Andrew Sheivachman

Corporate travel managers want to learn and improve what they do. It can be hard to take the risk of trying something new that doesn't work out, though, particularly when cost savings alone can seem like success.

With Asia becoming a more popular meetings destination for Western organizations, events professionals need to understand local capabilities and cultural nuances. Often, local assistance on the ground can be the difference between success and failure.

It blows my mind that corporate travel executives say the same exact thing at this conference every year. It's like Groundhog Day with more suits and fewer laughs. Everyone wants to be one step ahead, but where is the incentive to actually take that step?

Beyond the Uber and Lyft drama here, the deeper trend seems to be companies and travel managers allowing business travelers to make their own choices about which ground transportation option they prefer. This represents a major change from how things used to be, and it is good news for the industry.

AccorHotels wants to evolve from a hospitality company to a services and experience platform for travelers and locals alike. CEO Bazin is willing to take risks to achieve this goal, even if some of the company's investments don't ever pay off.

Meetings and events can have a positive, transformative effect on the lives of attendees. It's good to see organizations working to provide valuable experiences for groups that have perhaps been underserved by the wider events industry.

Alaska Airlines is turning to basic economy fares to help drive additional revenue. But, hey, at least flyers will be assigned a seat when they book one of these fares, easing some of the stress that usually comes with taking the risk of flying for cheap.

Corporate travel is extremely resistant to innovation because a select handful of gatekeepers make it difficult for new entrants to gain access to the content and data that is needed. These players are driving the industry forward by fixing how travelers book and experience business travel.

Airbnb has formally entered the meetings and events sector with a simple widget and landing page. It will be much more interesting when Airbnb decides to use its platform to sell actual meeting space to organizers, since a global race is on among technology platforms to crack the online booking market for small and simple meetings.

Employees game business travel rules all the time. Now that Scott Pruitt has been outed for trying to take advantage of U.S. taxpayers, it's worth considering the fact that nobody really wants to fly in economy class or stay in a crappy hotel.