Glittering Prize Why Has Sporting Cardiff Set Its Sights on Business?
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DESTINATIONSummer 2014 A CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS PUBLICATION TRAVEL STAY CONNECT Don’t visit Leeds Historic grandeur Why being social without pocketing meets subtle chic at conferences our guide to its at this Edinburgh means more than venues and sights town house hotel just a handshake GLITTERING PRIZE WHY HAS SPORTING CARDIFF SET ITS SIGHTS ON BUSINESS? AIRPORT LOUNGES TO MAKE YOU FORGET YOU’RE IN TRANSIT IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES WE FACED LAST WINTER IN THIS ISSUE ContentsSummer 2014 5 WELCOME p58 Trevor Elswood reflects on the year so far – and our new voice of the customer campaign Minutes 8 10 THINGS TO TAKE ON BOARD From US flights for a tenner to Travelodge’s expansion and Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 – via the latest updates on HS2 and Crossrail 9 THE HOTLIST Sniff your way round York, carve your own ice room – and sleep among the clouds (almost) at the Shard’s Shangri-La hotel 10 ZEITGEIST Features Try before you buy: hotels are increasingly putting their furnishings and décor on sale 20 DESTINATION: CARDIFF Insider’s Guide and letting guests literally own the room The Welsh capital’s won on the sports field – and now it’s setting its sights on business 55 THE INSIDER 11 HAVE YOU TRIED…? Get to know the CEO: Paul Boyle Extreme team building isn’t just a workout, 29 USER-GENERATED CONTENT shares his insight and experience but a way of strengthening trust in colleagues. Can delegates put themselves centre stage? Should you be taking the plunge? 56 TRAVEL CLINIC 35 POCKET PLANNER Our experts share inspirational 12 OVERNIGHT EXPERT The lowdown on Leeds, to pull out and keep incentive ideas and advise on Become a member of Le Club and reap tackling low online adoption rewards across Accorhotels 40 THE ROXBURGHE A historic Edinburgh hotel reconceived 58 INSIDE OUT 13 TALKING POINT Tips on visiting Monte Carlo, Our experts chat about putting a travel policy 46 EIGHT OF THE BEST: AIRPORT LOUNGES Brussels and Vienna – plus in place – and making it a hit with travellers Places to while away your pre-flight periods SnowDome fun in Tamworth 14 CALENDAR 50 CASE NOTES: SSE STORM BOOKINGS 61 TAKE FIVE Keep these events on your radar – they’ll The challenges of putting up tired engineers Our pick of the best apps for see you through the busy months ahead when rain (and wind, and lightning) sets in business travellers 15 10 TOP 63 ON TRACK From data to consolidation, tips for The latest news from inside getting the most out of your RFP Capita Travel and Events 18 THAT FIGURES 66 OUT OF THE OFFICE The big numbers behind the story A pop-up hotel, and the smell of of how we’re travelling by train today burning rubber, at Silverstone p40 CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS 3 SilverDoor Capita ad:artwork 05/03/2014 12:21 Page 1 When four walls aren’t enough... We love hotels, but we know that sometimes you just need more. At Capita Travel and Events we work in partnership with SilverDoor, the leading global serviced apartment specialist. Together, we ensure that you and your travellers have the extra space, privacy and facilities that you need to feel at home when travelling on business for more than a few nights. Contact your Capita Travel and Events team and choose from 100,000 apartments in over 400 cities across 70 countries worldwide. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Capita Travel and Events Meridian Court, 18 Stanier Way Wyvern Business Park Derby DE21 6BF t: 0871 521 9800 e: [email protected] @CapTravelEvents www.capitatravelandevents.co.uk THANKS TO Paul Boyle ALL WHO VOTED Chief executive officer FOR US IN THE M&IT Trevor Elswood AWARDS. WE COULDN’T Chief commercial officer Ian Carron HAVE WON FOR THE Chief information officer SIXTH CONSECUTIVE Alan Hardy YEAR WITHOUT Chief financial officer YOU! Neal Poole Welcome Head of marketing BUILDING ON SUCCESS Editor Laura Evans Editorial assistant Would you believe it? The days are market (read more on p13). And the bubbly Lily Howes Senior sub-editor getting longer, the World Cup and was in full flow as Raj Sachdave, head of rail Gemma Dean Commonwealth Games are looming – product UK and international, launched our Art director at last, we’re looking forward to summer. integrated taxi booking service. Previewed Shelley Varley The past few months have sped by for us in the last issue of Destination, this allows Account director at Capita Travel and Events as we’ve been customers to book a taxi that coordinates Rachel Walder Managing director working hard to further our understanding with their train’s