GBTA Convention 2025 Recap – Building the Future of Business Travel

Partner with providers who meet clear-eyed sustainability metrics now, and lock in binding KPIs for the next 12 months. At GBTA Convention 2025, the focus shifted from talk to action, with procurement leaders driving faster onboarding, standardized data sharing, and a sharper lens on cost-to-value. This approach prioritizes measurable results over promises.

Across the corner sessions, deals announced exceeded a billion dollars in value, with executives signaling a longer horizon for travel programs. In several cases, the potential sits in a trillion dollars of spend, higher than earlier forecasts, when cross-border programs align with policy and automation across providers.

The gathering highlighted a trade-forward approach that pairs carriers, hotels, and tech platforms through interoperable data streams, enabling other players to participate while keeping cost, risk, and business experience aligned as demand evolves.

We introduced the leadersit framework to connect procurement, sustainability, and performance reviews, ensuring accountability and enabling cross-functional collaboration across finance, operations, and risk.

Recommendation: Build a longer-term plan that anchors travel policy in measurable outcomes, with quarterly dashboards that monitor provider performance, sustainability metrics, and spend efficiency. Keeping this cadence helps stay ahead of fluctuations and maintain negotiation leverage.

To stay competitive, teams explored new models, consolidated top-tier suppliers, and pursued other channels such as alternate accommodations and rail, while investing in data interoperability so insights turn into concrete actions rather than reports.

In practice, organizations should publish results to a cross-functional leadership group, maintain a clear-eyed risk posture, and set transparent targets for ESG and cost controls. A disciplined approach will translate into faster decisions and longer-term value for business travel programs, helping teams stay ahead of market shifts.

Powering the Future of Extended Stay: Budgeting, Vendor Relationships, and Program Design

Implement a three-layer budgeting framework for extended stay programs now: fixed costs, variable costs, and contingency, linked to forecasted occupancy and traveler demand. Create processes that review actuals monthly, explore longer scenarios, and leverage technology and tools to manage cost across every corner of the stay ecosystem. Never accept static plans; acknowledge insights from pilots and a sapphire ecosystem of partners to inform decisions before scaling.

Scale note: In a global context, extended-stay programs can command multi-billion-dollar budgets within a trillion-dollar travel industry, with travelers and people driving demand across regions. This scale requires a forecast-driven approach and proactive exploration of technology-enabled solutions.

• Baseline and inflation: Establish a baseline cost per night by market and traveler segment, with a forecast of 3–5% annual inflation. For core markets, target a total stay cost per traveler of roughly $180–$260 per night, with non-room costs representing 25–35% of total spend.
• Contingency: Reserve 8–12% of the program budget for disruption scenarios (supply shocks, rate volatility); link contingencies to triggers such as occupancy variance or rate caps.
• Metrics: Track cost per traveler and cost per stay; publish monthly dashboards using technology and tools; align to projected savings and longer-term efficiency; keep they informed and engaged.

The growing ecosystem for extended stays relies on a data-driven cadence that touches every corner of the operations, from traveler preferences to property performance. Acknowledged benchmarks, a robust forecast, and continuous exploration of technology enable proactive decisions before a spike in demand, ensuring the traveler experience remains seamless within the stay program.

1. Consolidate vendors to unlock volume discounts; sign long-term contracts; centralize onboarding and invoicing in winit to drive visibility and reduce cycle times.
2. Build a sapphire ecosystem of preferred properties, service providers, and tech platforms; enforce SLAs and quarterly business reviews; use vendor scorecards to benchmark claimed savings and actual performance, acknowledged by both sides.
3. Institute a data-driven governance model: share forecasted demand with partners, monitor projected occupancy, and ensure privacy; give leadersit teams access to dashboards to adjust sourcing before spikes.

1. Traveler-centric design: segment travelers by stay length and purpose; map the typical path and create flexible stay options that fit a range of use cases inside longer stays, from 3 to 14 nights, to maximize value and satisfaction.
2. Stay packaging: design bundles that cover lodging, amenities, and experiences; within the program, offer options that travelers can tailor within budget envelopes to encourage longer, repeat stays.
3. Sustainability and carbon: implement field-driven carbon accounting for each stay; set measurable targets to reduce emissions per stay and report progress within the ecosystem.
4. Data governance and privacy: standardize data sharing across the ecosystem while safeguarding traveler privacy; align with corporate policies and local regulations.
5. Change management: equip people across procurement, operations, and support with training and quick-reference tools; establish feedback loops to refine program design and illustrate a clear ROI for leadersit teams and travelers.

Sustainability at the Forefront: Tracking Metrics, Reducing Footprint, and Transparency

Adopt a unified, real-time dashboard that tracks standardized sustainability metrics across the ecosystem, bringing buyers, providers, and sourcing partners into one intelligence-powered view. In this setting, every trade decision links to a measurable footprint, not only price.

Metrics cover emissions (Scope 1-3), sourcing footprints, and housing energy use. The sapphire standards ensure data is comparable where it comes from, with consistent definitions, unit scales, and auditable provenance.

