeed need it be with a person on the telephone. Travel companies also offer online service via mobile apps or online chat. Both Dusko and Carol stressed the value of offline service. “There’s a need for both,” says Carol, “and there’s a real resurgence in the professional travel consultant and the service they provide. “It’s about putting in place the service that meets the needs of the community.”

Dusko’s view is clear: “You need a team behind it online to manage 24/7. If emergencies happen – airlines closing down or pilot strikes – you will need to call a human.” SERVICE DELIVERY There are many methods of service delivery – apps (eg SAM, see box), phone, online – and it’s important to have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of different methods and which might be appropriate for what. In Dusko’s words, “If it’s an emergency, you don’t want to listen to ‘press 3 if...” Service categorised as ‘online’ coexists under a very broad umbrella with different individual suppliers providing very different levels of service, some much more timely than others. Online service can be personalised in a helpful way, say prioritising appropriate booking options for a traveller’s regular journeys, or in a less satisfactory way such as bombarding the traveller with hotel offers in response to a search for a flight. HOW TO MEASURE SERVICE? Every travel management company is at pains to highlight the quality of the service and support they offer, but measuring that quality and its value for money is much more challenging than simply comparing the online booking transaction fees. FCMUPGRADE.COM

TRAVEL PROGRAMMES

“

4 WAYS TO MEASURE SERVICE

Service availabilty

Response time

Dusko says that corporates might measure service by a range of factors including their online booking tool’s downtime – “this is still a service because it’s something you’re delivering to the customer – response time, and the accuracy of that response, etc." Carol urges all corporate travel managers to agree a means of measuring the service they receive from their travel management company as opposed to what has been promised. “In the past it would be along the lines of 80% of calls should be answered within 20 seconds, but it’s questionable how relevant that will be in the future.” She suggested some more up-todate measures for those looking to create – or revise – their service level agreements (SLAs): 1 Service availability – An organisation’s travellers need to be constantly supported regardless of whether it has opted for offline or online service. Has support been available to the degree expected? 2 Response time – There should be a prompt resolution of any difficulties regardless of what channel has been agreed to access service. 3 Accuracy – Items such as the error ratio on bookings, data and financial elements should be measured. For example, are invoices and payments accurate and prompt? If the finance department has issues, how long does it take to correct money or data errors? 4 User satisfaction – Both management – and that includes all internal stakeholders such as finance and HR as well as the travel manager – and travellers should be polled. CONCLUSION For the travel management company, these KPIs are invaluable. Carol points out that “If the TMC can prove their value, it helps them and the travel 06

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Accuracy

User satisfaction

If the TMC can prove their value, it helps the travel manager to keep the programme from fragmenting.” Carol Randall, Managing Director, Sage Travel Consultancy

manager to keep the programme from fragmenting.” For the travel manager, it would be evidence of the value of a travel programme to any doubters.

consultant improves the experience

Of course, not everything will be measurable – you can measure the time on the phone but how can you measure how courteous or nice the consultant was? A friendly and courteous

apply consistently.

THINK OF YOUR MARKET According to Craig Lee, “Customers will only stay loyal if you constantly deliver what they see value in.” That means both external and internal customers. Craig, who headed up customer experience at Emirates before doing a similar role at Activate Experience, believes that all brands set out to “do excellent everywhere” but that the best way “to create exceptional experiences is to do that when the client most needs help. “If an organisation can think of what kind of thing goes wrong regularly and find a proactive way to fix it, they will probably take away 80% of what makes clients unhappy.” Craig uses the example of a missed flight to explain how too many companies “overdesign” policies with items such as fees and refunds rather than formulating policies in a way to resolve issues. “If I’ve missed a flight, I don’t want to hear your policy. I want to hear ‘I can

but measuring whether the user experience was pleasant or unpleasant would be difficult to quantify and

But times are changing. As Dusko observes, “Service is going to become even more important.” 

TRAVE L

POLICY

see you’re stuck in an airport, let me see how fast I can find you another flight.’” People now naturally use multiple channels for basic information but once complications set in, they want a human who, according to Craig, “should have seen what I’ve tried to do online or via a chatbot and become more proactive to help me do what I do”. Craig explains, "Stand in the shoes of the customer to ask: 'What does an executive need when travelling?'" Probably not to be reminded about the change fee!

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TRAVEL MANAGERS

Balancing act Data is essential for meeting corporate and traveller expectations, but what data do your suppliers actually need?

recent, online click-bait story claimed that a BA passenger was told he couldn't check a vegetarian meal "due to data protection rules". A marketing director had allegedly been told – by ba.com – that he couldn’t find out his menu choice for "privacy reasons". Is this in fact the standard operating procedure in a travel industry hyperconcerned about violating traveller privacy or, as the marketing director described it, GDPR gone mad? Readers wouldn’t know what booking channel the frustrated marketing director used, but the issue of what data travel management companies release, and to whom, is a significant one for many a traveller – and travel manager. So who owns the data? Tony Pilcher, director of consultancy Pilcher Associates, stresses the need to have “the right data for the right people for the right job”, and that starts with understanding who has custody of what data. “In most cases it comes down to who created it.”

“

You need to get the right data to the right people for the right job” Tony Pilcher, Director, Pilcher Associates

WHAT IS THE DATA FOR? A travel profile holds personal preferences which means that managers must take care when procuring with Virgin, for example, that it doesn’t see that the traveller’s preference is actually BA. “Traveller profiles and booking information is owned by the travellers and the corporate,” explains FCM’s Head of Account Management EMEA, Juan Antonio Iglesias. “We as the TMC make it available in a format which managers can consume and utilise to understand travel patterns and travellers’ behaviour.”



