Absolute Clarity

What happens when you combine two travel management companies who couldn’t be more different? How do you integrate staff, systems and cultures to ensure a smooth transition? And why should you use that TMC going forward? We answer all that and more in the season finale of Absolute Clarity season 2! Today’s episode is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds On today’s show, Kyle welcomes a couple of familiar faces into the studio, Clarity CEO Pat McDonagh and Director of Sales and Account Management Paul Casement, to talk about the history of Clarity from the days of Co-op Travel to the Portman Merger. We discuss the importance of culture when growing an award winning business and why technology is playing such a significant part in 2019 and beyond. With the stage set, we then ask the hard-hitting question, why does your business need a TMC? We leave behind the standard answers littering tenders worldwide to get to the true benefit businesses can expect when finding a travel management company to partner with. We then change things up by dropping the first, best and worst travel segment in favour of discovering Pat and Paul’s dream clients. You won’t believe who they pick! Don’t forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com Please like, share, rate and subscribe to us using your podcast player of choice. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey over the past two seasons. Absolute Clarity will be back but, in the meantime, you can always listen to previous episodes in the series or stay tuned for our National Apprenticeship Week bonus episode airing Monday 4th March 2019!

What do Harry Redknapp, Raheem Sterling and Lancashire County Cricket Club have in common? They’re all featured on the latest episode of the number one travel management podcast, Absolute Clarity! Today’s episode is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds On today’s show, Kyle welcomes Fraser Thompson, Dionne Bentley and Rob Slawson, Head of Thomas Cook Sport to discuss everyone's second favourite transfer window! Whether booking last minute flights to scout the next big talent, joining a premier league club on their preseason tour of the United States, or another club swooping in on that star transfer target mid flight, there’s never a dull moment for Thomas Cook Sport and Clarity Sports. We go behind the scenes on what it’s like to meet your heroes, why the media often gets it wrong and which sporting stars clean up after themselves! We also hear our guests first, best and worst travel scenarios in our popular final segment. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind #ThomasCookSport You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com Please like, share, rate and subscribe to us using your podcast player of choice.

What do the Queen, Ed Sheeran and finding Nemo have in common? They’re all featured on the latest episode of the number one travel management podcast, Absolute Clarity! Today’s episode is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds On today’s show, Kyle welcomes Paul Casement, Claire Conboy and Steve Rowe to the studio to give us the lowdown on Clarity Events. Whether they’re planning a conference for 3,000, ensuring one of Britain’s favourite bands are silky smooth before a performance or putting on a festival worthy of the queen, our guests are experts in making sure the show goes on. We get a behind the scenes look at the rollercoaster world of event planning and why you shouldn’t judge a popstar by their appearance! We also bring back the popular first, best and worst travel segment to discover whose nickname is Nemo, why electrics and water don’t mix and the dangers of watching football in Russia! You don’t want to miss this! Don’t forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind #ClarityEvents You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com Please like, share, rate and subscribe to us using your podcast player of choice.

What do Brexit, NDC and Northern Rail have in common? They’re all things that will change the travel landscape in 2019. Welcome to episode 11 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! Today’s show is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds We’re back! After a holiday hiatus, Kyle is joined in the studio by a trio of Clarity directors including CEO Pat McDonagh, Commercial Director Sue Chapman and Operations Director Steve Riley to discuss the hot travel topics of 2019. From the fallout of Brexit to the emergence of NDC adoption, the travel landscape will be forever changed in 2019, but will it be for the better? Our guests give their opinion on the biggest stories and how Clarity are adapting to the changes with a plethora of new products aimed at improving the customer experience. We then find out what changes our guests are most looking forward to in 2019. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com Please like, share, rate and subscribe to us using your podcast player of choice.

Welcome to episode 10 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! Today’s show is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds It's the final episode of 2018 and we wanted to do something special! Instead, we invited Clarity's CEO Pat McDonagh, personal trainer and former Emirates cabin crew member, Ben Westhead, and National Operations Manager at Clarity, Nicky Duffy on to the show to make Kyle feel bad by talking about health and fitness! From running in Hyde Park to breaking sinks doing press ups in a hotel room, today's guests discuss their top tips for staying fit and healthy while travelling. We also get the inside track and the best way to butter up cabin crews for a cheeky upgrade and why you shouldn't try and get one over on an air steward! We then find out the final first, best and worst travel scenarios for 2018 from Nicky and Ben. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com From all of us here at Absolute Clarity, we hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year and we'll see you in January 2019!

