Travel agency support company ABC Global Services has
launched HotelConnex Sourcing Solutions to source hotels on behalf of travel
management companies and corporate clients.
CEO Eric Altschul said ABC recognized, in working with TMC
partners, that custom sourced hotel programs are "a big driver of
dissatisfaction" in the industry for both TMCs and corporate clients.
"A TMC—if they were helping their client with sourcing, it was often the
account manager who was not an expert at sourcing—doesn't have insight into the
benchmarks and competitive rates, what should be included, what shouldn't be
included," Altschul said. "We thought there was a big opportunity to
help our TMC partners service their corporate clients in improving their
satisfaction with not just the process but the end result."
The company soft-launched the service last year with select
clients, a process that helped Altschul and his team realize that "in the
midmarket, there's no one size that fits all." HotelConnex is instead
available in three service tiers: core, comprehensive and premium. Services
include RFP management, global distribution service rate audits and custom
reporting and benchmarking, as well as consulting services. Additionally, ABC
is making HotelConnex available as a white label for TMCs.
Altshul said the company considers the midmarket its sweet
spot for corporate clients, but it works with companies of any size. He
declined to name any HotelConnex clients but said that last year, ABC worked
with some customers that had as few as six hotel RFPs and others that had as
many as 600.
ABC recently named Carlson Wagonlit Travel Hotel
Solutions Group vet Josh Gilmore as director of hotel sourcing. Gilmore will report
to business development and client solutions VP David Marcus, who joined from
American Express Global Business Travel's consulting unit.