To shift decision-making away from dominated price, embed lifecycle intelligence into every conversation. Build a sustainability center of gravity that aligns strategies with supplier capabilities, meet providers through joint planning sessions, and use tools that enable gathering insights across sourcing, trade, and housing partners. Highlighted here is the synergy that moves the ecosystem toward measurable outcomes for the future.

Track progress with transparent reporting dashboards that show performance by region, supplier, and product category. Where data is imperfect, use third-party verification and sample audits to close gaps, so buyers stay informed with a trusted picture that supports responsible sourcing decisions.

Define quarterly deliverables and a public-facing scorecard that demonstrates progress toward 2030 targets. Use structured conversations with stakeholders to refine metrics, update the set of standards, and extend the approach into other categories such as travel and housing operations. This ongoing program keeps the trade community engaged and accountable.

Operational steps include forming a cross-functional governance group, adopting a common data schema, and piloting the winit toolkit for supplier intelligence. Align housing and trade-related metrics with sourcing criteria, and require suppliers to report at least quarterly against the standards. Regularly publish public highlights to build trust and drive speed to value.

Duty of Care Safety and Security in Practice: Traveler Risk Protocols and Real-Time Alerts

Adopt a centralized traveler risk protocol with automated real-time alerts to inform travelers and their managers within minutes of a disruption. This approach reduces cost, speeds decision-making, and keeps compliance aligned with standards.

1. Define traveler risk profiles by destination, function (sourcing, buyers, trade), and traveler level; maintain within a single policy to ensure consistent decisions across their units.
2. Incorporate forecast data from intelligence sources to anticipate disruptions and route travelers to safer options before conditions worsen.
3. Build a real-time alert engine that pushes personalized notifications to the traveler and their manager via preferred channels (SMS, app, email) and escalates to a center when needed.
4. Use a tools suite that combines location intelligence, event feeds, and traveler tracking within consent to support faster decisions and post-event reporting.
5. Establish a governance workflow with clear ownership in a gbtas session, where leadersit and buyers meet on thresholds, standards, and follow-up actions.
6. Design risk responses that optimize cost and time, offering sustainable options, replacements, or remote work where possible, and tie to carbonsmart sourcing goals.
7. Ensure compliance across suppliers and partners by mapping your risk protocol to internal and external standards and documenting the decision trail for auditability.
8. Measure impact with metrics such as incident response time, alert relevance, and traveler adherence, linking results to business outcomes and cost containment.

Global business travel represents a multi-trillion-dollar ecosystem, so a robust risk protocol helps maintain compliance and protect people and assets within budgets. Align your program with their expectations while diversifying risk across regions and providers.

• Training and drills: run quarterly tests using a corner winit dashboard to validate alert delivery, channel effectiveness, and escalation routes.
• Data sources: combine internal travel systems with intelligence feeds and partner risk data to keep forecasts accurate.
• Communication: enable multilingual, device-agnostic alerts that work offline when needed.
• Governance: document decisions in gbtas session notes and share insights with buyers and suppliers for continuous improvement.

A Record-Breaking Forecast: Turning Market Projections into Capacity and Scheduling Plans

Map demand to capacity in 90-day cycles and translate market projections into concrete scheduling moves across fleets, accommodations, and human resources. Use a clear-eyed framework that ties setting, forecasts, and delivery to measurable cost and service targets, so you never drift. Create a gathering of leadersit from operations, finance, and sales to validate assumptions weekly, and ensure they stay aligned with sustainability goals and compliance requirements.

Growing markets will drive travelers and their expectations higher, with a billion travelers segment explored across regions. Build systems that deliver reliable serviced options at scale, prioritizing on-time performance and traveler comfort. They will demand trade-offs between cost and reliability, so embed carbonsmart choices in every route and schedule to protect margins while meeting duty-of-care commitments. Trade opportunities across regions help balance capacity. Trade remains a core lever.

계획, 실행, 보고 간의 시너지 효과는 예측을 현실로 만듭니다. 용량, 인력, 재고에 대한 설정은 팀 간에 동기화되어야 하며, 예측을 실행 가능한 단계로 변환하는 대시보드가 있어야 합니다. 다른 이해 관계자와 대화 빈도를 설정하여 가정을 개선하고 격차를 해소하여 변동성이 큰 환경에서 계획이 탄력적으로 유지되도록 합니다. 지속 가능성과 인간적 고려 사항은 모든 결정의 중심에 있으며 지속 가능한 결과를 안내합니다.

실질적인 단계: 전략을 수립하고 12개월 순환 용량 계획을 확정하고, 성수기를 대비하여 예비 슬롯을 확보하고, 모든 이동이 규제 요구 사항을 준수하도록 무역 규정 준수 데이터를 통합합니다. 지속 가능성 지표를 사용하여 비용 및 서비스 지표와 함께 배출량을 모니터링하고, 진행 상황을 간단하고 사람이 이해하기 쉬운 방식으로 보고합니다. 지속적인 개선을 통해 여행자의 만족도를 높이고, 경영진에게 정보를 제공하며, 운영 효율성을 유지하는 동시에 비용을 관리하고 지속 가능성을 향상시킬 수 있습니다.