CLASSIFIED

These hold different fields of information, only some of which is relevant to different suppliers. For example, a carrier needs to know if a traveller’s preference is for a window or aisle seat. The hotel does not need to know whether they’ve requested an Asian vegetarian or Kosher meal, but it does need to know if there are any special guest requirements such as an allergy to feathers.

The world has become data-driven. Companies have a plethora of information, so decision-making is increasingly evidence-based. Different information is needed for different objectives. The challenge is to ensure that every supplier partner has what they need to deliver the service required without crossing the line and releasing data which is neither appropriate nor permitted. Corporates create a PNR (Passenger Name Record) for each one of their travellers.

BOOKING CHANNELS As all GDS’s operate their booking processes and management of traveller information in the same way, they are well set up to pass relevant information from the PNR within a booking to the relevant supplier. Juan Antonio explains: “An airline cannot see what’s not associated with their segment. If a traveller has one segment booked with British Airways and the next with Lufthansa, Lufthansa cannot see the BA frequent flyer information.” However, booking through newer systems such as booking.com requires the creation of a false PNR to hand off the needed information to the supplier. “The systems still have some limitations

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Passenger itinerary Destination 1 4th January 2020 Kingston, Jamaica, 3 nights Becking Hotel Name John Smith

Destination 2 8th January 2020 USA, Seattle, 7 nights Spinter Royal Hotel

Address 7 Horden Lane Bishopsgate EN4 8LP United Kingdom

Transfer 16th January 2020 Seattle to JFK Airport

Loyalty Scheme Number PGE938-294-UK Reference Number JSYWHWU2O

– managers must ensure that data is not shared when it shouldn’t be shared,” he adds.

Destination 3 18th January 2020 Germany, 12 nights

Meal preference Vegetarian Airline preference

Departur preference London Gatwick Special requirements 

Ground floor room



onference room C access



Outdoor seating



Priority seating

Tony makes the same point: “You have to include the elements of the trip where there is any risk. It’s no good knowing the flight and accommodation details but not knowing how the traveller is being moved from the airport to the hotel.

PRIVATE



“Ground transport generally sits outside the TMC and PNR and yet in some countries that’s almost the biggest risk.”

Juan Antonio points out that another challenge is communicating data when a client is not working but still on the business trip. “At the end of the day you have to have permission and location data is only handed over if the traveller is willing to do it.”



In addition to the channel used, the individual company’s approach to travel booking is significant. According to Tony: “Smaller companies may have a programme but still let travellers book themselves so they will indicate their preferences at the time of booking rather than there being a profile depository. “The method of booking shouldn’t matter but what does is the bridge, so that when the journey is under way any changes are communicated.”

DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF SUPPLIER There are also personal data management challenges with suppliers which are part of the chain but not historically booked via the GDS. Rail bookings for example, with the exception of Eurostar, are not tied to specific names so traveller data is not handed off. Car rental is usually not booked though the GDS, nor are airport transfers which Juan Antonio describes as the “main challenge”.

DENIED

ACCESS GRANTED

These are significant considerations given that another important supplier who needs to have the right data to do the job they’re contracted to do is the risk management company.

RISK MANAGEMENT A risk management company doesn’t need to know if the traveller is a vegetarian but it does need to know a traveller’s itinerary including the flight and hotel booking details. According to Tony Pilcher, the abiding principle is a “need-to-know” basis. “You should give them access only to data which is essential for risk management – the financials of that trip are not essential. Inform the source consistently with what they need, no more, no less.” And ground transport can be a headache for risk management companies. “We can know you’ve taken a rental car, but we can’t control where you’re driving it,” says Juan Antonio.



“

Managers must ensure that data is not shared when it shouldn’t be shared” Juan Antonio Iglesias, Head of Account Management EMEA, FCM Travel Solutions

Some people don’t want it to be known where they are for a weekend – this is getting increasingly challenging because of bleisure. “This is a conflict between company and personal perspective – and you can see both sides,” he adds. For all travel managers, it is a balancing act.  FCMUPGRADE.COM

TRAVELLERS

Mixed signals Mark Frary looks at what travel managers can do to support more diverse corporate travellers

ver the past few decades, increasing globalisation and liberalism have made multinational companies more diverse.

Companies are also wanting to tell others – shareholders, investors and customers – that they are getting more diverse too. The number of companies reporting that they have a diversity and opportunities policy has increased from 39% in 2013 to 85% in 2017, according to research company Refinitiv1. There are solid moral reasons for encouraging diversity but there are also strong business reasons, as revealed by a wide evidence base. Research from Boston Consulting Group says companies that are more diverse are more innovative, and those with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue2.

One of the issues for organisations looking to make their travel programmes fit for a diverse workforce is that travel buyers often do not have the responsibility nor the budget for related issues, such as traveller safety. For those companies that have grasped the idea of travel risk, they are treating it as a generic risk rather than one that needs a nuanced approach.

Research by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. The figure is 15% for gender diversity3.

Saul Shanagher of security awareness training company beTravelwise says that companies are seeking advice for LGBT travellers first and foremost.

Those who argue for better diversity and inclusion in companies argue that if an organisation’s employees are diverse, they will be better at creating products and services that appeal to a wider range of customers.

“Generally, there is buyin from the diversity and inclusion networks within companies and there is a very real risk to travellers that they are happy to talk about,” he says.

And if your employees are more diverse, surely companies need to make sure that the way they are treated in the workplace is not necessarily equal but equitable, where employees are recognised for their diversity and internal processes designed to follow suit? When it comes to travel, there have been strides made in recent years in recognising the specific needs of certain groups, for example female, 10

LGBTQ and disabled employees, and this can only continue to improve.

