Efficiency on the Go: Business Travel Essentials

A solid work travel strategy involves so much more than knowing what to pack—though that’s an important piece. Whether you’re attending a work event or you’re a travel manager managing travel for your employees or event attendees, this collection of business travel essentials can help.

Travel More Efficiently with These Business Travel Essentials

Throughout this blog, we’ll walk through a wide range of topics, including business travel planning tips, a list of business travel must-haves, insights into the latest business travel trends, and cost-saving measures you need to know before making plans for your next trip.

Check Your Boxes: Business Trip Packing List

First, take a moment to consider your travel style. For some, packing well in advance is an added comfort, whereas others find that waiting until closer to a trip reduces the time spent stressing over what they need to pack.

As you prepare for your trip, verify logistics to make sure everything is in order. This includes confirming your event tickets, plane tickets, hotel reservations, rental car, and so forth.

When it comes to personal items, make a list of the things you use on a daily basis to ensure nothing essential is left behind that you cannot quickly buy a replacement for at a local convenience store or pharmacy.

Be sure to download any work files, music, podcasts, audiobooks, or other desired materials to your devices pre-flight in case you encounter in-flight Wi-Fi issues.

Important Travel Items:

• Important documents and IDs: Driver’s license, passport, visa (if applicable), travel insurance information, boarding passes, reservations, and itineraries. Make digital copies of all critical documents in case of emergency or if your physical copies are misplaced
• Credit cards: It’s safer to travel with credit cards as opposed to a debit card. Make sure you know your bank login and account details in case any of your cards go missing and you need to cancel them or get access to funds on the go.
• Emergency cash
• Medications: Prescription medications, NSAIDs, allergy medication, motion sickness medication, hand sanitizer or wipes, and a travel first aid kit
• Reading glasses (if applicable)
• Sleep aids: Eye mask, earplugs, neck pillow
• Toiletries: Consider what you can purchase inexpensively on arrival or may be available for free at a hotel.
• Accessories: Sunglasses, hat, jewelry, etc.
• Healthy snacks
• Dental floss: The “Swiss Army knife” of travel hacks, from fixing broken shoelaces and securing luggage to making emergency repairs. Not to mention, you’ll have no excuse for neglecting your gums on your trip!

Work Trip Essentials

When preparing for your next work trip, seek out travel items that fulfill multiple needs: organization, safety, convenience, and comfort. Here are a few business travel necessities to remember:

• Convertible backpack, laptop case, or tote that can transform into a briefcase
• Multi-port charging station or power bank with built-in cables
• Universal travel adapter
• Portable speed charger
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• RFID travel wallet
• Portable jewelry organizer
• Padlock for securing lockers, bag zippers, etc.
• Foldable garment bag or storage cubes
• Multi-compartment make-up bag
• Handheld luggage scale if checking a bag
• Laundry bag or bag for dirty clothes
• Clothing that is versatile based on your planned itinerary

What Do Business Travelers Need at Events?

When you’re traveling for a work event, there are a few additional items you’ll need to pack to help you get through the busy days and make the most of the event. Don’t forget the following:

• Business cards, either printed or digital, to share with new connections.
• Though it might feel old-fashioned, bringing along a small notebook and pen is a good idea if you know you’ll need to take notes. While a phone or laptop would be the first choice for many, there may be times when you need a less conspicuous means of notetaking or you can’t access your devices.
• Professional attire that’s suitable for every moment of your trip, including travel, the event itself, and post-event experiences like happy hours. Make sure you check the weather at your destination and plan accordingly.
• Practical footwear that’s both professional and comfortable, as you might be on your feet longer than usual.

Embrace Your Inner Minimalist

Nothing makes a trip more difficult than lugging around unnecessarily heavy bags. There are many ways to streamline your packing but, at the end of the day, everyone has different opinions on what items feel essential to have available while traveling.