arrival – continuing our Polly Arnold of our customers’ needs and tailor our aim to make your travel experiences as easy services accordingly. as possible. Destination © 2014 I look back on the first half of this year We’re also basking in the glory of ISSN 2052-4536 Published on behalf of with pride, safe in the knowledge that winning the Meetings & Incentive Travel Capita Travel and Events by there’s already been a lot of success. Back in Best Intermediary Agency (more than 40 Think February, we took the Business Travel Show employees) Award for the sixth consecutive The Pall Mall Deposit by storm at a stand abuzz with familiar faces year (p63). Thank you to all who took 124-128 Barlby Road and plenty of new ones (and I’m confident the time to vote; we couldn’t have done it London W10 6BL t: 020 8962 3020 this wasn’t just down to the free sweets!). without you. What you think matters, and e: [email protected] When we weren’t soaking up the wisdom because we want to continue to provide a of industry greats, we were sharing our valued service, we’re launching a voice of the own insight and expertise. I took to the customer campaign. Keep an eye out – we’d stage to discuss the future of technology welcome suggestions and comments on how in business travel, while our director of we can make our service and technology as consulting services, Sam Welch, looked at forward-thinking, and as relevant to your ALAMY policy compliance in the light of a hardening needs, as we can. Printed by Taylor Bloxham, Leicester Capita Travel and Events does not necessarily agree with, nor guarantee the accuracy of, statements made by contributors Trevor Elswood, or advertisers, or accept chief commercial officer, responsibility for any opinions they Capita Travel and Events may express in this publication. CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS 5 This is Oxford. The next stop is Singapore. FGW26856 Singapore_Destination Mag 275x215.indd 1 17/03/2014 10:33 IN BRIEF This issue: TRAIN MEETS PLANE ICE ARCHITECTURE OWNING THE ROOM AIRLINE ALLIANCES TEAMS AT EXTREMES TALKING POINT CARD CLASH Minutes ACCORHOTELS’ LE CLUB Your round-up of news, views, trends, tips and must-know insights RFP HEALTH CHECKS from across the travel, accommodation, meetings and events industry TRAVEL CALENDAR First Great Western, Heathrow Express and Singapore Airlines have teamed up to form the UK’s first rail-fly partnership CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS 7 NEWS DIGEST We round up some of the key industry THINGS TO stories from the past few months 10 TAKE ON BOARD €3bn The total investment 4 Lufthansa is making across its fleet.As part of this spend, the airline is joining 40 others in o§ering a premium economy service. Travellers will Singapore Airlines, Heathrow Express and First Great Western enjoy 50% more room – thanks The HS2 project could 1 have partnered to create the UK’s first rail-fly partnership. to seats up to 3cm wider and 5 help resolve the housing Travellers jetting o§ from 11 destinations in south-west England, with a 97cm pitch – as well as a crisis in the South East. HS2 including Bath, Bristol and Cardi§, can now arrange, through welcome drink, individual power chairman Sir David Higgins www.rail-fly.com, international flights and rail fares under one socket, meals served on china, said better rail links with the booking, meaning a journey from the heart of Bristol to Brisbane in one additional checked bag and Midlands and the North would Australia can be carried out using just one ticket from end to end. an amenity kit containing travel not only boost economies, The scheme aims to simplify long-haul trips for both business and accessories. The new service but also ease the pressure to leisure travellers – the rail-fly website recommends the best train will be available on Lufthansa’s live and work in London. The to catch to make a specific flight, for instance. But it’s not just about Boeing 747-8 long-haul flights former Network Rail boss convenience. Someone travelling from Bristol to Brisbane could save from November, and across the made his mark on the project as much as £140 on an economy SaverExpress fare, or £190 with a fleet by the end of 2015. this spring with proposals to BusinessExpress ticket. accelerate its second phase by building the 43-mile stretch to Crewe in the first construction Flights to the US for The new and improved period, and to postpone the 2 under £10 are on the 3 Terminal 2 at Heathrow £700m plan to connect the HS2 cards, courtesy of Ryanair. is to open in June, following line to HS1, which runs from St Michael O’Leary, the airline’s a £2.5bn revamp by Spanish Pancras station to the Channel chief executive, hopes to o§er firm Luis Vidal + Architects.