Business tourism: essential training

According to the Ministry of Labour, "All companies, regardless of their size, must contribute to the funding of vocational training for their employees: through sandwich courses, training plans, professionalisation contracts and periods, the individual right to training (DIF) and individual training leave (CIF)". All companies are therefore obliged to pay a contribution to the Opca (approved joint collection body) to which they belong. This compulsory contribution varies according to the size of the workforce: less than ten employees, from ten to less than twenty employees, or twenty or more employees. In all cases, employers must report their contributions to the authorities, according to a specific timetable, by means of a special tax return.

In return, the approved joint collecting bodies develop local services for the benefit of member companies or employees: advice, help in drawing up various training projects, etc., and provide the funding for training initiatives. Companies, for their part, have one year in which to use the training contributions they have made.

Training, an investment

In practice, however, it appears that due to a lack of time and sometimes resources, they often prefer to lose these sums rather than take part in a training programme. This is particularly true in the business tourism sector, which includes a large number of SMEs. According to a study published in 2005 and carried out by the Bedouk Éditions-Coach Omnium business tourism observatory, in recent years training as traditionally understood has been losing ground: from 35 % of professional events organised in 1998, it had fallen to 33 % in 2005. According to Mark Watkins, Director of Coach Omnium, this proportion could still be reduced. "This is because, for reasons of event management, it is likely that various meetings such as a seminar, product launch or incentive operation will be included under the heading of training.

And yet, paradoxically, professionals in the business tourism and events sector need training! "The market is reaching a certain level of maturity. Once we've agreed on a definition of our professions, it's absolutely essential that we have the same expertise", says Olivier Mothes, associate director of Barocco Événement and head of the continuing education session at Anaé (the national association of event consultancy agencies). "As a result, we need to train our staff so that they have the same culture and skills, whether we're working in business tourism or events. Once we've taken this step, we'll finally be speaking the same language, which will guarantee quality and professional recognition. Unfortunately, in French culture, training is often synonymous with wasting time. It's becoming a matter of urgency that agency managers no longer see membership fees as compulsory taxes, but rather as an investment that can very quickly be turned into added value!"

Two of the existing training modules are particularly relevant to companies specialising in business tourism. The DIF and the training plan. Since 7 May 2005, the DIF has been in force in companies.

From now on, all employees with one year's seniority in the company will benefit from a capital of 20 hours' training per year, which can be accumulated over six years, giving a maximum of 120 hours. Training on the employee's initiative, with the employer's agreement. This training takes place outside working hours, unless there is a branch or company agreement to the contrary. As far as pay is concerned, if the training takes place during working time, it is maintained; outside working time, an allowance equal to 50 % of the employee's net salary is paid by the employer. Training costs are borne by the company and can be deducted from the employee's contribution to continuing professional development.

At the same time, all employers are required to submit a training plan. This brings together all the training, skills assessment and validation of acquired experience initiatives that the employer has chosen for its employees. According to Alain Meignant, consultant and author of the book "Manager la formation", published by Liaisons, "a training plan should express the choices a company makes, at a given time, about the resources it decides to allocate to developing the skills of its employees... These choices are or should be linked to priorities, themselves defined according to the importance of economic, technical or social issues". As Arnaud Brizé, trainer and legal expert, confirms, "the training plan is the employer's basic tool!

In short, as with a marketing plan, when it comes to training, a company needs to develop a real strategy based on clearly defined objectives. This is the case at CarlsonWagonlit France, where every year Ana Paula Machado, head of training, defines a multi-level plan. "Training represents 2.6 % of our payroll, which is enormous! Alongside the training plan, we have a range of support measures for employees, such as validation of acquired experience. Whether internal or external, our training courses are always evaluated after each session.

Expertise and competence

Furthermore, as the business tourism sector continues to evolve, there is a growing need for specialised training, as Jean-Luc Jankowski, Head of Conferences and Training at Varenne Entreprise-Voyages d'Affaires, confirms. "Our main targets are travel managers and purchasing managers. Over the last four or five years, the demands have become more demanding: How do you measure the impact of an event? How to measure the impact of an event? The importance of events in a company... How to manage your travel budget more effectively? To carry out these operations successfully, he calls on trainers chosen for their expertise and teaching skills. Among them is Mathieu Gufflet, from EPSA, a purchasing consultancy specialising in business travel and tourism. "It's our expertise in the market that has led to requests for trainers: companies ask us to pass on our know-how. For us, these days are an opportunity to exchange experiences and keep an eye on the market."

Sharing experiences

For many trainers, it's also an opportunity for indirect, qualified prospecting: participants are potential customers. The same motivation applies to the speakers. Often unpaid, they come in at the request of the trainer to provide expertise on a specific subject, or to share their experience. Their presence, which is much appreciated by the participants, also enables these professionals to promote their company and add to their address book.

Great attention is paid to the choice of venue. In addition to road, air and rail accessibility, the site is also selected for its gratifying and sympathetic aspect: a four-star hotel, a museum or theatre, etc. "It is imperative that our training courses take place in a pleasant environment. If the trainees are happy to be there, they automatically remember the course better and more positively. It's only human", adds Olivier Mothes.

Measuring the impact

Once the training has been completed, companies can measure the benefits: improved collective or individual performance - for example, increased sales or lower scrap rates - easier projects or investments, a new step such as successful retraining, etc.

But beyond these tangible criteria, training sessions enable participants to get together with colleagues, exchange experiences and reinforce a sense of belonging to a corporation. "These are irreplaceable tools for professional recognition and motivation," confirms Mark Watkins. And that's priceless.