What is a Travel Director?
What is a Travel Director (TD)? This is a question often asked from anyone outside of the industry. To be honest, before starting at ETD, I myself had no idea. Most of the time people think it is the equivalent of a travel agent. Even trying to explain it can get confusing. Knowing what a TD is can be very helpful to professionals all across the board. In an article written back in 2006, Irene Korn did a great job explaining just that. It may be an older article but the information is still accurate today. I hope this helps you better...
read moreWhat is Next for Airport Screening?
It’s times like now, Holiday weekends, that we all dread the airport a little more then usual. More people traveling means longer lines at check in and the one we love the most, security. Over the past few years there has been heightened security in all areas ranging from travel size carry on items to full body scans and pat downs. But what will it it be next? In a recent article found on CNN, as we approach the 10th anniversary of that fateful day, this is the question many are asking. What is next for Airport Screening? TSA explains their...
read moreThe Future of Meetings
It’s fun to think about the future. Will it be like The Jetsons, where you’re flying around space in cool little cars and a robot takes care of your family? Or maybe something like Star Trek, where you can travel via teleport. Who knows, maybe we will all be vacationing on Mars. But I guess the question we should be asking is what does the future of meetings look like? While robots and teleporting still sound a little far-fetched, they could be making an appearance sooner than you’d think. According to recent research, robots might make...
read moreLegionella and Bedbugs: Things to Watch for
Many hotels pride themselves on a being a home away from home experience. More accurately for TDs, it IS a home away from home. What with back to back programs or even the busy summer months, TDs could spend up to 20 days a month visiting different hotels around the world. The only difference is you would hope your home bed would not be infested with bugs and your drinking water crawling with bacteria. This has been the case in many hotels in recent months. You may have even read about it the paper or seen it on the news. Hopefully you...
read moreSwap Shelves- A Travelers Favorite Bookstore
With popular reading devices such as the Kindle and Nook, it’s rare to see someone with an actual book, especially when they offer special features such as sharing books between other device owners. Sure they may be slim and convenient, but there is nothing like the smell and touch of an actual book. Well now you can have it all with the new Swap Shelves popping up in airports all over. Store owners are starting to encourage frequent fliers to leave a book and take a book. This helps you get fresh reading material for free (or cheap) and...
read moreIndustry Economic Benefits?
Fortune magazine reports that the trend toward using temporary employees not only continues but is growing. Businesses are too scared to hire permanently. They want to know that the economic recovery will be sustainable. Employers are also keeping temporary staffers for longer periods of time. Mixed economic data, sweeping new financial and health care reforms, and uncertainty about the expiring tax cuts, have all left employers feeling jittery about their future business prospects. Companies are looking to rely more on contract workers rather...
read moreTo Tip or Not to Tip, that is the Question?- Blog Part II
Often onsite we are obligated to tip the venue or vendor staff for their services. Here are some quick tips on tipping that I have gathered over the years from different types of meeting and events. According to Convention Industry Council, a tip is a voluntary and selective amount given at will for excellent service. Review the final BEO’s and bill; look to see if there is a service charge. This is a mandatory and automatic amount added to a bill for the service personnel and the facility, which receives a portion of the charge. This is...
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