What a Lead... Business Travel Management Meets Robert Plant

Air & Business Travel News posted writer Bob Papworth's in-depth review of business travel industry outlooks originally published in Buying Business Travel on its site online this past weekend. While drawing from many sources, the story led (no pun intended) with one of the most colorful introductions I have seen in my tenure as both a media and travel professional.

Invoking the song "Fortune Teller" from former Led Zepplin front man "the flaxen-ringleted one" Robert Plant's recent solo album with Allison Kraus, Papworth noted that many business travel management professionals are getting free forecasts from the industry even if the news is not so positive.

Noting "If you can get your trend analysis for diddly-squat, you’re quids in" (which I think is British slang for being ahead of the game, wait, is ahead of the game American slang??) he goes on to do a wrap of many industry sources of information in addition to American Express Business Travel's eXpert insights: Advito, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, HRG, Guild of Travel Management Companies, Association of Train Operating Companies, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lodging Econometrics, and the International Air Transport Association.

However, the most valuable quote - and perhaps ironic - in the story is near the end when he quotes Andrew Burch, Hillgate Travel’s business development manager. Burch notes that procurement's focus "will shift from lowest price to best value" following high profile scrutiny of outsourcing disasters such as the Gulf oil rig explosion.

One could say the same thing about free sources of industry information: you get what you pay for.

For the full story, visit the site: http://www.abtn.co.uk/feature/0515470-hostages-fortune