• Avoid checking bags: Lessen the hassle factor and save time in transit. Not only does this help you logistically, but it makes it easier to limit your packing list. If you have to carry everything with you, you’re much less likely to overpack. If you do need to check bags, make sure nothing in them is essential and will be missed if the bag is misplaced or lost.
• Bring multi-purpose and versatile items: From articles of clothing to tech, what can you use more than once during your trip?
• Ditch the extra pair of shoes: If possible, pack only one pair of shoes that goes with everything and is comfortable. Bonus points if you don’t have to pack any shoes and can get by with the ones you’ll travel in.
• Use your hotel’s amenities: Often, hotels will provide items like soaps, shampoos, hair dryers, shower caps, and even toothbrushes. If you know what to expect, consider leaving these personal items at home to save space.
• Limit your bulky items: Check the weather at your destination. Do you need that heavy jacket or those bulky boots? If so, try to wear them as you travel to save space in your bag.
• Scale down your tech: Do you really need you work laptop, tablet, and smartphone? Your phone is a no-brainer, but can you get through your trip using only your tablet? Or, if you must bring your laptop, don’t bring the tablet too because it’s “lighter.” It’s only lighter if you don’t have to carry it around with your laptop, anyway.

What Qualifies as Business-Related Travel?

Of course, the obvious answer is anything that is not exclusively “leisure.” Any trip that has a business focus can be classified as a business trip.

On a business trip, it should go without saying that business is the primary objective of your trip. This means a majority of your time traveling will be spent on business-related activities.

Common business travel involves:

• Meetings with clients
• Attending conferences or trade shows
• Internal events, such as sales kickoffs, companywide events, team-building events, etc.
• Training and professional development
• Visiting locations where offices, sites, or operations are held
• Meetings with prospective customers to generate sales
• Temporary assignments
• Evaluating venues or vendors for an upcoming event
• Business expansion and market research
• Board meetings and shareholder discussions

Must-Have Apps for Business Travel

There’s no question that apps have become travel for work essentials—from scoring discounts and tracking flight details to accessing entertainment, there are a few apps every business traveler should have.

As you plan your trip, make sure you have these apps available:

• Flight booking apps to help you find the best deal
• App for whichever airline you’re flying—this is critical for receiving timely updates about your flights
• Hotel booking apps to help you book and manage your reservation
• Rideshare apps
• Car rental apps
• Public transportation app for your destination city
• Translation app if traveling to a foreign country

Pro Tip: If you’re on an extended trip, rideshare apps occasionally offer deals for extended regular use.

Eat Local

Once you’re on the ground, Google Maps can help you locate the best restaurants. With a huge user base and tons of public reviews, Google Maps makes finding quality businesses a breeze, whether you’re looking for quick and cheap eats or a great restaurant to take a client. What’s more, you can book reservations online for many restaurants right in the app.

Keep searches simple for best results:

• “Restaurants”
• “Coffee”
• “Lunch”
• “American restaurants”

Keeping Track of Your Business Trip

Apps like Expensify are useful for tracking your expenses. Expensify allows you to create expense reports, which makes it easier to upload your expenses to your company's corporate travel management software.

If you have a lot of activities or appointments to manage throughout your trip, consider using an app like TripIt, which can help you organize your trip’s itinerary.

Unpacking the Latest Business Travel Trends

Whether you’re a travel manager or leader planning your remote teams’ in-person meetings, keep your eye on these business travel trends:

1. Objective Stacking

More and more, organizations are looking for ways to limit travel by making the most of each trip their employees take. That means assigning multiple goals to each business trip, such as planning a board meeting for the same week as an annual companywide event.

2. Bleisure Travel

Itineraries that blend business and leisure are becoming more popular, with travelers choosing to extend their stays to see the sights or even bring their families on vacation. Organizations should consider how their travel policies account for these situations, keeping in mind that leisure travel can boost morale and prevent burnout, enhancing employees’ overall wellness.

3. Executive Field Trips

What’s better than a C-suite meeting at corporate headquarters? A scenic retreat in the mountains where executives can unwind, work through team-building exercises, and talk strategy in an environment that promotes creative thinking. A change of scenery might be just what’s needed to start thinking outside the box.

4. Remote Workers, Will Travel

With the uptick in hybrid and remote workers, work travel for remote employees has increased as organizations look for new ways to bring people together. Remote work travel is typically designed for utility and efficiency, bringing employees to corporate offices for onboarding, quarterly meetings, or temporary in-person assignments.

6. Sustainability Is Top of Mind

Organizations are increasingly concerned about sustainability, and implementing a sustainable business travel plan is top of mind for many. For this reason, organizations are buckling down on some business travel, ensuring there’s good cause for every trip and that it’s managed as efficiently as possible.