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“We find that the organisation’s DNA matters a lot. If diversity is embraced by the organisation, it is very easy to offer differing advice to different groups of travellers. Those that have successfully offered advice do so freely and anonymously (no tracking of who views it) and

The relationship between diversity and performance Likelihood of financial performance above national industry median, by diversity quartile %

54 +15%

GENDER DIVERSITY

+35%

ETHNIC DIVERSITY

 HOW DIVERSITY CORRELATES WITH BETTER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Source: McKinsey & Company, Diversity Matters, 2015

“

If diversity is embraced by the organisation, it is very easy to offer differing advice to different groups of travellers.” Saul Shanagher, beTravelwise

interconnect it to all their travel safety measures,” he says. Many of the company’s clients are now offering e-learning modules and anonymous email support for company travellers. Saul cites a real-life example of how the latter can help. “At one client, we had a company's junior trainee being sent to do an overseas posting for three months to a country with antigay laws. They felt too junior to say no but were concerned and sent an email to the helpline. Their fears were taken seriously, and another country was found for this placement for them.” When it comes to female business travellers, there is a gap between what travellers want and what their companies do.

take account of female travellers’ specific needs yet just 18% of policies address these. Carolyn Pearson, CEO of Maiden Voyage, which offers consultancy on gender issues in business travel, says the reason for this gap is clear. “Organisations are fairly clear where duty of care and travel safety sit in an organisation – it could be travel security, in other teams it might be travel buyers, health and safety or HR,” she says. “When you add diversity or sexual orientation into the mix, it gets put into the ‘too difficult’ basket.”

Maiden Voyage has one of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies as a client and it has rolled out traveller safety e-learning to all its travellers with a focus on LGBTQ and female travellers. “Yet if you ask those people whether their companies are actually doing it, that falls to the 40s,” says CEO Carolyn Pearson.

“One company, a large bank, put this information on their intranet. When they send the travel booking email out there was a link at the bottom to the

 HOW LOW GENDER AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY CORRELATES WITH POORER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

+15%

ETHNIC DIVERSITY

+35% 54

1ST QUARTILE 1ST-3RD QUARTILE

GENDER & ETHNIC DIVERSITY

-25%

43 58

“If something happened to a traveller and they looked at traveller briefings then they would be on sticky ground.” she says. There is a danger that in better reflecting the diversity of the workforce in the travel programme, it will lead to more calls from those not in minority groups to demand different treatment.

“Where I have seen success is if the person who is the budget holder and decision-maker is passionate about that subject then it gets done really quickly.”

4TH QUARTILE

GENDER DIVERSITY

There is even some doubt as to whether such a passive way of communicating information for diverse employee groups would even stand up in court.

That is not to say that some organisations have not grasped the nettle.

Carolyn says adding a link to travel advice on a travel itinerary email is never enough.

The FCM special report on Women in Business Travel revealed that 77% of women travel buyers and their travellers felt that travel policies should

advice, but the problem is people don’t read their travel itineraries.”

So should companies be moving to individually personalised travel policies? The challenges – and cost – of doing so are probably too onerous for companies to consider this, particularly given the challenges of collecting and maintaining large amounts of highly sensitive personal information “The amount of data that would need to be collected plus the fact that, say, an LGBT employee might not be out at work might make this an unworkable beast,” says Saul Shanagher. “I also don’t think it is needed. Good travel risk training, with a thorough travel risk management programme and advice/ information for different profiles of traveller, does the job well enough.” Ultimately, travel’s answer to the diversity challenge should not be seen in isolation. Diversity policies are rightly seen as powerful recruitment and retention tools by many organisations. To be a diverse employer means getting all processes in the organisation working well for everyone, not just those within the travel manager’s remit. 

1. www.refinitiv.com/en/resources/specialreport/measuring-diversity-and-inclusionprogress

40 53

2. www.bcg.com/en-us/publications/2018/howdiverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation. aspx 3. www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/ organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters

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DESTINATION

Cairo

DOING BUSINESS IN

airo is a big, bustling city of 9.5 million (20 million if the entire metropolitan area is taken into account), with the traffic to match. It’s growing rapidly as new areas – the Heliopolis – are developed to accommodate the people, new businesses and hotels. GETTING THERE

There are regular direct flights to Cairo from several airports within the MEA region, particularly from the UAE. From the UK, only British Airways and EgyptAir fly direct to Cairo from London Heathrow. STAYING THERE Cairo is famous for its congestion so it’s wise to choose a hotel near any scheduled business meetings. Downtown Downtown is what most visitors think of as Cairo. This is the old city where the prosperous elite lived a century ago, and it has the buildings – and top hotels – to match. Located on the River Nile in an old, elegant building that once housed the British garrison is the Ritz Carlton. As you would expect, it has every amenity to make it suitable for both high-end leisure and

Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza

business travellers, as well as a very convenient location for Downtown meetings and visiting the Egyptian Museum. The Semiramis Intercontinental is one of Cairo's finest hotels with two top restaurants: The Bird Cage for Thai food, and Sabaya, a Lebanese. Downtown has two highly desirable Four Seasons. The Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza, like the Ritz Carlton, is on the banks of the River Nile with a fabulous view, nine great restaurants including Zitouni – one of the best restaurants for Egyptian food in Cairo – and any service that a business traveller might need. The Four Seasons at the First Residence also has all the view, spas, pool and restaurants a luxury hotel should have, with easy access to the urban area. Nasr City and Masr el Gedida This area is 'new Cairo', built in the 1960s

and home to Al-Azhar University and the Cairo International Conference Centre. The City Stars Intercontinental is suitable for business travel in this buzzy district of Heliopolis (the new city), next to the Stars Centre Mall. With more than 1,000 rooms the Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino is one of the largest hotels in the Middle East. Its two 20-storey towers are connected by an entrance into the “palace” which was built to host Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugénie for the opening of Suez Canal in 1869. Executive level guests have access to the exclusive Lounge, and healthconscious business travellers will appreciate the 24-hour gym and outdoor pool. Fifth Settlement This is one of the most affluent districts of Cairo, also located in the ‘new’ city and is a financial, administrative and commercial centre.