Welcome to episode 9 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! Today’s show is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds In this episode, we welcome Lisa Occleshaw and Darryl McGarvey from SAP Concur into the studio to talk about expenses and why so many people are failing to claim back what is rightfully theirs! Lisa and Darryl guides us through their time at SAP Concur and why they believe they have the best expenses tool in the business. We also hear some horror stories from companies who are getting it wrong when it comes to expense policies and why men claim more than women! We also discuss the recent study from Barclays which shows that employees are losing £962 million a year in unclaimed expenses. All this and the first, worst and best travel scenarios. For more information about SAP Concur please visit www.concur.com or find them across most social media platforms. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com We’ll see you in two weeks for the final show of the year!

Welcome to episode 8 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! Today’s show is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds In this episode, we welcome AirSwift's procurement manager, James Lloyd, and Clarity's maestro of data and MI, Darren Williams on to the show to discuss the benefits of using a travel management company and why cutting costs doesn't always equal savings. Following their recent implementation of a travel management company, AirSwift are still finding their feet when it comes to weighing up the costs of business travel. Darren, James and Kyle get into the importance of data when planning your travel programme and why Clarity's new Go2Insight tool is making big waves in the industry. All this and the first, worst and best travel scenarios. For more information about AirSwift please visit www.airswift.com or find them across most social media platforms. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com We’ll see you in two weeks!

It’s that time again, welcome to episode 7 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! Today’s show is brought to you by our Hearts and Minds manifesto, download your copy today - https://www.claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds In this episode, we welcome Jane Harrington and Steve Riley, the respective directors of HR and operations at Clarity alongside founding manager at recruitment consultancy firm Marmion Recruitment, Mohsin Hanif into the studio to discover how to get the best performance out of your staff. From managing workload, offering flexible working and prioritising mental health, we look at the changing landscape of the workplace and how employers can gain valuable buy in from their employees. And that’s not all, we also discuss the recent upheavals for Northern Trains and just how far is too far when it comes to the daily commute. We also find out what our guests think about pets in the workplace. All this and the first, worst and best travel scenarios. For more information about Marmion please visit www.marmionrecruitment.co.uk or find them across most social media platforms. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com We’ll see you next week!

Welcome to episode 6 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one travel management podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! In this episode, we welcome the head of key accounts at Travelodge, Sophie Lemm, into the studio to give us the inside track on Travelodge and why they are adapting their offering to business travellers. We discuss their plans for further growth with a number of new locations on the horizon and why your feedback is so important to them. We also discover the strangest things people have left behind during their stay and the random requests hotel staff are asked on a daily basis, before we find out Sophie's first, best and worst travel scenarios. For more information about Travelodge please visit https://www.travelodge.co.uk or find them across most social media platforms. Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

Welcome to episode 5 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one business travel podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! In this episode, we welcome Clarity account managers, Fraser Thomson and Matt Carter, into the studio to discuss how they maintain a good work / life balance while living life on the road. From missing your children's first steps to keeping motivated while working from home, we get the inside story on what it means to be a great account manager from some of the best Clarity have to offer. We also discover our guests first, best and worst travel scenarios, in our popular final segment! For more information about Clarity please visit www.claritybusinesstravel.com Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

Welcome to episode 4 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one business travel podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! In this episode, we welcome: Julia Fidler - Global Employee Experience Lead at MS Travel, Paul Casement - Sales and Account Director at Clarity and Louise Kilgannon - a consultant with award winning travel consultancy firm, Festive Road, to discuss employee engagement. What makes an employee engage with their business? Will too many questions put them off? Will too few give you the information you need to better their experience? From travel persona's to encouraging honest feedback and embracing social media, join our guests as they get under the skin of employee engagement to determine how businesses can encourage open dialogue and get the most out of their relationships. We also discover our guests first, best and worst travel scenarios, in our popular final segment! For more information about Festive Road please visit http://www.festive-road.com For more information about Microsoft please visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/ Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