7. Inflation and Costs of Travel

Who isn’t concerned about the state of inflation of the rising costs of goods and services? Just about everything is more expensive, and travel is no exception. Companies are doing what they can to maintain healthy travel budgets while cutting costs wherever possible.

How to Navigate the Burden of Increased Travel Costs

As travel costs continue to be a major concern, it’s important to be diligent in finding deals and saving wherever possible. Avoid overpaying and offset some of the standard costs of travel using the following strategies:

• Book your trip in advance: Begin watching flight and hotel costs for your travel dates as soon as you know you’ll be traveling, and be ready to book when they’re at their lowest. Studies have shown that prices are lower midweek.
• Search for corporate rates and negotiate prices: Airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies often participate in rewards programs or offer corporate rates.
• Use travel rewards: If you travel frequently for work, make sure you’re locked in with hotel, airline, and credit card rewards programs to make the most of your time and money. Whether it’s miles, cash back, or upgrades, there are plenty of perks out there for frequent flyers.
• Consider hotel alternatives: Airbnb or Vrbo are great alternatives to typical hotels, and staying outside a city center or top tourist areas can improve your nightly rate.
• Make use of local public transportation: If you can avoid renting a car, do. Not only will you remove the hassle of learning the roads in an unfamiliar place, but you’ll save a ton of money.
• Plan your meals ahead: It’s easy to get caught paying top dollar for a convenient meal when you’re too tired or pressed for time to find a better option. Plan out your meal spots in advance so you know where you can get a good, affordable, and conveniently located breakfast, lunch, and dinner during your trip.

Travel Managers Forecast Blue Skies Ahead

Travel managers are forecasting an optimistic outlook for business travel. The business travel industry is expected to experience growth that exceeds 6 Billion (USD) by 2032. In fact, 69% of travel managers express a highly positive outlook about the future of business travel. This resurgence is attributed to shifts in travel trends, innovative solutions, and strategic planning.

Achieving Business Travel ROI

Just as planners must be concerned with achieving and proving event ROI, business travel must also be justified by a solid ROI. This means the objectives and benefits of all business travel must outweigh the costs.

The following strategies can help travel managers and planners ensure their business travel programs are worth the cost.

Leverage Room Block Management Software

Room block management is a vital piece of planners’ business travel solutions, particularly when managing large events, trade shows, or conferences. When considering different cost-saving measures, do not overlook your room block management process. Key aspects to be mindful of include:

• Communication with attendees about protocol
• Negotiation with hotels to obtain the best possible rates
• Flexibility that allows for changes in case last-minute adjustments are needed

Consult a DMC or DMO

Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are invaluable resources when it comes to enhancing the overall experience for event attendees and maximizing event ROI.

A major benefit of working with a DMO or DMC is their local expertise. These types of organizations can provide:

• Personalized recommendations based on your event’s unique needs
• Networks of local vendors and service providers
• Authentic hyper-local experiences to give attendees an authentic experience
• On-site support to help your events run smoothly
• Insights into meaningful experiences, local resources, and exciting attractions

Streamline Corporate Travel Management Policies

Corporate travel management policies should set clear guidelines and expectations to ensure consistency across an organization. Corporate travel policies should outline clear guidelines for:

• Acceptable expenses and expense limits (whether daily, by meal, or throughout the entire trip)
• Preferred airlines, hotel chains, rental car companies, and other service providers
• Booking procedures, including acceptable booking platforms, lead time for booking travel, and budget per line item (flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.)
• Compliance measures, including clear guidelines and penalties for non-compliance

Save with Travel Management Software

Travel management software can help make the entire travel process seamless, from booking travel to managing expenses. With the right tech, you can easily:

• Negotiate with hotels to receive the best rates
• Compare negotiated rates across commercial booking sites
• Gain visibility into your entire company travel spend with real-time data

Business Travel Takeaways

Business travel continues to shift at a rapid pace, with new travel trends taking center stage. With business travel ROI and cost savings are the forefront, travel managers must implement new strategies for managing travel for employees and event attendees.

There are plenty of strategies to help event planners and travel managers keep pace, including leveraging software for corporate travel software and room block management to cut costs, working with local DMOs or DMCs, and creating clear travel policies.