Planning a business trip can be stressful and time-consuming but when your travel plans involve meetings in multiple destinations – and, perhaps, multiple countries or continents – then things can start to get really complicated.
We’ve put together five tips to help you keep on top of your itinerary, avoid making costly mistakes and arrive at each meeting fired up rather than worn down.
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Make sure your meetings are both booked and confirmed
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Nothing is harder to hit than a moving target so take time in advance to confirm all the dates, locations, times and other details that will determine your final business travel agenda.
It will pay to make sure your contacts understand that you only have very limited flexibility over your meeting times. Once your flights and travel times are arranged take the time to confirm once more the meeting to minimise any last-minute changes. Preparation really is your best friend when conducting business abroad.
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Build downtime into your plans
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Of course you want to fit as much as possible into your trip, but you also need to be firing on all cylinders to capitalise on your meetings. Always leave yourself enough time to unpack, settle in and relax when you arrive at each destination or you risk looking frazzled and unprofessional.
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Organise your documents
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Look over all your travel documents and details – making sure you check any visa requirements – to make sure everything is in order. Always print out at least two copies of your travel itinerary and store each one separately in case a bag is lost or stolen.
It is a good idea to leave one copy with your assistant in your office in case you need someone to make changes whilst you are on your trip. Finally, make sure you save yourself time by knowing how you will get to each meeting and hotel from the airport, station or motorway.
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Prepare for each meeting
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Upload all your meeting materials onto a flash drive – or, better still, store them in the cloud – so that you can quickly access them if you need to. Make sure you check your carrier’s roaming charges before you leave.
Never have just a paper copy of your meeting materials or store them electronically in just one place alone.
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Pack methodically
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With your itinerary in front of you it should be simple to evaluate your trip as a whole and make a list of everything that you will need to pack.
Start by dividing the things you need into categories – such as toiletries, nightwear, leisurewear, formal evening clothes, suits, and electronics.
Familiarise yourself with the various security requirements and restrictions if you are traveling by plane.
At Simplexity, we understand how important hitch-free business travel is. That’s why we take a big interest in making sure everything runs smoothly for our corporate clients. To see what our Travel Managers can do for your business travel speak to us today on 0203 535 9290, or email us at corporate@simplexitytravel.com.