Christoph Carnier is head of procurement category travel, fleet & events at Merck, and is speaking at Business Travel Show Europe in June
Christoph Carnier is senior
director - head of procurement category travel, fleet & events at Merck. He is taking part in a panel
session at Business
Travel Show Europe called The post-Covid travel
manager – Make sure your company needs you more than ever. He tells us about his current travel programme challenges.
What are the most notable differences between business travel management pre-Covid and now?
Much more intense consultancy has been necessary and
increased work for trip planning.
What did you want from your TMC during that
period?
Proper consultation with travellers and exploring all
possible options.
What are the biggest challenges you're facing
now as we emerge from Covid and how are suppliers supporting you?
Recovery seems to be extremely quick and catching up on what was lost in the past two years.
What are the biggest challenges and
opportunities facing the industry as a whole?
There is still lots of uncertainty and this
isn’t only because of Covid, but because we are facing more challenges we have
never thought of. The effects of the war in Ukraine and all of the challenges
around sustainability will certainly keep us busy.
Your session is about the post-Covid travel
manager – how can travel managers make sure they are indispensable?
I think the current challenges in the world
show enough examples as to why companies should have a professional travel manager and travel
management company in place and that it is worth it in terms of the cost.
How important is Business Travel Show Europe
to you as a place to source suppliers and refine your travel programme?
The show always provide the latest market
insights, new technology and innovation as well as excellent network
opportunities.
Please complete this
sentence for us: Business Travel Show Europe is the place to...
...continue your lifelong
learning process.”
• Diaries open: Travel managers attending Business Travel Show Europe as Hosted Buyers can now request and book appointments with more than 150 suppliers. For more information about the event, and to register, click here.