FCM named finalist for two awards at 2019 Business Travel Awards

FCM Travel Solutions has been named a finalist in two categories in the prestigious 2019 Business Travel Awards. The global travel management company is in line for Best Travel Management Company (annual UK sales over £200M) as well as Best Sales Account Management Team.

Organised in conjunction with Buying Business Travel Magazine, the Business Travel Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of the travel industry’s leading businesses, teams and individuals, who have performed outstandingly in their chosen field over the last 12 months.

Each year categories are carefully chosen to reflect the range of areas and skills that lie at the heart of a successful travel firm or department. The independent panel of judges, made up primarily of business travel buyers, devote a considerable amount of their valuable time, to review and mark each entry in order to identify those worthy of winning one of these highly valued awards.

FCM’s entry for Best Travel Management Company focussed on the company’s continued innovation and investment over the last 12 months in the areas that matter most to its customers, namely: service, technology, content and consultancy. This included the launch of FCM’s new online booking tool SEEQA, which gives travellers and bookers unparalleled access to functionality and content; enhancements to FCM’s chatbot-based Smart Assistant for Mobile ‘Sam’ for business travellers; and the introduction of 4th Dimension, a non-biased consulting service providing corporates with outsourced project-based high-level analytics to drive programme efficiency.

The Sales Account Management Team’s submission described the team’s collaboration and approach to addressing the challenges of winning and retaining business and their success in raising awareness of FCM’s stature and resources as a truly global TMC, whilst retaining the company’s bespoke highly personal servicing model. This led to the team winning record new business in 2017/18, securing UK clients worth £130M; driving multi-national client wins worth £250M: as well as retaining 17 major clients worth £54.5M after rigorous re-tenders.

The judges said that they were “very impressed with the detail and creativity that went into the composition of the entries.”

“This is great news and we are thrilled to be named finalists in both these categories in the Business Travel Awards – this is a very prestigious awards programme and preparing FCM’s written submissions was a rigorous process, so to reach the finalist stage is a tremendous achievement,” said Jo Greenfield, UK General Manager, FCM Travel Solutions.

“Our business model is focussed on our highly experienced people who operate in small teams and are empowered to deliver exceptional customer service by blending their knowledge with bespoke technology solutions. However, to remain successful in a highly competitive market we constantly look to innovate and enhance our technology, products and processes, to flex with the needs of our clients. This approach has led to us winning record new UK and multi-national business over the last 12 months. The fact that we have been named finalists for Best Travel Management Company and Best Sales Account Management Team is a fabulous endorsement of our approach and the dedication and drive of our people.”

The winners will be announced at the Business Travel Awards ceremony and gala dinner at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London on 21 January 2019.