인공지능이 대화를 주도합니다: 정책 업데이트부터 개인 여행객 지원까지

개인 여행객 지원을 제공하고 실제 여행객의 요구에 맞춰 정책 업데이트를 조정하려면 지금 명확한 AI 정책 플레이북을 채택하십시오. 이 접근 방식은 인텔리전스를 사용하여 구매자가 모이는 곳에서 구매자를 만나 정책 업데이트를 서비스 수준과 지속 가능성 결과를 향상시키는 실질적인 조치로 전환합니다.

gbtas 회의에서는 AI가 어떻게 의사 결정을 가속화하고 정확도를 높이며 필요 시점에 서비스된 지침을 제공할 수 있는지 강조했습니다. 인텔리전스를 설정에 통합함으로써 팀은 사전 예방적 경고, 동적 여정 및 예산 가드레일 내에 머무르는 비용 통제를 통해 여행자를 만날 수 있으며, 이는 세션 토론에서 이해 관계자들이 인정한 바입니다.

세션 주도 토론에서 예측에 따르면 기업 출장 전반에 걸쳐 효율성, 위험 관리 및 탄소 스마트 선택에 수조 달러 규모의 영향이 있을 것으로 예상됩니다. 강조점은 더 긴 지원 기간과 구매자가 신뢰할 수 있는 정책 업데이트의 더 빠른 전달이며, 진행 상황을 추적할 수 있는 명확한 지표가 포함됩니다.

이를 실행 가능하게 하려면 AI 사용을 위한 거버넌스, 서비스 여행객 지원, 강력한 데이터 관리, 지속 가능성 KPI라는 네 가지 핵심 요소를 구현하십시오. 프로그램의 핵심은 중앙 집중식 정책 플레이북, 교차 기능 팀, 비용 민감도 및 책임성을 충족하는 짧은 피드백 루프를 포함합니다. 실제 결과를 기반으로 예측을 조정하기 위해 분기별 세션이 진행되는 가운데 논의는 계속됩니다.

지금 바로 두 가지 실질적인 조치를 취하십시오. 설정 및 여행객 경험에 초점을 맞춘 2분기 파일럿을 실행하고, 비용 및 지속가능성 결과를 측정하고, 다음 세션에서 학습 내용을 공유하십시오. 데이터가 투명하고 gbtas 구매자가 실질적인 이점을 확인할 때 AI에 대한 대화는 건설적으로 유지됩니다.

인간 관계와 리더십의 힘: 신뢰, 수용, 그리고 부서 간 협업 구축

구매자, 공급자 및 gbtas 팀을 주간 세션으로 묶어 90일간의 교차 기능 트러스트 스프린트를 시작하여 탄소 스마트 로드맵을 정의하여 채택, 위험 및 자금 조달을 안내하고, 이해 관계자 간의 조정을 만들어 진행 상황이 절대 멈추지 않고 증가하는 복잡성을 해결하는 동시에 프로그램이 더 길어지지 않도록 합니다.

거버넌스 및 케이던스

조달, 제품, IT, gbtas의 책임자와 구매자 및 제공업체로 구성된 순환 패널을 포함하는 명확한 통제 위원회를 구성합니다. 이들은 반복적인 회의를 통해 프로그램을 설정하고 명확한 이정표를 설정하며 공유 로드맵을 제공합니다. 모든 이해 관계자를 최신 상태로 유지하기 위해 공급업체 시스템 및 주택 프로그램에서 데이터를 가져오는 도구를 사용합니다. 탄소 데이터, 공급업체 피드백 및 여행객 요구 사항이 예상되는 이익과 측정 가능한 KPI를 포함하는 예측에 반영될 때 생태계가 이점을 얻습니다. 이 구조는 리더십을 안심시키고 정책과 관행이 만나는 구석에서 여행객의 요구를 충족하는 일상적인 순간까지 팀 간의 협업을 개선합니다.

측정, 도구 및 영향

성장 지향적 의례를 통해 프로그램을 일상 업무에 포함시키십시오. 격주 점검, 분기별 파일럿, 그리고 채택을 유지하고 이종 기능 전달을 추진하는 팀을 인정하기 위한 사파이어 마일스톤을 만드십시오. 시작하기 전에 마찰을 최소화하기 위해 주택 및 이동성 프로그램의 중요한 접점을 매핑하십시오. 예측에 따르면 채택이 목표 마일스톤에 도달하면 10억 달러의 잠재적 영향이 있을 것이며, 사파이어 마일스톤은 팀이 진행 상황을 명확하게 파악하는 데 도움이 될 수 있습니다. 단일 대시보드에서 탄소, 비용 및 사용자 경험을 보고함으로써 gbtas 팀은 신뢰를 구축하고 생태계 전체에서 채택을 추진하는 투명성을 제공합니다.