Things To Consider When Planning A Company Business Trip

Organising a business trip for your employees, but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, that’s where we come in.

While there may be a lot to think about and consider, planning a business trip doesn’t need to be stressful. Instead of panicking and getting stressed out, get organised and plan in advance. By planning in advance, you can ensure that the trip is well organised and runs smoothly.

To find out more about planning for a company business trip, have a read of this:

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1. Double check the details

Before doing anything, double check the details of the trip. If you are heading to an industry show to training event, make sure to check the time, date and location of the event. This is vital, as you don’t want to make the mistake of booking the bus for the wrong day or accommodation for the wrong night.

2. Start planning as early as possible

Don’t leave the planning until the last minute. As soon as the date, time and location of the event has been confirmed, it is important to start planning and making arrangements.

The first thing to do is discuss the trip with your employees and create a list of who will be coming along. Is the event mandatory for all staff or is it just for certain team members? Once you have a list of names, you can then start thinking about transport and accommodation.

The next things to focus on, are booking accommodation and transport and mapping out and planning travel times.

3. Create an itinerary

Creating a detailed itinerary is vital for ensuring that the trip is a success and that everything runs smoothly. A good itinerary will cover everything from travel times and details, down to when your employees have free time.

Start off with travel details and accommodation details and then add in things like meal times, free time and event and conference time. A good itinerary should be easy to follow and well thought out.

4. Delegate

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If you are struggling to plan the trip on your own, consider delegating some of your jobs to one of your reliable and trusted employees.

Explain to them what you need help with and which jobs should take priority. For example, you could put an employee in charge of arranging the catering requirements for the trip.

5. Book your accommodation

Ideally, you want to book accommodation that is as close to the event as possible, as this will make getting there easier. However, you also want to get a good deal on accommodation, so it is worth looking around for the best price.

When choosing accommodation for the trip, it is important to think about how many rooms you will need. As well as, the food on offer, the location of the hotel, and the quality. For example, you want to choose a hotel that is not too expensive, but is of a good quality, like somewhere that uses stalbridge hotel linen services – unclean sheets are a surefire way to ruin an otherwise enjoyable business trip! Make sure that when you make the booking, that you request rooms on the same floor level and rooms that are for business, not for leisure.

To make things easier, if possible, opt for a hotel with its own restaurant or a restaurant attached. So, that there is no need to worry about transport to and from dinner.

6. Book transport

Once you know where you will be staying, it is a good idea to book transport to and from the event or conference.

The type of transport you need will depend on the location of the event and the number of people attending. For example, if you have ten people or under attending, a minibus would be a good idea. Whereas, if you have 50 or more people going, hiring a coach would be a good idea.

If the conference or event location is overseas, make sure to book airport transfer coaches, as well as plane tickets.

Before booking any transport, make sure that all staff have confirmed that they will be using it. Some members of staff may prefer to make their own way to the event or presentation, which is fine. Just make sure that you have the correct numbers for transport booking.

7. Check travel documents

Make sure to ask each employee for all the necessary travel documents, such as passport and drivers license, depending on where you are going.

Check each employee’s travel documents and make sure that they are valid and in good order – a tear or rip in a passport can render it useless.

As well as checking passports and driver’s licenses, create an itinerary containing all the travel details and information. Print out copies of this, and give each member of staff a copy. The itinerary should include things like travel details, departure time and accommodation details. As well as, all the necessary information about the event itself.

8. Think about the time

When booking transport and accommodation, make sure to think about the time and how long it will take you to get to your location. Take possible travel delays into account and make sure to give yourself plenty of travel time.

Make sure that you will arrive at the event with plenty of time to unpack, relax and settle in before the event starts. If the event starts in the morning, it is best to rent accommodation for the night before and travel to the destination after work the night before.

9. Make it fun

While you are planning a business trip, it still important to make it fun for your employees. Think about ways you can make the trip more fun and enjoyable.

If you are staying for more than one night, perhaps you could have a fun night. Go play crazy golf, go bowling, go on a nighttime bike ride, find ways to make the trip fun. Or, perhaps you could all go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, instead of eating in the hotel restaurant. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure that you make the trip fun and enjoyable.

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