Zoomed out.

By Eric Hrubant

Do you remember the novelty of Zoom meetings in the early days of the pandemic? This photo is from a CIRE team Happy Hour we did on March 27, 2020. Look at me and my team and our goofy grins.  If we could only go back and tell our Spring 2020 selves to hold on for a bumpy ride. (But those White Claws were refreshing!)

Now, here we are, two full years later.  And what’s a novelty now?  Face-to-face meetings.  Business trips.  Conferences.  Handshakes.  While I can appreciate the time-saving (or COVID-induced) notion of turning meetings into emails and work trips into Zooms, there is something missing.  Human interaction.

I am happy to report that the phone is ringing more and more every day with corporate travel clients looking to get back on the road.  If your team is a little hesitant, we understand.  Please feel free to call me or anyone on my team of expert travel agents to brainstorm and talk about what’s possible.  I’ve included some info below as a reminder of why business travel is crucial.  It all comes down to relationships and the all-important bottom line.

Face-to-Face Meetings Drive Business
(…and put a face to a name)

Research by Oxford Economics unveiled that face-to-face meetings and business events play a critical role in driving bottom line results—almost doubling the possibility of converting prospects. It may be a networking event to make connections, an intimate dinner to close the deal, or an in-person presentation to meet the team. Whatever it may be, it matters. Reach out to the travel experts at CIRE for help planning a trip that turns a business opportunity into an in-person success.

In-Person Meetings Build Relationships
(…that make things happen)

You may be familiar with the fact that I have preferred partnerships with the top travel brands in the industry.  But when I say this, what I mean is that I have personal relationships around the world with the human representatives of countless hotels, airlines, car services, tour partners and more. In fact, it’s more than likely that I have shook hands, clinked glasses or even snapped a photo with the person who makes it happen at your favorite hotel brand. (That photo above is me and Stacey Colonna, Global Account Director at Marriott International Luxury Brands.)  Because these connections translate to advocacy and negotiation leverage for your travel, I can truly vouch for the value of building relationships. Reach out to book a trip that nurtures one of your own important business relationships.

Another Zoom meeting?  I may just flip my wig.

CIRE Travel is a full-service travel agency headquartered in New York, NY.  Our expert team supports clients across the country and around the world.