The Four Seasons at the First Residence

The Dusit Thani Lakeview Hotel, in the heart of Fifth Settlement, has the feel of a resort with lakes and greenery yet is only 20 minutes from the airport. FCMUPGRADE.COM

DESTINATION The luxurious JW Marriott also feels like a holiday property but it has good access for both the Convention Centre and the airport. 6th October As its name suggests, this is a new part of the city with many new universities. Helnan Dreamland is a Movenpick hotel appropriate for this student area. Serviced apartment and aparthotels are also a popular accommodation option in Cairo. They are in both exclusive buildings such as Staybridge Suites in Nasr City, and within hotels where suites include kitchen facilities, for example, the Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences. EATING Business travellers can enjoy Egyptian food at lunch or dinner on a Nile cruise, in El Husain (the old market), in the Downtown or Fifth Settlement districts, or in the Sheikh Zayed area in 6th October. For client entertaining try the Bab El Nil in the Fairmont Nile City which has daily live entertainment alongside its world class Middle Eastern cuisine, all while overlooking the Nile. The Revolving Restaurant, Cairo Tower has a real wow factor. Diners experience fine French food while being treated to amazing views of Cairo as it does a full rotation every 75 minutes. You could be looking at the pyramids with your starter before admiring the city’s Citadel with your dessert.

Cairo Marriott Hotel, Saray Gallery

The Pyramids of Giza

Drinking should be only at a hotel or restaurant. Locals can be quite relaxed about timekeeping but Egyptians usually take the European attitude towards punctuality for meetings with foreign visitors. Meetings can be either in the office or over a business lunch, depending on the culture of the company or individual. Foreign travellers need to practise patience when doing business in Cairo because every step of the process takes more time than it would in places like Europe. Business visitors should spend some time understanding the local culture and cultivating solid relationships with their local contacts. GETTING AROUND Taxis are popular and convenient. Uber is also available. There is a metro (underground) and a ground transportation network covering most of the city but rush hour, 7–9am and 4–6pm, should be avoided where possible. In the Fifth Settlement, 6th October and Nasr City it’s okay to walk from your hotel to the nearest restaurant. A taxi is advisable if staying in a hotel in Downtown.

The Egyptian Museum, which is stuffed with antiquities, is still in Downtown but in 2020 there will be a new Grand European Museum at Giza. 

INSIDER’S TIP Mohamed El Deeb, Corporate Sales Manager, FCM Travel Solutions, Egypt A common phenomenon in Cairo, which is more nuisance than dangerous, is for some locals to identify and approach foreign travellers whom they then proceed to engage with and stick to, inviting them to their homes or to purchase something. These people are everywhere so you need to be constantly aware when in public areas of the city such as tourist sites. They are especially present at the airport, but you can avoid this problem by arranging a meet- and-greet service. Tipping is expected for everything from restaurants to using toilets, and there is a large security presence in the city but it’s there to keep you safe.

TIME OFF

BUSINESS CUSTOMS Like the Gulf, the working week in Cairo is Sunday-Thursday. The dress code is business, and a handshake and business card are welcome upon meeting. Women are treated the same as men when doing business, but the Middle East culture should be respected. Short skirts or flimsy clothing and kisses or hugs on the street should be avoided.

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Cairo is rich in antiquities. Access to the pyramids, of which the Pyramids of Giza are probably the most famous, is easy because they are very close to the city itself. The Sphinx, which guards the Pyramids of Chephren and Mycerinus, is nearby. There are magnificent buildings to be seen by just walking around Cairo. These include the Coptic buildings of Old Cairo, just south of Downtown, the magnificent mosques and the city's gates, of which Bab Zuweila is probably the most famous.

Khan el-Khalili market

Transforming the business travel experience

fcmtravel.com/en-ae

MEA

NEWS

TOP STORY

FCM wins World’s Leading Travel Management Company at World Travel Awards FCM Travel Solutions, which has a presence in over 95 countries globally, is ending 2019 on a high after being named the World’s Leading Travel Management Company at the World Travel Awards for the ninth consecutive year.

proud to be the recipient of this

The World Travel Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry and is acknowledged as the ultimate travel accolade. Awards are voted for by travel and tourism professionals worldwide, which have recognised the commitment to excellence FCM has demonstrated over the past 12 months.

This award is a huge endorsement of

Marcus Eklund, Global Managing Director, FCM commented: “We are

enhancing technology, products

award for the ninth year running – it is a tremendous achievement to be recognised consistently for almost a decade as the Leading Travel Management Company worldwide. FCM’s agile approach and culture of fluid thinking, plus the dedication and drive of our people all of which enables us to deliver exceptional service and the right solutions for our customers” The award rounds off another year of outstanding growth and innovation for FCM with further investment in and processes.

