Coordinating a successful team event involves juggling multiple elements, from choosing the right date to securing airfares, booking group accommodations, and arranging transportation. For travel managers and HR professionals, these tasks can be daunting, especially in a world where remote work is prevalent. Bringing teams together for face-to-face interactions has become crucial, making team events more important than ever in the hybrid working landscape.
Team events come in various forms, including conferences, company retreats, team-building gatherings, and offsite brainstorming sessions. With the increasing need for in-person meetings in the hybrid work environment, travel for team events is on the rise. However, it's essential to ensure that expenses remain under control and that you take advantage of available group travel discounts.
Here are six strategic tips to help you secure group travel discounts for your next team event:
1. Be Strategic with Dates
Choosing the right dates for your team event can significantly affect travel costs, especially when booking flights. Research indicates that midweek flights, particularly those booked on Tuesdays, tend to have lower ticket prices. Additionally, consider the time of year for your event, as peak travel seasons can drive up transportation and accommodation expenses. Opting for midweek dates in months like April, May, September, or October can help you avoid holiday-related price hikes and make it easier to secure group rates.
2. Plan Ahead
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to impact your budget positively is by planning your team event well in advance. Airlines, transportation providers, and hotels often charge premium prices for last-minute bookings. When you have multiple team members traveling, booking late can quickly deplete your budget. Planning ahead allows you to allocate resources more efficiently.
Check out our tips on saving money when doing group travel here!
3. Leverage Travel Management Solutions
Booking travel for a large group can be time-consuming and challenging without the right tools. Travel management solutions like BNW VoyagePro from BNW Travel Management can simplify the process by integrating company travel policies and automating approvals. These tools allow travel managers and corporate travelers to save significant time by booking flights, accommodations, car rentals, and train tickets through a single platform. BNW Travel Management's event management tool also simplifies event planning, providing real-time visibility and instant notifications for security and itinerary updates.
4. Tap into Corporate Travel Discounts
Corporate travel discounts come in various forms, from frequent flyer miles to free hotel stays and business car rentals. Joining loyalty clubs can grant corporate travelers special perks such as dedicated customer service lines or expedited check-in at airports. Smaller businesses can benefit from corporate rates negotiated by travel management companies (TMCs). BNW Travel Management, for example, offers an extensive network of travel industry partners, allowing users to access special rates for airlines.
Learn more about BNW VoyagePro and discover how it can streamline your corporate travel planning and management, making your next team event even more successful.
