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How to Plan the Best Corporate Events?

How to Plan the Best Corporate Events

The planning of a corporate event can sometimes be tedious and stressful when you don’t have the right advisors, especially when you plan it in house. To spare you all the work here are some tips to plan a great corporate event.

Purpose of the event

First things first, it is important to have a clear idea of the purpose of your event and what you want to achieve with it. Whether the event is just trying to raise awareness among people for your new product or is it just an informal business meeting or an informal conversation with potential customers.

Also it’s important to know your audience, have a clear idea who they are so you can create and organize content that is relevant to them.

Checklist

Someone has to take care of all the details, so why not leave it to the experts. If you’re planning a corporate event outside of your city, there are many details to consider. Travel arrangements, pick-ups, accommodations, meals, venues, decorations and so much more. For this it is necessary a good checklist, proper prep time and several helping hands.

Budget

One of the key elements to have a successful corporate event is to limit the spending and reduce the costs. To achieve this it is vitally important to look for sponsors who collaborate with the event. However, you must keep in mind that limiting the spending and reducing the costs can not affect the quality of the event. This could otherwise affect the reputation of your company.

Both the planning and the budget of the event must go together to make the event a success, and more importantly, that the attendees enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Visibility

Corporate events are one of the best and most effective tools of marketing, internally and externally, for a company. To get the most out of it, it is fundamental that the visibility is not restricted to the people invited, but that the reach is as large as possible. Today there are different strategies focused, primarily but not exclusively, on the internet and social media to promote and advertise properly your corporate event.

Don’t take on a corporate event alone, do it with Areas Travel. At Areas Travel we offer you everything you need to make your corporate event a success.  Our team of experts are ready to help you with all your event needs. We specialize in handling even the most complicated programs, and always providing cost effective, personalized, and hassle-free event management services.

Contact us today at:  1-877-526-6242

www.areastravel.com

Why Use a Travel Agency VS an Online Booking Website?

Why Use a Travel Agency

A travel agent can provide advice, and help you plan the best itinerary for your trip, vs when you do it online, mistakes can happen, and you can end up booking the wrong airport, connections, or even dates.

Your travel agent has tools to get you the best itinerary for the best price, vs when you are booking online, you don’t really know if you are getting the best price or route. You can just be hopeful that you got it right.

Your travel agent has access to net fares and pre-negotiated rates which can result in significant cost savings to you, vs paying high prices online. 

Your travel agent is always available to you for any reason, question or concern that you may have, and you can travel stress-free knowing that someone has your back, vs booking online, you are on your own.

If you ever have an emergency and need to cancel a last-minute reservation, your travel agent is just a call, email or text away. Your travel agent will work hard to minimize the penalties you may have to pay. Vs trying to cancel a reservation with a call center, that may not be able to help, and won’t have your best interest in mind.

If you’re at the airport and your flight gets cancelled, your travel agent can help you get re-protected with another flight in minutes, and save you hours of waiting, vs a ticket that was done online — good luck trying to get help.

Something that online booking websites cannot compete with, is with flights or hotels that are sold out. Your travel agent has direct access to the inventory, and may get you a seat in that flight that you must take to arrive on time to your meeting, or get you that room in the sold-out hotel you love so much.

Technology is great for specific things, but when it comes to dealing with sensitive decisions, no one can do it better than us. Your travel agent will always look out for you, and do everything in their power to make your trip a success. When it comes to personalized customer service, a computer will never be able to compete.

If you would like to learn more about why a travel agency is beneficial for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

AREAS TRAVEL is here to help you!

    1-877-526-6242

 www.areastravel.com

Do Travel Agencies Help Corporations Save Time and Money?

The answer is YES

How you might ask? Well, there are several benefits of working with a travel agency, and two of the most essential reasons are that they save businesses time and money.

Most businesses shy away from using a travel agency due to their fear of extra costs, but travel agencies make the majority of their money from commissions earned by airlines, hotels, car services, etc.

 They charge per booking, if you don’t book, there is no fee!

The fees charged per booking are usually minimal, and the amount of money they save you surpasses the marginal fee. They are experts in monitoring flights for the cheapest fares. This is time consuming, and time that you don’t have to waste!

Some agencies also offer management services such as expense reporting and travel policy review which is more cost effective than hiring a full-time employee to handle the companies travel needs.

