How to organise corporate group travel for the whole team
Arranging corporate travel for one individual requires careful planning, but what about when you have to do it for a whole group of professionals?
Well, then, the stakes are a little higher.
However, more people doesn’t have to mean more stress. By understanding best practices for organising corporate group travel, you can get the flights, accommodation and itinerary sorted in no time.
And don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone. We’ve put together our expert tips on how to book group flights and arrange a corporate trip, whatever the reason for getting out of the office.
Determine the purpose of the trip
It might seem obvious, but the first thing you need to do is establish the purpose of the trip, as this can impact the wider travel arrangements. This should be apparent as the trip is likely to be for a conference, award ceremony, client meeting, team-building exercise or employee incentive trip.
Whatever the case, the purpose of the trip will impact key aspects such as location, duration, activities and tone.
Once you’ve determined the purpose, you can set a realistic budget and move on to the travel planning stage.
Confirm the group size and dates
Next up, you need to determine how many people will be travelling in the group and confirm their attendance. You can then choose the best dates for the trip. This may already be decided for you if it’s a pre-planned event like a conference or ceremony.
Alternatively, if you’re planning corporate group travel for something like a team-building exercise, you need to choose the most convenient dates for both the team and the business.
Choose the destination
It’s important to select a location that aligns with the trip’s purpose. Again, this may already be predetermined based on the event. If not, you’ll need to consider other important aspects such as travel time, climate, safety, activities and cost.
Book group flights
One of the biggest challenges of arranging corporate group travel (or any group travel for that matter) is securing everyone a seat on the plane.
While it may be possible to go it alone with a smaller group of around five travellers, for larger groups, it’s better to work with a flight specialist.
Booking group flights and securing a fair deal is tricky. The more interest you show, the more those seat prices are likely to increase. Plus, if something goes wrong, you’ll be left trying to sort the team out.
However, group flight specialists like BTG Travel Management can do all the hard work for you. They’ll find you the best flights for the best deal, taking the stress out of group travel planning.
Arrange accommodation and transportation
As well as group flights, it’s also important to arrange the right kind of accommodation and transportation for the team.
This could be hotel rooms, shared accommodation, or resorts with facilities like meeting rooms. It’s a good idea to reach out to possible venues beforehand to ask about the on-site amenities and any corporate group discounts they may offer.
This ensures you get the right accommodation for the right price.
Similarly, if your team will need taxis, coaches, trains or any other kind of transportation outside of their flight, make sure to arrange these as early as possible.
Plan activities and set out the itinerary
The final step in your planning phase before you can share details with the team is to book any activities and set out the itinerary. This might mean booking work-related events, dining experiences, leisure time and other optional activities.
If you are planning a corporate team-building trip, you might also need to arrange social events and other team activities for them to take part in, such as excursions or local tours.
Communicate the details to the team
Once the itinerary has been created, you can communicate all the details and expectations to those going on the trip.
In addition to providing them with a detailed itinerary, you should give them a travel checklist that includes essentials like local information, dress codes, and any required identification or documents they may need to bring with them.
It’s also important to prepare for emergencies by providing each traveller with the phone numbers and contact details of key contacts, such as group leaders and local emergency services.
Lastly, you should get a contingency plan in place for any unexpected changes like flight delays or other disruptions. You can then communicate this plan to everyone on the team.
It might be easier to set up a group chat or shared area where each traveller can access this information and quickly and easily communicate with one another. Having a WhatsApp group is usually one of the simplest ways to do this.
Gather feedback after the trip
The final part of the process doesn’t happen until after the trip but can be an important step that informs any future corporate group travel arrangements.
By conducting a feedback survey or asking participants to share their experiences, you can review the successes of the trip and also identify any areas that need improving next time. This ensures that any future corporate travel trips are as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.
If you’d like help booking group flights for your next corporate getaway, we can help. Get in touch with the friendly team today.