FCM HOSTED ITS MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN DUBAI In October FCM Travel Solutions hosted its Middle East and Africa Regional Conference in Dubai. The purpose of this annual MEA regional conference

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FCM EXPANDS INTO FOUR NEW MARKETS At its Middle East and Africa Regional Conference in October, FCM announced further expansion into four new markets: Congo, DRC, Gabon and Ethiopia. FCM’s growth over the last several years in the Middle East and Africa region has tripled, with its footprint now approaching 30 countries in MEA, and 95+ globally. Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director MEA Network commented: “Over the last 12 to 24 months we have increasingly found that new and existing clients were asking us if FCM had a presence in these markets. Thus, we started the process of evaluating these markets over a period of several months. Each one has its own nuances and requirements and so we needed to ensure we found the most appropriate partners for our business and our customers if we were to expand into these new countries.

is to bring key suppliers, experts and colleagues together to share best practices and re-enforce their vision to ensure they continue to be one of the strongest travel management companies in the Middle East and Africa. This year the conference’s theme was ‘Think Fluid’, and customer experience was high on the agenda with a talk on ‘What does the customer want from a TMC?’. Experts from the customer experience world shared their knowledge, including Craig Lee, Customer Experience Leader at Activate

“I am delighted that we have reached partnership agreements with Hariom Travel to represent FCM in DRC, Congo and Gabon, and with Lalibela Travel in Ethiopia. This is an exciting development for FCM’s network and footprint in the Africa region. We see further growth opportunities in neighbouring markets in the coming months and beyond to ensure we have the right local servicing for our expanding client portfolio regionally and globally.”

Experience, focussing on how to make the entire journey seamless. Key clients such as Bacardi Group and KCA Deutag also joined FCM for a ‘Client Panel Advisory’ session sharing a procurement and finance perspective. FCM believes there has been an increased trend in the region from travel buyers wishing to consolidate their markets across the region; a demand for complete visibility of travel and expense expenditure; and a desire to seek expert proactive advice on

how best to maximise their spend. Over the last 12 months FCM has implemented some key global clients into their business and has seen a change in the buyers’ profile. Travel buyers of the future, the millennials and the role platforms such as Salesforce.com and LinkedIn play in FCM’s digital strategy were therefore a key focus of the threeday conference.

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SUPPLIERS

Connecting rooms Corporate hotel programmes are becoming much more dynamic MANY BUSINESS TRAVELLERS SHOP AROUND

“We look at the overall travel of a customer and align a hotel programme with its objectives such as CSR, sustainability and the kind of traveller experience they want their people to have.”

s Wimbledon is for tennis fans, the hotel RFP is a long-established fixture in most travel managers’ diaries. But there seems to be a revolution afoot… At last summer’s BTA Conference a panel discussing trends in the corporate travel industry agreed that “Supplier RFPs are now dead.” “There’s a change in how people are approaching things. A lot of people are trying to find a way of moving away from a soul-destroying 250-page document,” says Jo Lloyd, a partner at consultants Nina & Pinta and one of the panellists at the session. Rachel Newns, Head of Accommodation Programme Management for FCM consultants 4D, endorses this sentiment wholeheartedly. “The hotel RFP in its old format, where a customer is approaching hotels in hundreds of locations and getting alternative rates for every property, every year and then loading them into the GDS and publishing them is no longer the standalone, but it can form part of a hotel programme.

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The RFP in other words is about more than negotiating rates. Jo says, “You need the RFP process because it covers governance and makes sure that all is fair and equitable.” Rachel explains that an RFP need not be done on an annual basis – it could be for two years or longer if the client is amenable. “The hotel RFP is a starting point to get basic information and establish a framework for key hotels, validate that they’re the right properties to meet the company objectives, whatever they are.” The historical RFP lacked flexibility – there was an inherent assumption that corporates had a constant demand in terms of destinations and kinds of accommodation, that suppliers had a constant supply and that the market was stable.

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Hotel RFPs will soon be a thing of the past.” Rachel Newns, Head of Accommodation Programme Management, FCM consultants 4D

73%* spent at least 10 minutes shopping for the last hotel they stayed at

81%* considered at least two hotels before booking their last work trip

*among those who booked through a corporate online booking tool Source: GBTA, Personalization in Corporate Travel Lodging, 2018.

HOTEL PROGRAMMES FOR TODAY’S NEEDS Business needs and business conditions are constantly changing. According to Rachel, “Hotel RFPs will soon be a thing of the past but you might want a subject matter expert to help you navigate the many kinds of rates, different booking platforms, channels and properties – everyone bombards managers to say their property is best. “The challenge now is to find ways to keep a hotel programme relevant for market conditions and the client.”

The process may need innovation, but experts agree that the key is to understand the basics such as a company’s profile and what it wants to achieve through a travel programme. “The key to any category management is foundation – be clear on what you want. If not, the process will be conflicted because you don’t know what good looks like for you.” says Jo.

BUYERS ARE WILLING TO CONTRACT WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOTEL CHAINS TRADITIONAL CHAIN BRANDS

“LIFESTYLE” CHAIN BRANDS (e.g., Hotel Indigo, Cambria, W Hotels)

85%

65%

These views take hotel programmes way beyond purely saving money on transient traveller accommodation. As Rachel points out, “Anyone can make savings – just book cheaper hotels.” But corporates all have different travel needs. Some might have 10 locations and require only 10 good rates with 10 properties in those locations. On the other hand, a construction company is likely to have many projects in many locations so the places where accommodation is needed will be changing all the time because as one project ends, another begins. A DYNAMIC PROCESS For buyers the explosion in available data means sourcing hotels is becoming increasingly dynamic. Hotel programme management is now being done on a regular basis rather than as a once-ayear exercise. “We have so much data now,” says Rachel. “It’s at our fingertips. You can see exactly where travellers are staying. It’s not good enough to wait six months or a year to change your programme. You’ve got to be on top of it all the time.” Rachel stresses the importance that 4D places on identifying their clients’ objectives: do they need to generate savings or is the goal to increase employee retention and traveller satisfaction? The properties that go on the programme and are listed on the corporate self-booking tool will change in line with a client’s objectives. Companies have traditionally opted for properties in close proximity to their various locations, but the quality of the accommodation can also be an important factor. One main objective of a hotel programme for an FCM client in the pharmaceutical sector was to encourage employee loyalty and staff retention. It therefore prioritised including extras which improved the traveller experience such as premium WiFi, breakfast and transfers.