They have access to tools that average consumers don’t or have no idea about!

Travel agents can help clients with room upgrades, plan activities, add-on amenities, help score perks and have the tools to locate cheaper alternatives. In addition, they take time to speak with vendors to get out of any cancellation fees in case of any urgent requests that consumers just don’t have the time or experience to solve quickly and effectively.

They save you from mistakes!

As experts in the travel industry, agents are aware of any visa requirements, custom procedures and assure clients that their trip goes as smoothly as possible.

If you would like to learn more about how a travel agency can help your business, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

AREAS TRAVEL is here to help you!

1-877-526-6242

www.areastravel.com

Get the Most Out Of Your Next Business Trip!

Having a career that requires travel is a perk we all do not get to experience. Although many may not see business travel as a perk, at all due to the not-so-fun things it entails, there are ways in which you can get the most out of your next business trip!

  • Pack Smart.

We all hate packing. Whether we are traveling for business or vacation, packing is not fun and unpacking? Even WORSE. Unfortunately, it’s a must. Never wait until last minute to pack! It becomes stressful and there is more of a chance you will forget something important if you do. Only pack the essentials. Packing only the essentials makes carrying your luggage easier and avoids any fees the airport may charge for luggage that is over the weight limit. Be organized. Never throw in clothes that are not folded properly, or items in the luggage. Always pack neatly! Take the extra 10 minutes. You will appreciate it when the time comes to unpack at home!

  • Avoid Airport lines.

Waiting on long lines at the airport is frustrating, but you don’t have to. We expedite the check-in for our VIP clients. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck is one of the best ways to avoid long lines and is an absolute must if you travel frequently. PreCheck travelers get to stand in a special (shorter) line and don’t need to remove their shoes, laptops, liquids, belts or jackets. Fortunately, your assigned travel agent will be working for you behind the scenes making your life easier. Don’t have a TSA and/or Global Entry account? We can help make one for you. All you must do is show up to the airport and board the plane!

  • Take a minute to enjoy!

Whether you are walking through the busiest street in Manhattan, NY, or taking off your jacket once you feel the warm weather in Miami, FL. Take a minute to enjoy the scenery! Stop and get a hotdog on the corner of Times Square and 7th Ave as you stop and see how fast paced life is in NYC. Enjoy looking at the palm trees in Florida and appreciate the sun beaming down welcoming you to the sunshine state. Appreciate the little things offered when you enter a new state or country. It’s the little things that make the biggest and most memorable difference.

Next time you travel, keep in mind these suggestions. At Areas Travel, we go above and beyond to take care of every detail of your trip, from A to Z, so you don’t’ have to worry about anything.

www.areastravel.com

Tips for Business Travelers

As more companies make work trips more common, it is essential that business travel is a smooth journey for your employees.

Here are some tips for business travel:

Join a travel program

Specially useful for frequent travelers, travel programs help your employees skip the lines and enjoy benefits like priority boarding or going through TSA. Don’t forget about the miles! A travel program will help your employees rack up miles to use in future trips and the more you fly with one company, the faster you will receive bigger rewards.

Passport Tips  

Traveling outside the country? Make sure your employees’ passport is up to date. Since passports today are in high demand routine processing takes four-to-six weeks or longer.

Read more

The World’s Most Visited Destinations This Year

According to Mastercard Index of Global Destination Cities, Bangkok ranks number 1 this year as the most visited city in the world with 20.2 million international visitors. Offering culture, cuisine, architecture, and history, the Thai capital has a unique set of characteristics that are irresistible to any tourist itching to see the world. As the largest and most developed city in Thailand, Bangkok manages to maintain its historical architecture and traditions dating back hundreds of years while keeping it modern and interesting with chaos, freedom, beauty, and adventure.

Cheerio, mate! London,

The English capital comes a close second with over 20 million visitors. From the Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, it’s no surprise that so many people would jump on a red double-decker bus to see some of the most recognisable sights in the world from its top deck. While visiting London, it is also essential to experience the nightlife. Londoners are known to party hard, why not join them? There’s everything any night owl could possibly want in the capital, from classic pubs, to chic clubs, and quirky dive bars.

