Fully remote workforces have become the norm for 16% of organizations. Though remote companies may not have a centralized office space like traditional businesses, corporate travel is still a necessity. Meeting with clients, launching products, celebrating milestones, conducting training sessions, or hosting team-building gatherings are all important reasons to travel. However, traveling as a fully remote organization poses unique considerations and challenges. Understanding and planning for these travel dynamics is essential for seamless, productive trips.
Central Destination
One of the benefits of having a fully remote company is the ability to hire the best talent, wherever you find it. Of course, that can make corporate travel a little more complicated.
If you have the option to choose your travelers’ destination, the best option is to select a centrally located city. Take a look at your list of attendees and where they are based. From there, narrow down your list of potential destinations to the most convenient options that reduce travel time and expenses.
Flight Logistics
When planning a corporate gathering, it’s important to be flexible to accommodate attending employees’ various flight departure points and arrival schedules. Depending on how far away some team members are, you may need to have some employees fly out a day or two early. If possible, you may want to fly some team members into cities where other staff live and fly them all to the final destination together on a single flight to reduce the number of arrivals you need to coordinate.
Accommodation Logistics
Since team members are flying in from different cities, states, or countries, it may be difficult to coordinate same-time and same-day arrivals for all team members. Having hotel and transportation accommodations planned for those who are scheduled to arrive early might be a necessity. Consider working with a travel partner to coordinate ground transportation and additional on-site services.
Have a Trusted Travel Partner
Wherever your company sits on the traditional vs. remote spectrum, travel will play a role in its success. Fully remote organizations will need to bring staff together to maintain culture and vital business will always benefit from in-person communication. Leaning on a trusted travel partner with a wealth of knowledge, like The Travel Team, will help ensure travel remains an asset to your business—not an inconvenience. Our app, TTTMobile, is a handy tool to help corporate travelers track important metrics like predictive flight analytics, alerts, and destination insights, especially in new-to-them destinations.
Book an Extended Trip
It takes a good deal of logistical planning to set up corporate travel as a fully remote company. So, it’s important to make the trouble worthwhile. Rather than scheduling multiple, short trips throughout the year, think about booking extended travel. Schedule multiple events together, like client meetings with product launches or team training with team bonding. Having a one- or two-week-long trip that accomplishes multiple goals simultaneously is often more effective than trying to finish everything you have planned in just a day or two.
