Wednesday Buzz: Sensing a Business Travel Slowdown

In the U.S., the state of business travel is looking a little soft.

At least that’s the sentiment of a number of travel-technology providers, who warn that consumers are focusing more on deals than they have in the recent past.

“We see more of a softness on the business travel side,” Sabre CEO Tom Klein recently said of a decline in his company’s earnings, according to Skift  (opens in a new tab). “And I think there’s been softness in segment-specific areas. You certainly have seen now a multi-year softness in the energy sector where I would say the trips went away, not looking for cheaper fares.”

While some sectors have felt the impact more direct than others, the issues appear to be growing more widespread, the Skift report suggests. The banking and energy sectors tend to be more sensitive to the cost concerns than other sectors are, but with Brexit and the recent European terror attacks, there are concerns that more people will decide to stay home.

“You know what’s going on in the world, there are a lot of uncertainties,” explained Luis Maroto, president and CEO of Amadeus IT Group. “There is some uncertainty going around… the uncertainty is making us a little bit more cautious.”

Behind a Rebrand

Luggage Tags and Breath Mints: How MSAE Refreshed Itself as Associations North: https://t.co/m1gpah0Svs  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Association Adviser (@AssocAdviser) August 9, 2016  (opens in a new tab)

Associations North’s minty-fresh new name, announced in May, was a bold branding choice that moved away from the traditional branding style of a society for association executives. How’d did the former Midwest Society of Association Executives decide on it?

In an interview with Association Adviser, the group’s marketing and communications manager, Angela Kisskeys, broke down the overarching strategy  (opens in a new tab).

“Associations North has a great story to tell, but our logo and brand identity didn’t speak to our audience,” she explained in the interview. “With the rebrand, we have the opportunity to tell our story and share it with a new look and feel that reflects our true brand.”

Check out the article for more  (opens in a new tab)—including shots of some of the interesting swag the association used to introduce the name to its members. (Breath mints? Check!)

Other Links of Note

It’s hard to write online content that people can trust. How can you ensure you’re offering readers something they can believe in? This Dejan Marketing post  (opens in a new tab) has some useful considerations.

Your favorite web apps have lots of Easter eggs hidden inside, but they’re not the easiest things to find. The Zapier blog offers up a few hidden search tools  (opens in a new tab) in apps such as Slack, Trello, and Facebook.

Looking to boost your event’s SEO? The Event Manager Blog has a few strategies  (opens in a new tab) to get you started.

(iStock/Thinkstock)