The double-digit cuts in corporate travel spending that most companies implemented in the second half of last year are clearly visible in the slimmed-down data reported in these 2008 listings, but 2009 figures are likely to look gaunt.
Undoubtedly, some of the travel that was cut was unnecessary. Yet, overwhelmingly, business travel spending is not about perks or extravagance, but about a cost of doing business that facilitates decision making. This 22nd annual Corporate Travel 100 benchmarking report shows a decline in overall spending for the group in 2008 to $10.3 billion, from $11.2 billion in 2007.
We based our rankings on air tickets bought at the U.S. point of sale, as we have for more than a dozen years. The overwhelming majority of companies on this list provided that information, as well as other details about preferred vendors, program accomplishments and goals and policy changes, through phone interviews and questionnaire responses. For companies that did not participate,
BTN used industry sources and published reports and gave companies the opportunity to improve the accuracy of listings prior to publication. Data represent U.S. business travel operations for the most recent full year, 2008.
BTN in this issue recognizes buyers who have done the most in the past year to elevate specific travel management practices. This year,
BTN highlighted the 2009 Best Practitioners' efforts to improve automated meetings reporting, ensure hotel rates are accurately loaded into global distribution systems and use mobile devices to drive travel policy compliance.
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Click on the headlines to download the full stories in PDF format.2009 Best Practitioner: Johnson & Johnson's Maria ChevalierSince joining the company less than two years ago, Johnson & Johnson global director of travel and meetings services Maria Chevalier boosted first-round hotel rate-loading accuracy from 50 percent to more than 90 percent through targeted communication with hotels along with the introduction of a penalty for noncompliant properties.
2009 Best Practitioner: The Advisory Board Co.'s Steven MandelbaumFollowing the transition to a new online booking tool last year, The Advisory Board Co.'s managing director of information systems and travel buyer Steven Mandelbaum integrated the technology into employee workflow processes, allowing online booking to synchronize with travelers' calendars and providing travelers with online travel service applications for their handheld mobile devices.
2009 Best Practitioner: Amgen's Marybeth RobertsLed by director of global meetings management Marybeth Roberts, pharma giant Amgen has pushed tech vendor StarCite to reconfigure its systems to accommodate conventions data, standardize input across business units and enhance reporting on the company's group spending.
Best Practitioners Roundtable DiscussionBTN invited the Best Practitioners to meet in a room provided by the National Business Travel Association before the start of their International Convention & Exposition in late August in San Diego.
Agency Share Of CT100 2008 U.S. Booked Air VolumeClick here to download
BTN's measurement of CT100 travel management company marketshare.