Just a few months after his arrival at American Express Business Travel (GBT), Guillaume Col had his baptism of fire under the EVP banner on Thursday. The new Managing Director and Vice President for France, Belgium and the Netherlands was able to call on the support of a number of key players, including Bill Glenn, CEO of American Express GBT, Elyes Mrad, who was appointed Managing Director (EMEA) eight days earlier, and Philippe Chérèque, the TMC's new 'Mr Techno'. So there were new faces, a new setting - the prestigious Palais Brongniart - and a new style, "more modern, reflecting the new culture of American Express GBT", warned Guillaume Col from the outset in his introduction to these two days of meetings.
The 24th edition of the barometer has also undergone a slight makeover, with the emphasis on simplicity and readability of the data. The survey of 581 companies in ten European countries, carried out last November, bears witness to the slight upturn in the business travel market. Spending on business travel rose slightly in 2014 (+0.9%), and this is set to continue over the coming months. The EVP barometer forecasts a further increase in spending in 2015 (+0.7%), with the French market lagging behind, with a stable rate (+0.1%). The upward trend is set to continue in the medium term, with half (46%) of companies planning to increase their business abroad over the next three years, compared with 38 % in 2013 and 35 % in 2012.
Another finding of the 24th EVP barometer is that, for the first time, best buy is losing ground compared with the other levers used by companies to control costs. Unsurprisingly, cost containment remains the number one priority for companies, ahead of traveller safety and a complete overview of expenditure. The traveller seems to be suffering from this trend, with comfort dropping from fourth to sixth place. A trend which, in the light of the growth in VIP services, prompts Guillaume Col to wonder about the future of two-tier business travel, with two very different treatment conditions. Stay tuned.
