“Large global enterprises that we serve have been asking us to provide a product for meeting and event travel,” says CEO
Travel-as-a-Service platform Spotnana has announced the launch of Spotnana Events, a solution focused on the travel management market for corporate meetings and events. With Spotnana Events, employees and guests have the autonomy to book and oversee their travel arrangements regardless of the event size, with capabilities catering to gatherings with an unlimited number of attendees.
Speaking to WiT, Spotnana CEO and Founder, Sarosh Waghmar, said, “With Spotnana Events, company meetings and event planners benefit from the ability to create new events in minutes, set guardrails for what travelers can book, invite both employees and guests to attend, enable everyone to book and manage their own travel, and gain real-time insight into traveller booking status and event spend.
“Large global enterprises that we serve have been asking us to provide a product for meeting and event travel. Spotnana is committed to modernising all forms of corporate and leisure travel, no matter how difficult or complex,” added Waghmar.
Spotnana Events also offers corporations the flexibility to integrate the product as an add-on or as a standalone feature, accessible through Spotnana directly or via its network of channel partners. As Waghmar highlights, “Spotnana Events can be used by companies of any size, including the world’s largest enterprises with the most complex global travel needs.”
Spotnana Events can also be purchased via Spotnana channel partners that use Spotnana to power their travel offerings.
“Our API-first architecture enables channel partners to white-label, embed, and integrate Spotnana Events into their offerings,” said Waghmar. Moreover, Spotnana’s API-first approach enables channel partners to incorporate event booking into their existing platforms, adding to their service offerings.
“According to data from the U.S. Travel Association, meetings and events accounted for nearly 40% of business travel spending in the US in 2022,” explained Waghmar. “Meeting and event travel is clearly essential, however planning a meeting or event for attendees based in multiple regions and offices is tremendously complicated.”
Waghmar also adds that, “Spotnana Events is built on top of Spotnana’s Travel-as-a-Service platform and harnesses all of our core capabilities. When booking, for example, travellers gain access to Spotnana’s industry-leading self-service capabilities, advanced policy management, and comprehensive global content, including our deep direct NDC integrations with major airlines.”
Another feature on Spotnana Events allows organizers can also invite non-employee guest travellers outside their organisation to attend an event and book their own travel. This can be for a guest speaker attending a company event, board members you are flying in, a client engagement, or any other need.
“It’s extremely scalable, designed to meet the needs of large global enterprises, and can support events with an unlimited number of people,” says CEO Sarosh Waghmar.
According to Spotnana, typically, the traveller in these scenarios does not have a profile in the corporate online booking tool and does not have a company-issued credit card. In the case of Spotnana Events, upon receiving the event invite, guests book their own travel within the defined set of boundaries for the event, in compliance with configurable guest policies, and using the pre-set payment method. Event organisers are then able to view the guest traveler’s booking status and, if needed, easily send booking reminders.
“We support any type of guest traveller, and there is no need for a guest to already have a profile in Spotnana,” explained Waghmar.
Key Benefits for Event Planners Include:
- Event Creation: Simplified event setup within minutes, incorporating branding elements for a personalized touch.
- Travel Controls: Granular control over travel policies, event travel windows, and designated booking parameters.
- Travel Management: Easy addition of employees and unprofiled guest travelers, with automated reminders and real-time insights into travel spend.
- Self-Service Bookings: Empowering travelers with the ability to manage their bookings independently, including exchanges and cancellations.
“It’s extremely scalable, designed to meet the needs of large global enterprises, and can support events with an unlimited number of people,” said Waghmar. “Spotnana Events is deployed as a single, global cloud-based software instance, enabling rapid global rollouts, global event destinations, and seamless travel for invitees located anywhere in the world.”
In a statement, Waghmar also emphasised the platform’s commitment to modernising travel infrastructure. “Spotnana Events represents the next phase in our journey to redefine corporate travel experiences,” said Waghmar. “Our platform is designed to be inclusive and accessible, catering to the diverse needs of the global travel ecosystem.”
“We will continue to evolve Spotnana Events rapidly in response to customer and channel partner feedback.”
