Here’s Why Team Travel is Ready for Takeoff in 2023

Corporate travel is back, and 2023 is the year of in-person collaboration. After years of Zoom calls and virtual brainstorming sessions, there’s no reason to keep colleagues apart any longer. Again and again, testimonials speak to travel's cultural, financial, and emotional benefits. And now is the perfect time for planners to start organizing 2023 in-person corporate retreats, check-ins, and team events.

Think about team travel like youth sports travel. All of the sports team members are excited about the chance to parlay their practice into actual competition on the field. But organizing the overnight travel to attend sporting events requires some intervention from the children’s guardians, who must handle all travel arrangements, including transportation and room nights. But that hassle is not for the children to worry about.

Similarly, the event producer, travel manager, or team lead is responsible for leading travel needs so the kids—or, in this case, employees—can focus on the fun part: getting together, showcasing their talent, and enjoying the travel experience.

The most efficient way to organize team travel is in collaboration with a corporate travel agency that can streamline flight options and room blocks and curate each employee’s travel plans for a single team travel source of record. The travel team can rely on technology to surface the best options for each travel and track all data to focus on the human element: choosing great destinations, identifying opportunities for relaxation and connection, and supporting team leads when needed.

How to Organize Team Travel on Navan

In June 2021, Navan introduced a team travel service for new hybrid work models: Navan Team Travel. This innovative solution offers customers an intuitive booking platform, helping users make the best decisions for their team’s travel while streamlining the booking process. 

Key team travel features include

• Event Creation: Create and customize events for up to 50 team members based on preferences in just a few clicks. 
• Estimated Event Travel Budgets: Navan's AI algorithms help estimate the overall event travel cost with a high level of accuracy using Navan tools like median price calculations and price-to-beat technology. 
• Seamless Guided Self-Serve Experience: Facilitators can configure their events and invite participants directly from the event creation page, notifying participants and guiding them through the entire travel booking process. 
• Smart Handoff for Room Blocks: Meeting and event organizers can request support from the Meetings & Events team at Navan to secure a hotel room block and meeting space directly in the event creation process. 
• Guest Invite: Empower participants to invite an extra guest and book on their behalf. Guests are notified with all of their itinerary information.

The tool is designed to work for all kinds of ventures, from multinational enterprises with unique travel needs to small businesses with employees based in a single state.

With Navan data showing a nearly 6x year-over-year increase in business travel bookings between fall 2022 and fall 2022, it’s clear that companies are ready to get back on the road — and team travel tools can help do that efficiently and enjoyably. 

Learn more about the Navan Team Travel solution and find answers to FAQs.