SMALL BOUTIQUE CHAIN BRANDS (e.g., 21C, Kimpton, Joie de Vivre)

58%

Source: GBTA, Are Corporate Hotel Programs Riding the Traveler Experience Wave?, 2019

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People are trying to find a way of moving away from a souldestroying 250-page document.” Jo Lloyd, Partner, Nina & Pinta

There are definitely new approaches. Jo Lloyd believes that innovation is key to the successful management of a modern hotel programme. She explains how some will look at their hotel analytics and ask, “How can we go about it in a more creative way? For example, one new disruptor suggests just emailing a hotel in a destination with the message “Company XYZ would like a deal and they will pay a rate of so much.” Some properties apparently accept. “People are trying to manage these programmes dynamically,” she says. “The key is the ability to make informed decisions.” THE HOTEL COMPANIES Corporates may be moving from a once-a-year rate negotiation to a more dynamic programme, but suppliers are not adapting in the same way. They are unsurprisingly reluctant to fix rates for two or three years as markets can be volatile and demand

and supply in any destination can change rapidly. However, the increasing popularity of dynamic pricing means this could be changing. As this method is simply an agreed percentage discount off a property’s BAR (best available rate), a dynamic rate will have an inherent link to market conditions. Corporate programmes could very easily veer towards a blended approach of having fixed-term corporate rates in heavily used destinations, and dynamic rates in less popular business locales. After all, a client is unlikely to want dynamic pricing in a heavily used destination as high usage would signal an increase in demand and trigger a higher rate – not exactly the reward a corporate would want in exchange for giving a property a high volume of business. Rachel observes that “Hotel chains are now ready to promote chainwide agreements – the customer gets a discount across all or many of the group’s properties in exchange for performance at a few top hotels for their travellers.” Accommodation sourcing is no longer about an annual RFP; it’s an on-going programme. 

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INTERVIEW

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We need to provide business travellers with user-friendly technology and tools.” Marie-Reine Koné, Manager of FCM Ivory Coast

In conversation

Sub

Upgrade talks to Marie-Reine Koné, Manager of FCM Ivory Coast

I left France and moved to Côte d’Ivoire in 1976 to teach maths.

What is top of your list of places in the world you’ve never visited but would like to?

That allowed me to go back to France as often as possible so

Yemen, Jordan and Australia.

What brought you into travel?

that I could settle into my new African life without becoming too homesick. I then worked for airline agency UTA, then Alitalia, which prepared me for my career in the travel industry. In 2005 I bought AFRIC Voyages which I have led since 1991.

Who in the industry has influenced you most? I won't answer ‘who’, but I will answer ‘what’! It was relocating from France - my passion for the job and the industry followed on from this.

Is there an appreciation in the Ivory Coast of the difference between leisure and business travel? Not really! The Ivorian community

What are you hoping to achieve as President of the Ivory Coast Association of Travel Agencies? To further professionalise travel agencies as there are still far too many amateurs in the industry. Also, to bring a focus on wellbeing into the professional sector.

If you could change one thing in the travel industry, what would it be? For travel agencies to collaborate with the airlines as they would with hotel chains, car rental companies and tour operators. Too many travel agencies are still waiting (unsuccessfully) for the airlines. Our business model has changed considerably, and we are no longer resellers of air tickets. We must communicate that we are service companies whose purpose is to support anyone wishing to travel by offering them the carrier, hotel and route most appropriate for their needs.

travels mainly for business, commercial or family reasons. We, the travel agencies, have work to do to develop leisure travel! Business travel is much easier to arrange. 20

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Are there any special challenges in organising travel from one African country to another? Yes, there are some important challenges. African interstate airline tickets are expensive because of steep taxes, and there are no low-cost carriers. African airlines also aren’t

subject to any international passenger protection regulations for flight delays or cancellations. And in cases where visas are required between African countries, this can be expensive.

Is business travel booking generally done online or offline? An online travel agency encounters many challenges in Ivory Coast because none of the banks, French or African, are currently able to offer a resilient online payment platform. Some agencies opt for a hybrid (online and offline) model but bookings can only be created online and the agency must issue the ticket which is not ideal. It’s therefore not always a question of preference but of necessity. If the traveller wishes to book online it’s possible, but online purchasing isn’t a seamless experience.

What is the quality – and quantity! – of business travel accommodation in Ivory Coast? Neither quality nor quantity are at the level they should be. The most important problem is the "human resources" factor. Not enough people have been trained in the service and tourism sector. There also aren’t enough suitable hotel rooms. However, hotel chain presence is constantly improving. We currently have Accor and Radisson Blu alongside some African chains such as Azzalai and Onomo, and small private hotels of lower quality. Others such as Movenpick and Four Seasons are currently under construction.

There is currently an ambitious tourism development project underway called “Sublime Côte d'Ivoire" and we have every reason to hope for a rapid and real development!

What do you do to relax?

Heading What is the process and quality for travel data in Ivory Coast? The problem many travel agencies face is that they don’t always have the tools they need to access and provide quantitative and qualitative data to their customers. Agencies need to recognise the importance of providing clients with accurate, high quality reports, especially to meet the standards expected of international customers and to offer better services to our clients.

High quality mid- and back-office systems need to be set up to achieve professional standards. Joining the FCM network several years ago enabled us to make great improvements to the management reporting we’re able to deliver to our customers. For many other local businesses it’s still a challenge.

What is the biggest challenge for business travellers in Ivory Coast? At present only a small handful of airlines accept credit card as a form of payment. This slows the acceptance and usage of corporate lodge cards considerably, and means that travellers must use a “traditional” travel agency.

Short trips (not longer than 8 days), time with my family (children and grandchildren!) and above all, reading.

How has partnering with FCM changed your business, if at all?

