How would you sum up the 2018 edition of the Business Travel Show ?
David Chapple - It was an unqualified success. All you had to do was stand in the main aisle to see it: the stands were bigger, more creative and livelier. The number of participants rose again, from 7962 to 8608 visitorsThis represents an increase of 8%. More importantly, feedback from our exhibitors confirms what we already knew: the quality of visitors is increasing every year.
Is a bigger exhibition necessarily a better exhibition for a professional event like the BTS?
D. C. - From a buyer's point of view, a larger size may be preferable as it means more choice in terms of suppliers and more educational content. From the suppliers' point of view, even though the number of visitors has increased every year for the last four years, we are convinced that a larger size is only preferable if it means a qualitative increase in the number of buyers. That's why we invest every year in the programme " hosted buyers" at the Business Travel Show.
What do you think of the current state of the business travel market?
D. C. - The business travel market seems to be in a good position. Our own research, as well as other surveys, has shown that buyers have travel budgets on the rise. Economic and political issues, such as the Brexit or the Trump presidencyHowever, the new technologies have not had the negative impact that some had predicted. Business travel is currently in a state of flux, with the rise of new technologies challenging the status quo, and naturally influencing the way we manage our travel and meetings. TroopTravel, this year's winner of the " Disrupt Award "of the show.
What is the biggest challenge for Travel Managers in 2018?
D. C. - The biggest challenge is to reduce costs while continuing to add value to the travel programme. Airline distribution, hotel room availability, the duty of careThe new generations of travellers are also among the major challenges. But the list is long, and constantly evolving.
Who would have thought five years ago that Airbnb, Uber and even easyJet would be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show?
Will a player like Google one day be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show, affirming its ambitions in the market?
D. C. - Google certainly has the size and technological capacity to achieve its objectives in the travel market. So never say never! Who would have thought five years ago thatAirbnb, Uberor even easyJetWould they be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show? Yet they were all present at this year's show...
Are the major trends emerging in the surveys - duty of care, collaborative economy, bleisure - really being taken on board by Travel Managers?
D. C. - Absolutely. In fact, these three trends are linked. The duty of care has already had a considerable impact on travel policies. It is essential for Travel Managers to do everything possible to ensure the safety of their travellers and to be able to locate them at any time to support them in the event of a crisis. This is one of the reasons why the adoption of thecollaborative economy has been so slow. Some managers are happy to be able to include these players in their programme, while others are more reticent because of the problems associated with the duty of care. The logic is the same for the bleisureThis creates a grey area in the division of responsibilities between the traveller and the company in terms of safety.
What impact has Brexit had on British business travel so far, and what do you expect to see in the months ahead?
D. C. - The impact is fairly limited. According to some surveys, travel spending slowed immediately after the Brexit announcement, but this was short-lived. Personally, I don't expect any change over the next few months. It remains to be seen what will happen after the UK leaves the European Union.
