Wow factor

This week, through the power of streaming, I watched part of the PhoCusWright Innovation Summit.  Seeing those presentations gives me hope for a brighter tomorrow for this crazy industry.  During the presentations, had I been keeping track using tick marks, I would have had a table full of tick marks when words like personalization, collaboration, global, choice, speed and options were said. 

Will some of these tools have a negative impact on Corporate Travel and the way we manage it today?  Probably.  Does that mean we stick our heads in the sand and pretend we don't see it?  I hope not.  Personalization, choice and options are words that travelers love and make travel managers uncomfortable. 

If you didn't get to see any of the good work that came out of there, take look and see what's out there.  See how its changing.  See what travelers are asking for.  See what the future looks like!

http://snipurl.com/287jk32

Most of all, keep going! 

What's for dinner?

Everyone who reads this, knows I am a wife and a mom.  This question is one that runs through my mind daily.  I, however, know my family.  I know what food will be met with rave reviews and what dishes will invoke the inevitable, "Can I just have a bowl of cereal instead?" question.

This question is the one that makes people planning meetings and events crazy.  Again, I KNOW what my family wants and likes.  Planning an event, especially an event involving food for 20, 30, 400, 1000 people...strangers...can be daunting.  Some things to take into consideration include dietary habits (I only eat protein or am a vegan, etc.), dietary allergies (Gluten free, nut free, etc) , religious dietary needs (Kosher, meatless Fridays, etc.) and we haven't even opened the door to talk about people who simply don't like things like fish, steak, salad etc. Then, let's say your event goes on for 2 days, 3 days...how do you meet everyone's needs and not let them feel like they are being starved. 

In my house, if you don't like what is made, you either go hungry or eat enough to get you through to snack time!  (Honestly, I am not a villain, I just think kids should try different things!)  At an event, that means that people who don't like what's being served either go without, or go elsewhere.  Going elsewhere means they will probably be late for the next meeting.  It means not only has their first meal been paid for, but now, their second one needs to be paid for as well.  It means that anything that was said or presented during the meal was not absorbed by them.

If you are thinking this blog post is going to show you a magical way to solve these issues, it won't because if I had that, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this, I would be enjoying my island home with a cocktail in my hand.  I simply want to inspire people to remember that when you are asked the question, "What's for dinner?" you be thankful for a meeting planner who has helped you answer that questions in the past!

Keep going! 

That time of year...

If you know someone who hasn't been getting their required 6 hours of sleep...
If you know someone whose voice is hoarse or cracked because of long hours of calls...
If you know someone whose reaction to everything is, "You gotta be kidding me?"...
If you know someone who swears this year will be different than last...
If you know someone who waits to get their eyes checked until this is over...
If you know someone who has had to see their hair colorist twice in 6 weeks....
If you know someone who still sees a glimmer of hope....

Then you know someone going through the painstaking process of hotel negotiations.  This archaic, painful and necessary process is in full swing this time of year.  Corporations and hotels are sending files, documents, prayers and wishes back and forth in hopes to come up with a middle ground. Corporations hoping to meet travelers needs, keep travelers safe all the while saving the company money on their travel spend.  Hotels hoping to find favor with the corporation, but still make a profit. 

Will this vicious cycle ever end?  Probably not.  Can it change, evolve, morph and become easier?  Yes.  Will the end result still be the same?  Probably. 

Tax free days??

As we sit in day two of the government shut down, I wonder about some things:
1 - If they aren't working, does this mean we have a tax break until they get back into the swing?  I certainly think that during these times we should be able to take advantage of the savings because the taxes are going to pay for anything.  Can we, as companies, ask for the federal taxes back that we paid on airline tickets, hotels, car rentals back?  (Look for an upcoming post on taxes and fees in travel!)
2 - Does this mean that for two days (and counting) I can work tax free?  How will my tax forms look at the end of the year?  Unchanged, I am sure, but would be nice to get credit for the days I worked when they aren't working!
3 - What about those not working?  Does the US government pay unemployment?  Wait...that is probably another government entity not working...how odd is that??

Anyway, I will get back to work, because its my job and wish that others would do the same because that is what we elected them to do. 