Our partnership with FCM works well. We are servicing several multi-national clients and collaborating on an increasing amount of business every year. FCM brings us a more modern and western vision of what a travel agency should be. They have introduced excellent technology solutions into our business, and we have learnt a lot from them. The team has helped us with new opportunities and we expect the relationship to go from strength to strength.

What would you like to be your travel legacy? I would like to change the behaviour of corporates in West Africa in two ways. Firstly, to accept different payment solutions (corporate bank card, lodge card, etc.). Secondly, to be a one stop-shop not only for air tickets but to make the entire journey – whether for business or leisure – a smooth end-toend process. 

We also need to streamline travel management for business travellers by providing them with user-friendly technology and tools to manage their travel and improve the customer experience.

QUICKFIRE ROUND Last film you saw Hmmm that’s difficult! The American film The Joker, but I do prefer French movies

Quiet dinner or busy cocktail bar?

Next holiday Somewhere in Sénégal

Wilfried Zaha or Didier Drogba? Didier Drogba

Quiet dinner

Kedjenou or pizza? Pizza

Last holiday Saint Malo in France

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TECHNOLOGY

Brain dump Linda Fox looks at how biometrics are changing the way travellers move through their journeys

ot many travellers stop on their way through airport security to consider what the biometric scanning gates they pass through are really

all about.

There is an assumption that it’s just a part of the process that we have to go through, with travellers inherently trusting both the system and that our personal details will be looked after. After all, a quick glance at the Gatwick Airport’s website for example, reveals that the iris recognition technology used is by order of the UK’s Home Office and is not optional. What’s interesting however, is that builtin trust in these airport systems helps build confidence in biometric technology which is gradually being employed across different pockets of the wider travel industry. There are a number of additional factors which are helping to drive adoption. For one, anything that helps speed customers more seamlessly through

checks and queues, enhancing the experience along the way, is seen as a positive. In April this year, British Airways said that 250,000 of its passengers had used biometric technology to verify their identity to board flights from the US. Global distribution giant Amadeus recently piloted technology with Ljubljana Airport to speed up boarding. This enabled passengers to take a selfie, alongside passport and boarding card details, and have it matched with a photo at boarding. Some travel suppliers are employing the technology to provide a perk for frequent travellers. Hertz, for example, introduced biometric lanes using facial recognition and fingerprint scans almost a year ago, with a claim that they would make renting a car 75% faster. At launch these lanes were open to the company’s Gold Plus Rewards members as well as members of CLEAR,

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As biometric technology becomes ubiquitous, consumers are naturally becoming more accepting of it.” FCMUPGRADE.COM

TECHNOLOGY

2024

5 billion

TRAVELLERS WILL BE USING A GOVERNMENTISSUED DIGITAL ID GLOBALLY

2019

1.7 billion TRAVELLERS USE A GOVERNMENTISSUED DIGITAL ID

the company which developed the technology, who chose to upgrade. Earlier this year it also upgraded its mobile app to enable customers to log in via fingerprint or facial recognition, and then use the app to reserve vehicles, manage their accounts and access other services.

PERCENTAGE OF AIRLINES WHICH PLAN TO INVEST IN BIOMETRIC ID TECHNOLOGIES BY 2021

experience, from enabling guests to access lifts to unlocking rooms through facial recognition. And Alibaba, Fliggy’s parent company, is using biometrics in further innovations. A partnership with Marriott in China was unveiled last year enabling guests to check in using facial recognition.

70%

As these pockets of innovation grow and the technology becomes ubiquitous, consumers are naturally becoming more accepting of it. But should travel managers be concerned about their travellers’ data and whether it’s being looked after?

Biometric technology is also being made use of in the hotel and payments industries.

Some of the answer lies in the counter question: what privacy is there really in a world of social media platforms and seriously smart smartphones that are said to track us and even listen to our every word?

For example, Chinese travel platform Fliggy announced the opening of a hotel, FlyZoo, in Hangzhou, in March 2019. The property uses biometric technology to improve the guest

Many people have heard stories of talking about travel plans and being served advertisements for those travel plans shortly after in their social media platforms, Gmail or ads on Google.

Digital security specialist Gemalto says that while there are no legal provisions specific to biometric data protection, legislation such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation do address biometric data. Individual countries are likely to have their own biometric privacy regulations. So far it seems the onus is on travel companies to know the rules and stick within them. Although unrelated to biometric data privacy, both British Airways and Marriott International were handed down multi-million pound fines for data breaches by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office. Privacy issues around biometric usage will become clearer as the technology advances. In addition to the developments mentioned above, there are wider industry initiatives such as the World Economic Forum’s Known Traveller Digital Identity (KDTI). KDTI is about using emerging technologies to create a more seamless experience for travellers, as well as giving them more control of their data.

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The idea is that identity information usually stored on a passport is encrypted and stored on a mobile phone. Passengers consent to share their data with border security, airlines and other travel partners. The data is checked along each segment of the journey, using biometric technology. A KDTI trial of paperless travel involving Canada, the Netherlands and the WEF, as well as airline and airport partners, was carried out earlier this year.

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Some travel suppliers are employing the technology to provide a perk for frequent travellers.” The International Air Transport Association is developing a similar paperless concept involving biometrics called One ID. The airlines’ organisation highlights benefits of the development such as enhanced security, a seamless experience and cost and efficiency gains. In many ways, it already feels as if biometric technology in travel is a tide that won’t be held back.

A recent report from SITA1 - 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age reveals that by 2025, the number of travellers using a government-issued digital ID will rise from a predicted 1.7 billion in 2019 to more than 5 billion in 2024. The research also reveals that most airport and airline IT executives believe that tech-savvy travellers have the most important influence on their passenger solutions strategy. It also reveals that by 2021, more than 70% of airlines plan to invest in biometric ID technologies. Further developments are also likely to fuel the spread of biometric usage in travel. Voice recognition technology is an other one to watch. Younger generations are already comfortable with voice search via mobile devices and are growing up with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices.

