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Looking to get a grip on car rental costs? Here are five ways to shift gears in corporate car rental agreements.
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Consolidate your bookings. Increase the odds of negotiating a lower per-day rate by strengthening mandates to use one car rental company. “Even if you only spend $20,000 a year, any company will want to talk if you can mandate use through your booking channel,” says Mathias Eichelberger, director of air and ground transportation for Egencia. “If you want that lower rate, they’ll want to know you can direct more of your travel.” |
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Negotiate incidentals. While it’s natural to focus on haggling a few dollars off the negotiated daily rate, keep in mind savings that can be had on incidentals, says Eichelberger. Drop-off fees, city surcharges, refuelling costs and insurance are all areas than can be up for discussion, he says. |
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Hunt for discounts where it matters. The more information you have about your ground transportation spend, the more focused you can be in negotiations. “If you know that 30% of your rentals are six-day rentals, it puts you in a good position to say ‘I want the weekly rate’,” says Eichelberger. “It’s really worth looking at your data to understand where you can find savings.” |
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Avoid the GPS extras. If your key travellers find in-car GPS navigation indispensable, see if your rental company will throw it in as an add-on. If it’s a feature your road warriors depend on, think of buying three or four of those units where they’re used the most—they’ll pay for themselves after just a few uses. |
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Consider alternatives. In many top-tier cities, rates for black car/limousines have become more competitive as demand shifts. Egencia, for one, has an online corporate booking system for limo services, which can be comparable to taxis or car rentals in some markets. Other ideas: if cost-conscious business travellers are car-pooling, negotiate rates for mini-vans and larger vehicles to reward multi-passenger use. Another option is by-the-hour car-sharing programs, which are gaining traction in the corporate marketplace. |
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Planning an event in Toronto?
Our Tourism Toronto Meeting Guide is your go-to source for information on its spectacular venues and endless services. Visit our virtual “stockroom” to download your destination guide for Toronto and other great cities, like Montreal, Banff, Edmonton and Calgary, full of insider tips to make planning your next event a breeze.
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IMEX America
When: October 11-13, 2011
Where: Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas
Why go: It is the biggest hosted buyer event ever in the U.S., with more than 1,800 exhibitors from all over the world and 90 live educational events.
What’s in it for you: Experience unparalleled business opportunities, an array of educational seminars, workshops and forums by leading experts, and a unique variety of networking events.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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Corporate Travel Management
New RFP from GBTA
A new Hotel Request for Proposal (RFP) is the latest unveiling by the GBTA Foundation, the research and education division of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), as announced at its Annual Europe Conference in Amsterdam. With the support of sponsor Hilton Worldwide to review and update the existing RFP, the revamped Hotel RPF is expected to be an invaluable resource—it’s global, easier to use, more cost effective, and incorporates web service functionality for data transfer automation. Members worldwide can access the new Hotel RFP in October for free from the GBTA Resource Library. |
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Corporate Gifts + Rewards
Prepaid cards a top choice
Prepaid card programs are gaining ground as the incentive reward of choice among corporate human resources executives, according to a study by incentive marketing firm Young America. In a survey of 355 human resources, sales or marketing executives from U.S.-based companies with revenues of at least $50 million and incentive programs for 100-plus employees, 46% of human resources executives use prepaid cards for incentive programs. And as so many holiday gift programs were cut last year, employers reported that more year-round incentive programs could be implemented, with 43% claiming they would use a new prepaid card program for additional employee recognition programs, and 48% swapping other types of employee rewards for prepaid cards. “Prepaid cards are unique because they remind employees that they are being thanked every time they use the card,” said Tim Crank, senior vice-president of marketing for Young America. |
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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Create some memorable events
Use your event management skills to create memorable donor events and experiences, raising funds for artistic scholarships, priority projects and artistic programs at The Banff Centre. A proven events specialist with a strategic mind who enjoys working with donors, committees and a very interactive events team should check out their website for more details or to apply online.
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