Team USA

This week, I was fortunate to watch Oracle Team USA come back from an insurmountable deficit to come back and win the 34^th Americas Cup race.  It was a few things:

• Inspiring!  With their backs to the wall, they came out and stood their ground.  They worked together to defy the odds and showed that teamwork, making the needed changes and a positive attitudes can make a difference.  Could your team come back from those odds with their backs in the corner?   
•  Amazing!  Just think, ONE loss stood between them and the Cup leaving the states.   They were getting beat and handily…and they didn’t give up. 
• Concerning…  People are coming out of the word work to call Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle and financial backer for Oracle Team USA, every name in the book.  Really??  So, he’s successful?  So, he hates to lose?  So, his boat and his crew are expensive?  He has worked hard for everything and I am proud to work for someone who works hard and hates to lose because I do to!   
• Heart warming!  A young school boy was on the pier that day and when someone asked him why he wasn’t in school, he said, “My dad told me that I would never see anything like this ever again and so he told me I didn’t have to go to school today!”  His dad was right, a win, a comeback win like that is hard to come by.  Sometimes the best learning doesn’t happen in a classroom! 
• Thought provoking.  When Oracle Team USA decided to remove John Kostecki and replace him with Olympian Ben Ainsley as head tactician, it made people think!  Was Kostecki the wrong man?  NO!  But did the change make a difference?  YES!  Kostecki is an amazing sailor, but Ainsley knew the bay better.  How many times has a change in the team, changed the game? 

I am a diehard Oracle Team USA fan and I am also a fan of the underdog.  I am proud to wear the gear and proud to say that I personally know members of the team and their families.  They are an amazing group of athletes and if I learned anything this last week, it was never say die!!  

Life is too short....

to drink bad wine. 

This past weekend, I spent an amazing long weekend with 13 fabulous women.  We went to wine country to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday!  When I left on my journey, I wrote this in my travel journal for my kids.

1 - I hope you have friends that are like family to you. 
2 - I hope you have friends who share your love of family, faith, friendship and fun. 
3 - I hope you are never afraid to make a new friend because they are different than you.  It's differences in our friends that make us appreciate each other!
4 - I hope you marry your best friend and know that that friendship is the most important in your journey of life together.
5 - I hope that you and I can be friends.  Trust, I have to be your Mom first.  I have to nag you to clean your room, do your homework and make good decisions because I am your Mom first.  But I want you to know that I love being your friend. 

Please know, you can never have too many friends.  You can never laugh too much.  Never care too much.  Never love to much! 

Friends don't make things better, they make us better! 

Keep going! 

Hoosiers

Anyone who reads this or knows me, knows I am a sports fan.  I played sports in college, still play today and love to coach.  One of my favorite all-time movies is Hoosiers.  Come on, you remember, Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper and others you would recognize if you saw them.  Its about a coach who was getting his second chance and he was coaching in Indiana...Hickory, to be exact.  A town that lives and breathes basketball and doesn't like a new coach with new ideas! 

There are days I feel like:
Coach Norman Dale - Getting my second shot at life and trying to make things work out this time..both on and off the court. I have new ideas.  I do things my own way at times, but in the end, its for the good of the team. 
Ollie - The kid that never really wanted to play, he was just a body for practice, but when it came down to crunch time, he pulled through with two granny free-throws to win the game.  I won't be the star in every event, but when the chips are down, I fight for good to prevail. 
Shooter - A washed up basketball star, dad of one of the players, who needs a helping hand and someone to believe in him.  I have been in the industry for a long time but I know when to look for and accept help. 
Jimmy Chitwood - The quiet and shy star of the team, who when it was time for that last second shot said, "I'll make it!"  Trust, I am neither quiet, nor shy, but I have confidence in doing the right thing and taking the team (industry) to a winning season. 

So, if you haven't seen the movie, rent it, netflix it, hulu it!  If you have seen it, go back and watch again.  It's a classic.  So much of what is happening in our world today could benefit from having a Coach Norman Dale, an Ollie, a Shooter or a Jimmy Chitwood involved. 

One last line from the movie...Dentyne!  (It makes sense when you watch it!)

Keep going!