Small & Midsize Programs Come Into Their Own

Unmanaged, lightly managed, newly managed ... even if you think your small and midsize travel program is mature and there’s nothing more you can squeeze from your suppliers, it may be time to think again. 

The entire business travel industry seems to be trying to fit itself into a smaller box, or at least have a tidy product that will allow them to do so part of the time. The industry has witnessed the continued resiliency of the small and midsize enterprise, and so many suppliers seem to have pinned their hopes on capturing that small- to midsize segment of as part of the new travel management opportunity set.

But as BCD Travel’s David Mitchell rightly points out in contributing editor Lauren Arena’s report that starts on page 5, those buyers and programs aren’t always so easy to reach and convert to into clients, even if they would be willing to be one!

Especially in smaller programs, the travel management function may be couched inside of a job role that has little to do with travel. In this issue, we spoke to Lisa Litt, the executive assistant to the CEO of Palmetto Infusion on page 5, who manages the company’s travel as part of her role at the growing company. 

We also spoke with VP of sales for Hyde Tools Bob Clemence, who is clearly one of the company’s road warriors, but also takes responsibility for keeping track of travel policy and likely enforcing it for his traveling team members. There are just 10 traveling employees, but they are keeping the lights on at Hyde Tools and beating their competitors. 

These are the kinds of go-getters that often run SME travel programs. They want quick, practical and intuitive solutions for their travelers, but also ones that are nuanced for their business, their corporate culture and strategic goals. 

SME programs are not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Buyers in this issue couldn’t be more diverse in their travel strategies. If you are one of these SME buyers looking for business travel support, you can find it at Business Travel News. I hope you’ll read this editorial series and share the links with other smart travel buyers, no matter what formal job title they may hold.