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Despite online meetings and conferences now taking place more frequently thanks to the pandemic, face-to-face business meetings and conferences are making a comeback. At least 47% of workers are now more comfortable collaborating in person than virtually, so setting up face-to-face meetings with business partners and clients is still valuable.
Larger business trip events require a careful organization to ensure everything runs smoothly, so it’s always worth knowing about a few things to remember during the planning stages.
Business trip coordination: Things to consider
- Accommodation
When you’re looking for corporate accommodation online, assess your options based on a budget. Try to make sure that your accommodation is as close to the required venues as possible to avoid delays and disruptions.
Additionally, you should always check hotel amenities including the Wi-Fi quality, since you and your colleagues are more than likely to need online access throughout your stay. It’s also possible to find specialist corporate accommodation, which could be a worthwhile bonus for your colleagues.
- Travel arrangements
Getting organized ahead of time will help to ensure your trip runs smoothly from start to finish.
Starting with your flights, you should always search and book far enough in advance – not only to secure your seats but also to get the best deal possible. If you’re taking local public transport once you arrive, make sure you check that buses and trains are running at convenient times.
You should always allow enough transfer time to your accommodation or business venue too. If you own a company car and you’d like to save money on car rental while you’re abroad, these can be covered with short-term car insurance to last the duration of your trip.
With more business travelers seeking sustainable travel solutions, you should try to choose the most fuel-efficient option for your group.
- Itinerary
An itinerary doesn’t need to be set in stone for the entire trip, but having an idea of your group activities and movements will support you in keeping your team organized.
Try to inform all employees attending about how each day should run. This includes scheduling enough time for transport, ensuring everyone is briefed on the goals of the trip, and knowing who will be involved in meetings.
- Emergency preparations
Planning a business trip means you’ll also need to be prepared for an emergency scenario, too. Make sure that up-to-date emergency contact details are given to the relevant staff members, with the names of at least one next of kin.
Before departure or while you’re on the way, inform all attending employees of what to do in an emergency. Obtaining a robust and comprehensive travel insurance policy is also a sensible idea, as it could protect you against unforeseen circumstances, including injuries and illness.
Concluding thoughts…
Putting together every planning stage for a business trip is never easy, but once you’re out there and enjoying it, every effort will be worth it. With time and commitment, before the trip commences, you can deliver a smooth and seamless trip and take away only positive memories with your team.