J’adore Paris

With 16.1 millions international visitors, the “love capital” of the world ranks third in the list of most visited cities in the world. For many, it’s not really a question of why visit Paris, rather why would you not. First and foremost, you will eat like have never eaten before. For the French, food is a joy to be savored three times a day. From fresh baked croissants on the sun-kissed terrace to the traditional croque monsieur in a traditional Parisian bistro, French know how eat.

Whether you visit one of these coveted destinations or venture out to a different place, let someone else worry about the planning. Areas Travel agents take care of all your travel details from A to Z so you can relax and enjoy your time.

www.areastravel.com

Traveling during the holidays?

 Here are our special tips:

According to Forbes, the year-end holidays are the busiest months to travel, with over 99 million Americans traveling over the nine day period in 2014 and 2015…and we know this year will be no different. Other than closing dates and final reports, the end of the calendar year also means celebrating Christmas and New Year with family and friends, meaning that airports, stations and roads are full of people, so if you are going to travel this Christmas, pay attention to our useful tips that will make this time off less stressful  for you.

Book in advance

Wherever you go, there golden rule always applies, book in advance. The month of December is one of the dates with more air traffic and crowds of people. If you have been thinking about your Christmas getaway, do not wait until the last minute to book your flights, your hotel or your tickets to a show. Waiting longer means there’s a less chance of finding a place and more options to increase costs. The ideal thing is to book, minimum, one month in advance.

At the airport

If you already have your tickets, remember that there will be many other people that will also trave on the 23th and 24th of December, so make sure you arrive to the airport at least 2 hours in advance if you’re checking a bag. If you’re traveling light with a carry-on bag, check-in online, you’ll save time and the tedious lines.

Have your communication devices fully charged

Expect the unexpected when traveling this holiday season, you never know what can happen. For those small unforeseen events or mishaps that are so inappropriate and unwanted, you should always try to be available and communicated. Keep your mobile phone handy, try to take it with a full battery and, in case you fly, bring your phone’s charger in your purse or hand luggage, it can save your life on more than one occasion and avoid unnecessary worries.

Contact us today for your next trip at www.areastravel.com

What are the benefits of using a travel agent?

The internet is a great tool for searching new destinations, travel deals, and packages, but these will never replace the knowledge, experience and relationships that a travel agency can provide. If you trip is not carefully planned the consequences can be chaotic.

Business trips can be stressful, especially when meeting with key clients or closing a deal, not to mention the stress of making travel arrangements and worrying about the hotel booking, transportation and finding good restaurants for your meeting. In this typical scenario, a travel agent’s role is to ease their client’s stress and find the best alternatives to make the best of their business trip.  

Many, in order to save a few dollars, choose to take on the task of booking all the elements of  a business trip on their own without taking into account the risks they’re exposing themselves to, like the loss of money when for some reason, you can’t make the trip.

Among the most important benefits of using the services of a travel agent, is the ability of these professionals to plan a business trip tailored to each client. Travel agents will take care of any inconveniences that could arise from a business trip, work under a budget and help you get the most out of your time.

Travel agents have the information first hand about many destinations and can give recommendations on hotels, restaurants and places to visit.

At Areas Travel these are just a few of the special things we do for our clients:

Help with sold out flight or hotels.
Last minute changes, and cancellations
Prepaid hotels
Organize meetings
Airport concierge when necessary for famous artists
Vip Treatment for the high level executives; Upgrades, online check in, room amenities
Dedicated agent on call 24/7

You can count on us to manage all your corporate travel needs while offering the best service and value. From A to Z, our dedicated account executives have the latest technology for flexible and customizable travel solutions, including trip disruption, duty-of-care and traveler tracking.

Contact us today for your next business trip at www.areastravel.com

How to choose the right travel company for your business

Business travel may be a drag sometimes, especially if it’s handled poorly, that’s why trusting your time and money on the right travel company is so important.

Make The Right Choice When Selecting Your Experienced Travel Agent

This is one of the most important things to think about when finding the right travel agent for your business. Even though the travel company may be the best in the country, it will do little good to your company if they aren’t the most experiences in business travel management.

Ask question! When selecting a new agency for your business travel it’s important all your doubts get answers. Ask questions like how many of their clients use them as a business travel agency? How do they deal with last minute changes and flexible business travel? What is their track record with small and large companies?

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