As a cost-conscious business traveller, booking the discounted offers you see on the web for airfares, hotels, rental cars and other travel bargains may seem like the obvious and best option.

But we have five good reasons not to go it alone and to count on your corporate travel resources instead for your next trip.

Get better travel advice. If you book online or through retail agents, service fees can be higher and you won’t get the business-related advice of a specialized corporate travel consultant. Corporate travel resources can save you time and money by doing the legwork to find the best available routes and rates for your travel plans.

Minimize personal risk. Safety always trumps saving, when you travel on your company’s behalf. If you book on your own, you may not get important travel advisories about working in certain destinations. And, if anything goes wrong, there’s no quick record of your whereabouts to provide emergency assistance or get you home. Your corporate travel resources offer an important safety net for your protection.

Earn corporate discounts. When you buy through corporate travel resources, it adds to the organization’s bargaining power to negotiate discounts with hotels, airlines, car rental firms and others. So your one-off deal can cost you—and everyone—more in the long run.

Get valuable extras. A web rate might look like a deal, but its terms may be costly if you change plans or cancel. Corporate fares and rates usually come with better terms, and may even include upgrades, amenities or use of business resources you don’t have to pay extra for.

Maintain the right image. That incredible deal you found on a first-class ticket or penthouse suite may not look so wonderful in light of internal cut-backs or public perception. When you use corporate booking tools, you ensure your travel choices comply with travel policy and that costs are defendable to management, clients and peers.

Final word. If a deal seems too good to pass up, talk to your travel arranger for a second opinion or to see if the same rate can be obtained internally.

For more corporate travel tips and resources, go to ignitemag.ca, or share your own ideas with other readers on Facebook or at IgniteMeetingsConnect.

INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Give yourself the education edge
The focus on leadership at recent National Meetings Industry Day events held across the country may have been your call to action to take your career to the next level and achieve greater professional recognition. And for seasoned meeting and event pros, Meeting Professionals International’s Certification in Meetings Management (CMM) program will get the ball rolling. This intensive five-day program aims to educate and certify management-level meeting and event professionals with a minimum of 10 years industry experience, focusing on the strategic decision-making ability of these leaders to manage and deliver superior meetings and events that drive organizational success. The next course will take place from May 21-26, 2011, in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Smart tools for smarter travellers
Travel management company, Egencia, recently announced the upcoming launch of its Egencia Mobile application, designed to help your road warriors travel more efficiently, smartly and safely. Available on iPhone and web-enabled devices in the second quarter of 2011, this unique travel tool follows travellers throughout their journey, providing information that is timely to the current stage of their travels. Flight, rail, car and hotel booking details and alerts, online check-in, weather reports and maps, and click-to-call Egencia customer service is just a touch away from any location.

Corporate Gifts + Rewards
Site honours the best of the best
Site Global’s 2011 Site Crystal Awards, honouring top professionals and programs that demonstrate the power of connecting motivational experiences to solid business results, has enhanced and expanded their recognition categories. Of this year’s many notable awards, professionals will be recognized for Most Effective Incentive Marketing/Promotion Campaign, Best Destination Based Experiential Incentive Travel Program, and Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility. And the new Site Crystal Pinnacle Award will be handed over for the Best Overall Business Solution with the Most Measurable Return, selected from this year’s winners. Award submissions will be accepted online April 20 through June 10; winners will be announced at the Site International Conference 2011, October 13-15, 2011.