11 NOVEMBER, 2019
FCM Illuminate: Post-event Wrap-up
FCM Travel Solutions’ inaugural FCM Illuminate event in Asia took place on Wednesday 6th November in Hong Kong with the theme “Learn. Network. Discuss.”. The venue was filled with a diverse audience from corporate travel buyers, key travel industry executives, prospects and suppliers within the corporate travel space. FCM Illuminate is the thought leadership series conceived by leading travel management company, FCM Travel Solutions, which was born from the desire to illuminate the future of corporate travel and provide valuable networking opportunities for delegates and suppliers.
Discussions centred around the following key topics:
- Aspects of duty of care in corporate travel;
- The use of technology in corporate travel, current challenges and future strategies, products and services for a successful positioning;
- Corporate travel policy conventions;
- Creative thinking in the development and implementation of innovative travel policy solutions that focuses on people and not on workplace generation
Organised in partnership with ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives), the programme featured 3 presentations from distinguished speakers, inspiring case studies and panels of thought leaders and industry experts, ranging from medical professionals, marketing and HR specialists, distribution and revenue analysts and corporate travel executives. They include Regional Medical Director, ISOS, Dr. Ahmed Fahmy; Head of Distribution Strategy, Cathay Pacific Airways, Kenneth Lee; Director of Sales, Asia, FCM Travel Solutions, James Ellis; Founder and CEO, ACI HR Solutions, Andrew Chan; Vice-President, Human Resources, Shangri-La International Hotel Management, Bill Lu; and Regional Director, Asia, ACTE, John Holden. Slides of the presentation will be made available on upon request.
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Regional Medical Director for International SOS, Dr. Ahmed Fahmy opened the event with his session on Duty of Care and Business Travel, showing insights into the realities versus distorted perspectives of travel risks around the globe, sharing real-case scenarios from emergency personal healthcare situations to outbreaks and epidemics. He advocated for an active and progressive duty of care policy by corporates towards their travellers, urging employers to constantly “assess, inform, update and assist” employees to mitigate risks and provide timely, proactive and efficient solutions.
Upcoming Technology Trends in Corporate Travel discussed global developments in technology within the corporate travel space, drawing upon examples from airlines, hotels, transport apps and travel management companies. The panel discussion was dedicated to the current challenges for establishing, developing, fostering and adopting new technology to improve efficiency, flexibility and satisfaction levels of the end user, with Cathay Pacific’s Kenneth Lee and and FCM’s James Ellis exploring innovative technology strategies, products and services, which are necessary for a successful positioning in the future of corporate travel.
Andrew Chan spoke on From the boomers, to the millennials to Gen Z: How do you tailor your policy to the different needs of the generational cohorts?, providing a captivating glimpse into the minds of the inter-generational workplace of the future, with sharing of valuable knowledge, ideas and information to advance and tailor their travel policies. The session concluded with a discussion about traditional and current workplace travel policies. Shangri-La’s Bill Lu and FCM’s Vicki Parris highlighted common traits in corporates’ travel policies, emphasising meaningful points of interest to examine and what companies should consider for flexibility and inclusions when developing, adjusting or implementing future travel policies.
Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director, Asia, FCM Travel Solutions concluded the educational event and shared that engagement with the community has been exceptional for Asia’s inaugural FCM Illuminate.
Clients often see us as the extended arm and consultant of their travel management strategy, so Illuminate is an excellent platform to engage them on a deeper level, for them to understand, think about, buy-in and be part of the planning process towards the development of their programme. We want them to plug in and be part of the brilliant light that FCM Illuminate endeavours to be.
- Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director Asia, FCM Travel
Event sponsors for FCM Illuminate in Asia were Cathay Pacific Airways and Shangri-La International Hotel Management.