Innovative solutions for Business Travel, at the Corporate Lodging Forum in Madrid

Date : 30/04/2018
Author : Forum Business Travel

The Corporate Lodging Forum (CLF), organized by HRS on April 24 in Madrid, opened the debate on the latest trends to simplify business travel, proposals aimed at both decision-makers and travelers themselves. The conference featured the intervention of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Garcí a-Margallo.

Under the slogan “Simplify Business Travel” (Simplify Business Travel), the Corporate Lodging Forum (CLF) organized by HRS at the NH Collection Eurobuilding hotel in Madrid, brought together more than 100 professionals from the business travel segment. The event had the support and participation of Forum Business Travel.

During the day, participants shared innovative solutions to help travel managers play an increasingly complex and strategic role: travelers have to deal with new technologies, processes and policies that are changing the industry, while reconciling cost pressures and growing traveler demands.

This year's keynote speaker, José Manuel García-Margallo, former foreign minister, analyzed the current political and economic situation and its influence on business travel. “We have all the objective conditions to climb positions in business tourism: attractions such as gastronomyía, cultural and natural heritage and infrastructures with which we have make it more pleasant to come to Spainña than to another countryís“, apuntó.

Also, the former minister affirmed that “business travel contributes significantly to the positioning of Spainña brand and is a strong source of income for our country“.

During the CLF different conferences and roundtables that analyzed the current situation and challenges of Business Travel were held.Marco D´llario, VP Sourcing at HRS, spoke at the conference, which analyzed the efficiency and profitability of outsourcing corporate travel. According to the HRS representative, the importance of the CLF lies in "opening a dialogue between companies to share experiences, challenges and difficulties. Knowing what others have done is vital for the sector to evolve“.

The president of AERCE, Juan José Jiménez, was in charge of the closing of the day. In his closing speech he stated that “simplicity is the main objective of business travel, an activity that takes place in an increasingly globalized world, where the price war and high competition remain the main difficulties faced“.

The Madrid CLF is part of a series of events being held in 13 cities around the world, in which more than 1,500 travel managers and opinion leaders from the business travel industry will participate this year.