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This might indicate a general shift away from biometrics such as fingerprint scanning and a move towards other measurements such as voice recognition. Time will tell. 

Anything that helps speed customers more seamlessly through checks and queues is seen as a positive.” 1. SITA, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, 2019

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EVENTS

Remote controls Catherine Chetwynd finds that isolated venues can focus delegate attention

he risk with any conference held in a city centre is that delegates might absent themselves in order to enjoy the temptations of the metropolis or even slip back to the office. One way to counter this is to take them to a remote venue: once participants have been transferred from the nearest airport or rail station, they then have to stay put for the duration. This is particularly valuable when the material being discussed is sensitive, whether that is a new product or service that the launching company wants kept away from prying, competitive eyes or financial news which should not be revealed until a set date. Having all delegates confined to one site could also lead to more efficient use of time and greater concentration on the content. In addition, if the host organisation chooses to contract for exclusive use of the venue, there will be ample opportunity for branding, pop-up stands and other promotional outlets. This is particularly true of the medical and

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pharmaceutical industries: “A conference about paediatrics might have makers of supplies that are used in that sector and for a fee, are offered a sponsorship package to include time with delegates, a stand in the coffee break area and an opportunity for networking,” says cievents Business Leader, Martin Rottiné. There are, of course, also downsides to remote locations. Travel can incur additional cost and take more time, and arrivals may have to be staggered, especially if people are arriving from outside the UK. There is also the question of free time. If participants are in a city centre, they can be given an evening off, an allowance for a meal and the ability to enjoy opportunities that are on their doorstep. In more remote venues, it is the organiser’s responsibility to manage down time. Distant areas may also have a limited mobile signal – something that delegates may view as a problem but perhaps not organisers. During a programme that lasts several days, it will be necessary to take

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Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire

A remote venue is particularly valuable when the material being discussed is sensitive.” delegates offsite for some meals. “We did a big programme for a drinks company and they wanted to visit distilleries in Scotland during the conference. If you are in a remote area, it is more difficult to do that,” says Rottiné. In fact, accessibility is generally a priority for event organisers. “In our experience, the practicality of ease of access and the associated cost are usually some of the prime considerations for venue selection.”

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The practicality of ease of access and the associated cost are usually some of the prime considerations for venue selection” Martin Rottiné, cievents Business Leader

A FEW EXAMPLES Nonetheless, for those looking to contain delegates far from temptation, here are some options for splendid isolation.

Portsmouth Harbour, 20 minutes from dry land by boat. The location boasts a function room at the top of the fort, with excellent views across the Solent, as well as a library and games room.

The Celtic Manor Resort’s facilities range from boardrooms to ballrooms and most recently, conference centre ICC Wales. There are also spaces in the Celtic Manor Golf Club and The Twenty Ten Club House. Situated in 2,000 acres of parkland close to Newport, Wales, the property has championship golf courses, an academy and driving range; treetops high ropes course, two spas and 554 rooms in four hotels. Seven restaurants should cater for most culinary requirements and the hotel can be reached from the M4, Cardiff and Bristol airports and Newport rail station.

Or head north to Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire for history, 36 acres of gardens and some bespoke service, as did one of the top five global management consultancy firms, who took 160 delegates for three nights’ glamping. They were transferred from Glasgow airport to Glenapp by coach, checked in on the coach and given luggage labels with a name and tent number so that they could go straight to a welcome dram and lunch.

Strong associations with motor sport and horse racing mean The Goodwood Hotel lends itself to team building and competitive activities; two golf courses and clays complete the picture. And for those not satisfied with staying on the ground, Goodwood Aerodrome not only provides a means of access to the hotel but also a flying school. There are three main meeting spaces, plus syndicate rooms. As the name suggests, The Vineyard in Stockcross near Newbury sets its store by its wine list, particularly those from California. Less sybaritic, the hotel prides itself on events organisation, “style and discretion”. The California Suite (160 capacity) is in the hotel but those looking for greater isolation could take advantage of the Atrium Suite, comprising 16 spaces and a dedicated entrance, or the Sonoma Suite at the top of the hotel, with syndicate room.

Glenapp Castle glamping

For those pulling in delegates from across the UK, a central venue such as Mallory Court near Leamington Spa combines 10 rolling acres with a number of meeting rooms (150 capacity). Activities that can be arranged in the grounds range from duck herding to archery. Elevating isolation to art form is Spitbank Fort (60 capacity) in

Meetings and a conference took up Day 1, and on Day 2 guests could choose between a two-hour Pro Golf Clinic at Turnberry, a 5-mile walk along the Ayrshire Coastal Path with a guide or a smuggling orienteering challenge, reflecting Ballantrae’s smuggling history. This involved finding their way on foot to the harbour, rowing to collect contraband from Ballantrae Bay and returning to Glenapp via the river Stinchar and Kilpin Glen, with the risk they would be caught with the contraband by local excise men. A five-course gala dinner and ceilidh took place on the first night and on the second night, after a pre-dinner whisky and craft gin tasting, guests enjoyed an informal hog roast, followed by music from a young local band. Everything about the event was wellappointed, including luxury shower and toilet units, towelling robes and slippers; tents were serviced by housekeeping three times a day; and a phone charging point was set up in a second marquee with labels and pens to ensure guests could identify their phone. Even castle owner Paul Szkiler welcomed guests and told them about the castle’s history. That’s the kind of conference no delegate in their right mind would try and sneak away from – but the isolated location also ensured they did not try. 

The Celtic Manor Golf and Resort Hotel

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