The major themes at Business Travel Show Europe 2025 spanned sustainability, geopolitical risk, and the growing convergence of business travel with meetings and events. And Reed & Mackay was there to demonstrate its continued commitment to meeting those evolving needs of today’s travel managers, event planners, business travelers, and delegates.
Sustainability takes the spotlight
With sustainability in business travel still a key focus throughout the show’s conference program, corporate travel buyers attended our exclusive booth sessions on the first day. The first was a sustainability seminar – Greener Journeys, Leaner Budgets: Rethinking Travel for a Sustainable Future. Our Global Sustainability Director, Chris Truss, and Clarasight Co-Founder Philip Charm shared insights on effectively managing sustainable travel that supports your business goals.
A common issue in the corporate setting is that organizations are focusing on the “what,” rather than the “why” of sustainability. Our booth session discussed how, as a result, businesses often rush to implement carbon reduction measures. Yet, to be effective, sustainability travel policies must have full support across a business. It is not enough for sustainability to be an imposed requirement; it must become an integral part of the company.
However, as global buyers emphasised at the Business Travel Show, travel management companies (TMCs) are now expected to deliver detailed emissions data and support clients in aligning travel with ESG goals. So centralizing bookings through a TMC is essential to capturing meaningful sustainability data and driving change. Yet, there remains a need for greater clarity and consistency in how this information is presented.
Encouragingly, to meet this challenge, Reed & Mackay has collaborated with Clarasight to launch a first-of-its-kind travel and emissions benchmarking solution. This offers clients the tools to drive efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve reporting. Discover more here.
Tackling compliance amid geopolitical shifts
Managing business travel amid geopolitical shifts was the key focus of the show’s From Border to Boardroom session. Our General Manager for Energy & Marine Graeme Fyvie (pictured speaking below) joined a panel of experts to discuss the compliance risks travel managers face with travel policies in an evolving political and economic landscape, plus ways to manage them.
“Stress-test your travel policy. In addition, make sure each department in your company is aligned and knows who is accountable for it,” Fyvie advises. “The minute a travel policy isn’t fit for purpose, compliance can easily be lost. Helping your travelers keep on track is essential.”
Corporate travel merging with meetings and events
The Reed & Mackay booth also welcomed another full audience of corporate travel buyers for our booth seminar The Merging Worlds of Travel, Meetings and Events. As the lines blur between business travel and group events, travel managers are increasingly handling both.
Reed & Mackay’s Global Head of Events Travel, Scott Blondel, and Cvent’s Matt Davis, Manager of European Partnerships (pictured below, left to right), explored how combining these responsibilities can unlock new value.
“Merging these two worlds of corporate travel and meetings and events can drive value and influence. And, as a result, this value ranges from cost negotiations and duty of care to data visibility and policy compliance,” Blondel explains.
The evolving role of the TMC
The second day of the show explored the role of the TMC and how it is rapidly evolving to meet the changing demands of today’s business travel landscape. No longer just booking intermediaries, today’s TMCs are strategic partners leveraging technology, data, and content to deliver greater value.
In response, established organizations are blending advanced technology with premium service. Partnering with a TMC provides businesses with access to expert consultants and advanced platforms designed to deliver cost-efficiency and simplify travel management.
Did you know..?
A busy Business Travel Show 2025 conference program highlighted the major issues shaping the agenda for business travel and events. Furthermore, as well as sustainability and managing business travel in a changing world, the program focused on topics including NDC, establishing travel policies, and reducing business travel costs.
Read more on how…
- Working with a travel management company can provide valuable support to navigating NDC.
- A robust travel policy can deliver benefits to your business.
- You can save money on business travel while maintaining your corporate travel program’s credibility.
Discover how we can help your company navigate the ever-evolving world of corporate travel and events.
Get in touch
Email us at helloUS@reedmackay.com to discuss all your corporate travel and event management needs.