Welcome to episode 3 of Absolute Clarity season 2! The number one business travel podcast brought to you by Clarity, the business travel experts! In this episode, we welcome Rami El Dahshan and Mark Croucher from Virgin Atlantic to wax lyrical about all things Virgin! From their exceptional levels of customer service to their desire to partner with small independent businesses, we go behind the scenes to truly understand what makes them tick. We also get the inside information on their relationship with Delta and the recent Air France - KLM deal, before we discover Rami and Mark's first, best and worst travel scenarios! You won't want to miss this! For more information about Virgin Atlantic please visit https://www.virginatlantic.com Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

Welcome to our latest episode of Absolute Clarity, the number one travel management podcast from Clarity, your business travel experts. On today's show we welcome back Will Murray, Product Manager for Clarity and newcomer Ben Cooper from Travel Risk Media, to discuss all things traveller risk and safety. From the dangers of drug cartels to terrorist attacks, global travel brings with it a number of risks, but how effectively could your company handle things if their employees were located somewhere close to a global incident? What would happen if members of your team were injured and stranded following a bus crash in remote Spain? We ask just how prepared is your company when it comes to duty of care? We also find out more about Education Without Borders, an annual conference aimed at reducing travel risk in the academic sector. Now in its fourth year, the conference features some of the biggest names in travel risk and safety. Book your tickets at http://www.educationwithoutborders.co.uk And in the final segment, our host, Kyle Daniels grill the guests on their first, worst and best travel scenarios. For more information about Travel Risk Media please visit http://travelriskmedia.co.uk Don’t forget you can join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT and using the hashtags #AbsoluteClarity #HeartsMind You can also email your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

The number one business travel management podcast is back for its second season and we’re bringing some incredible guests along for the ride. Following on from our successful first season, the host with the most, Kyle Daniels is back behind the mic to bring you a plethora of travel topics you need to know about and he’s not alone. This season, we’ve got some of the biggest names in travel from buyers to suppliers gracing the studio, alongside influencers and experts in the business and travel world. In the opening episode of season two, Kyle is joined by a couple of award winning travel and procurement consultants, Chris Pouney and Caroline Strachan*, alongside Clarity CEO Pat McDonagh to debate the difference between procurement with a small p and a capital P and whether procurement is part of the problem, or the solution, when it comes to travel management. Season two also sees the return of popular segment, first, best and worst travel scenarios. Absolute Clarity season two will begin on Wednesday 1st August, with a new episode being released every two weeks. *Chris Pouney is an independent consultant and vice chair of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply while Caroline Strachan is the managing partner and co-founder of travel management consultancy firm Festive Road. http://www.festive-road.com https://www.claritybusinesstravel.com Join the conversation on twitter by following @Clarity_BT or using hashtag #AbsoluteClarity Email us your comments, questions and concerns to podcast@claritybt.com

Welcome to the season finale of Absolute Clarity! It's been an incredible journey to get to episode 10 (technically 11 if you count the bonus episode!) and we couldn't have done it without our listeners, so thank you. In this episode, our host Kyle Daniels invites three returning Clarity guests into the studio to talk about all things robotics and AI. Clarity's CEO Pat McDonagh, Head of MI Darren Williams and Product Manager Will Murray, discuss: * Darren's recent speaking engagement at ITM (seriously, what won't that man speak at?!) * The role robotics and AI will play in the future of travel * The recent Google I/O conference and driverless tech * How Clarity are integrating AI into their upcoming product releases. In our final first, best and worst travel segment of the season, Pat reveals the role a one eyed cat played in his career and why he's not a fan of 18-30 holidays... And that's not all, as the episode is all about robotics, we ask the guests for their favourite robots from the big screen, with surprising results! As always you can follow us @Clarity_tm, join the conversation using #AbsoluteClarity or contact us via email using podcast@claritytm.co.uk. We'll be back for season two in the Autumn, so keep an eye out for our new schedule coming soon!