鈥淎bsolutely, categorically, not.鈥�
Not the answer we expected when we asked Scott Pawley, managing director of Global Travel Management (GTM), if he would recommend 乐播传媒 Smartpoint to another agency.
听鈥淏ut only because I wouldn鈥檛 want to give up my competitive advantage鈥� he quickly adds.
Strength from experience
GTM is a family.
It was founded in 1997 by husband and wife team, Scott and Natalie Pawley, along with Scott鈥檚 father, Frank. with revenue of 拢20 million from corporate clients.
鈥淭he initial drive in setting up the business all those years ago was to make my parents proud,鈥� says Scott, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 still as important now as it was 23 years ago.鈥�
Both Scott and Natalie had experience in travel management but wanted to plot their own course.
GTM鈥檚 ethos is to put great staff at the heart of everything they do.
鈥淓mployees of GTM have an average of 21 years鈥� experience in the industry and are used to managing clients鈥� travel needs through the most trying of circumstances,鈥� says Scott.
So when the pandemic hit last year, GTM was ready to face it.
鈥淲e have become used to external influences impacting the business travel sector,鈥� he says. 鈥淔rom the global credit crunch to 9/11and from the ash cloud crisis to the 2020 pandemic 鈥� we鈥檙e used to the business travel industry having to realign.鈥�
From the smallest of small, to the bluest of blue
Most of GTM鈥檚 clients are UK-based, from small businesses to 鈥渢he bluest of blue-chip companies鈥� and come from a wide range of industry sectors, including brewing, medical, finance, oil and gas, and entertainment.听
GTM look to forge long-term, profitable, and mutually beneficial relationships with their clients, and while they have cultivated expertise with these industries, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 specialize,鈥� says Scott.听
鈥淲e have two questions before we take on a new client,鈥� he says.听鈥淔irst, to ensure that we鈥檙e always doing a great job for every client, we ask ourselves, 鈥榗an we provide a good, value–for–money service for this client?鈥�听
Second, because diversity is important to us, we ask another question. We want to ensure we鈥檙e working with clients who share many of our own aspirations on opportunity, so we ask, 鈥榙oes this client look like us?'”
23 years and counting
Scott says GTM has been听working with听乐播传媒听since听day one 鈥斕�he听was already familiar with听our听GDS, 鈥渁nd there was no reason for me to make any other decision,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a decision I have been happy to stick with.鈥�
We asked听how GTM听and the way they use technology has changed and evolved over the last 23 years.
鈥淚nitially, everything we did was completely hands-on,鈥� says Scott. 鈥淏ut every year we look to develop our processes and technology so the business is more streamlined.听 This has the effect of empowering our employees to use their skills and experience, instead of being hampered and hamstrung by poorly developed workflows.鈥�
Cue听Smartpoint
Scott told us that, before the pandemic, their most useful product was Hotel Retail because of its comprehensive set of hotel content 鈥� but since the start of the pandemic, they鈥檝e found the听COVID-19听Smartpoint听Plugin 鈥渋nvaluable鈥�, as well as听Smartpoint听Assisted Ticketing.
鈥�Smartpoint听is fast 鈥� which is critical,鈥� says Scott.听鈥泪迟听has a full range of functionality,听which means that travel consultants can spend their time managing travel, instead of searching for functionality.听 And it鈥檚 easy to work with 鈥� saving time and training resource.鈥�
Using听Smartpoint听means GTM can closely follow every element of their workflow,听making the most of听each cross-sell and upsell opportunity听鈥� plus, 鈥渋t鈥檚 extremely听easy to set up and use remotely,听saving IT resource time and cost,鈥� says Scott. 鈥淒espite clients now having a significantly higher demand of information from each booking, every request can be met immediately, simply by using听Smartpoint.鈥�
The most important feature of Hotel Retail for GTM is the display of corporate rates, which gives their consultants the opportunity to explain the rate, demonstrate cost savings, and offer alternatives when and where possible.
鈥淗aving access to this content has given us the opportunity听to听increase attachment rates this year,鈥� says Scott.
The changing world of corporate travel
鈥�乐播传媒 has been a crucial partner for GTM,鈥� says Scott.听鈥�Our partnership is based on openness and trust.鈥�听
Scott tells us that at the start of the pandemic, the numbers of听GTM鈥檚听bookings diminished听significantly and very rapidly 鈥� an experience many听agencies can probably relate to. 鈥淏ut,鈥� he adds,听 鈥溊植ゴ� remained a reliable, trusted source of information throughout.鈥�听
Scott believes the business travel sector has changed听permanently听in the last听year,听听and so GTM has had to change as well. Scott says that in addition to听being a manager of travel,听GTM has also become听a trusted, authoritative source of business travel information.听听
鈥�We鈥檙e using a combination of our expert knowledge and the 乐播传媒 products to instil听confidence in every client, every time they want help determining when, where, and whether听to travel.”
