The Top Trends of GBTA Convention 2022

Corporate travel is back.

Last week, 4,000-plus people from around the world got together in San Diego for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention 2022 to reconnect with old friends, meet new contacts, and explore the wave of innovation that is pushing business travel forward.

Three major trends are driving the business travel community forward and helping to provide better experiences to travelers.

A new focus on traveler experience

Following the shutdown of global travel in early 2020, the corporate travel industry had to grapple with a breakdown in its service model that left travelers stranded around the world and companies without visibility into where travelers were or what had happened to unused airfares.

With business travel rebooting, the infrastructure issues that caused the issues remain. It’s all about the industry’s technology stack.

Legacy travel management companies and technology companies are looking for new ways to provide a better experience to travelers and empower travel managers.

At Spotnana, our travel technology platform is built to provide unparalleled experiences to travelers without the tech debt and inefficiencies that hold back most corporate travel programs.

“We don’t talk about online and offline booking, with Spotnana travelers make their booking on the same platform,” said Johnny Thorsen, Spotnana’s VP of Strategy & Partnerships, on a GBTA panel discussing options outside of traditional online booking tools for corporations alongside representatives from established players including SAP Concur, FCM, and Serko.

“Our platform is completely open, meaning we allow anyone to connect,” said Thorsen. “Most importantly, we started building just before Covid; we have built our own cloud-based order management system. If you think about all the times you’ve heard about the PNR being a limitation, we are modeling that away.”

Next-gen technology platforms like Spotnana help corporations and travel management companies alike deliver a superior traveler experience. Forward-looking travel management companies are looking to improve the experience they provide to their customers by revamping their technology stacks.

“There’s only one business model legacy corporate travel comes with,” said Thorsen. “You can create new business models in the new distribution channels that you cannot create in the old world.”

A commitment to sustainability

It’s powerful to see the beginning of an industry-wide commitment to sustainable business practices that encourages both travelers and their organizations to make green travel decisions.

With a dedicated sustainability pavilion outside the main stage, and a large series of main stage content devoted to improving sustainability across corporate travel, it’s clear that more companies are taking green business practices seriously.

Beyond simply tracking the carbon output of flights, platforms need to provide travelers a variety of options to choose from when reducing their carbon footprint.

Sustainability is baked into the core of our platform here at Spotnana and we are proud to join the movement toward reducing business travel’s impact on the environment.

The power of meeting in person

New corporate needs and traveler expectations call for powerful solutions to safely and simply bring people together.

TROOP demoed its new integration with Spotnana on the GBTA Expo floor, which enables its users to enjoy an integrated algorithm-based meeting planning and travel booking experience.

It takes committed partners and innovative thinking to move business travel forward.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Spotnana booth to learn more about how we are simplifying travel and providing unparalleled travel experiences.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how Spotnana can improve your corporate travel program, send us a message and we’ll get in touch.