Event Travel Management

Event Travel Management (ETM), located at 2120 S 72nd St in Omaha, operates as a specialized division of the global company Corporate Travel Management (CTM). This distinction is crucial for any potential client to understand from the outset. ETM is not a typical main street travel agency focused on individual leisure trips or standard vacation packages. Instead, it positions itself as a high-level provider of comprehensive corporate travel management and intricate event travel services. The Omaha office serves as a local point of contact with access to a powerful, international network, which is a significant advantage for businesses with a national or global footprint. As of July 2024, ETM has been rebranded to 'CTM Meetings & Events' to better reflect its integration with CTM's broader corporate travel programs.

Core Strengths and Service Offerings

The primary strength of Event Travel Management lies in its profound specialization. The organization is engineered to handle the complexities of business and event-related travel, which often involve multiple moving parts, tight schedules, and large groups. Their services are designed to alleviate the logistical burdens that companies face, allowing them to focus on the objectives of their travel or event rather than the minutiae of planning.

Specialization in Corporate and Event Travel

ETM excels in several key areas that are highly valuable to its target clientele:

• Group Air Travel and Attendee Management: Coordinating flights for dozens or hundreds of attendees from various locations is a significant challenge. ETM manages this process, ensuring synchronized arrivals and handling the complexities of group bookings.
• Venue Sourcing and Hotel Logistics: Leveraging its industry connections and purchasing power, the agency sources appropriate venues for meetings and conferences and secures hotel accommodations, often at negotiated rates that a single company might not be able to achieve.
• Strategic Meetings Management (SMM): This is a cornerstone of their offering. ETM provides a framework for managing all aspects of a company's meetings and events, from initial budgeting to post-event analysis. This data-driven approach helps businesses understand their spending, mitigate risks, and prove the value and ROI of their events. For instance, during the global health crisis, their systematic approach reportedly helped a client achieve $46.75 million in verified savings through strategic cancellations and rebooking.
• Entertainment and Production Travel: ETM also has a specialist team dedicated to the uniquely complex travel needs of the entertainment industry, managing logistics for cast, crew, and equipment for film, TV, and music productions.

Advanced Travel Technology

A significant differentiator for ETM and its parent company, CTM, is the emphasis on proprietary travel technology. They offer clients access to integrated platforms that serve as a single source of truth for all travel data. These tools provide real-time budget tracking, expense reconciliation, and detailed reporting. For a travel manager or finance department, this level of visibility and control is invaluable for enforcing travel policies and optimizing costs. The technology aims to streamline the travel booking process for employees while providing management with the necessary oversight and approval workflows.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

While ETM's specialized model is a significant asset for its target market, it can also present limitations and challenges for other types of customers. It is essential for prospective clients to weigh these factors carefully.

Not Suited for Leisure Travelers

The most apparent consideration is that ETM is not structured to serve individual leisure travelers. Its systems, pricing models, and service approach are all built around the needs of corporate accounts. An individual or family looking for a simple holiday package would be better served by a consumer-focused travel agency. ETM's focus is on B2B (business-to-business) solutions, not B2C (business-to-consumer).

Service Consistency and Customer Support Issues

As a part of a large, global corporation, there can be challenges related to customer service. Some reviews for the parent company, CTM, indicate frustrations with unresponsive representatives and technical issues with online booking tools following system maintenance. Clients have reported that problems which should be simple to resolve can become drawn-out headaches, suggesting that the level of personalized service can be inconsistent. While some users suggest that calling for support yields better results than email, this points to potential weaknesses in their standard support channels. For a business that relies on swift and efficient problem resolution, particularly during travel emergencies, this is a significant risk to consider.

Complexity and Cost Structure

The sophisticated services and technology offered by ETM come with a corresponding cost structure that may not be suitable for all businesses. While large corporations can realize significant savings through negotiated rates and efficiencies, smaller companies might find the fees prohibitive. The pricing models in corporate travel management can include flat fees, per-attendee charges, or commission-based systems, which can be more complex than the straightforward pricing of leisure travel. Furthermore, the comprehensive suite of tools might be more than what a company with infrequent or simple travel needs requires, leading to a situation where they are paying for features they don't use.

Loss of Direct Control

Outsourcing travel management to a firm like ETM inherently means ceding a degree of direct control over booking and decision-making. While their platforms are designed to give control back to travel managers through policy enforcement and reporting, the day-to-day process is handled by an external entity. Some companies may prefer a more hands-on approach or worry about dependency on a single provider, which could make it difficult to switch if the service does not meet expectations.

Conclusion

Event Travel Management (now CTM Meetings & Events) in Omaha is a highly specialized and powerful partner for a specific type of client. For medium to large corporations, organizations with substantial meeting and event schedules, or businesses in sectors like entertainment with complex logistical needs, ETM offers a robust framework of technology and expert travel consultants. Their ability to deliver data-driven insights, cost savings through strategic management, and comprehensive itinerary management is a compelling value proposition. However, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Businesses must consider the potential for inconsistent customer service, a cost structure geared towards larger accounts, and the trade-offs involved in outsourcing such a critical function. The ideal client for ETM is one who sees travel not just as a series of bookings, but as a strategic component of their business that requires professional, data-informed management. For those simply seeking to book a flight or a hotel, this is likely not the right place to turn.