Work Travel v. Fun Travel

Corporate travel has come under some pretty intense scrutiny lately...the word boondoggle has been tossed around more than once by media pundits sneering at business travel (mostly the egregious examples of large companies and their excessive travel budgets and expenses, but it got me thinking).
I love to travel, I love to relax…I do that on vacation, with my family. When we travel for business we hold tremendously busy schedules, often far busier than when we’re back at the office. Business travel is a sometimes necessity…even a small business operating within a tight region stands to gain tremendous advantages by taking time to get outside the four walls of their office and zip codes of their territory…get out there and discuss what you’re doing, what best practices others are employing, and how folks are making their companies better. The relationships I have cultivated while travelling have been invaluable over the years.
The two indulgences I enjoy while travelling for business are a nice meal and a professional sporting event if scheduling allows. As a sports fan it’s a rare treat to find yourself in another city – where tickets are almost always FAR more affordable than anything you find in the greater Boston area. Nice meals too are a great way to reward those team members you are travelling with, who have taken critical time away from their families and normal lives to dedicate to your business…it’s great to find a nice steakhouse in a new city and break bread with these folks who do so much to drive your business forward, and I always make a point to do so.
We also bunk up when travelling…always. I’ve shared a room every time I have gone away and ask team members to do so as well. Sharing rooms keeps a lid on expenses and allows us to enjoy a nice dinner and possibly a sporting event without incurring undue expenses for a trip. It goes without saying we fly coach, commercial…I’d love to fly private right out of Hyannis direct to my destination, Medicare reimbursement simply isn’t that rich!
A quick look at our schedule for Baltimore shows you the type of pace we maintain while travelling…it can be harried at times, but it’s always exciting.
Sunday – 6:30p flight from Boston to Baltimore, arrive at 8p head to hotel to meet with speakers for the conference…get to bed early for long day Monday
Monday – 6:30a, hit the gym to wake up and get “alive” for the day (I never do am workouts at home, but in a hotel with the gym right there I usually make time for it) 7:30, breakfast networking. 8a – 5p conference sessions all day, I sit on a panel at 11:30, the rest of the day I am an audience member taking in ideas and strategies from others. 5:30 – 7:30p, networking session with attendees…these are often the prize of the conference as you get time in a casual setting to mingle and “talk-shop” with other successful providers from across the country. Without overlapping territories there are no competitive issues, so there is a lot of sharing and a very dynamic conversation about strategies, tactics, etc. After that we head out for dinner with a big group and have some fun, continuing to share stories and strategies in a more intimate setting.
Tuesday – this is the crazy day…7:30 breakfast and networking. 8 – 11:45, conference sessions. 12:15 get to the train station to go to DC for legislative meetings for the afternoon. 1:15 meeting with Senator Kennedy’s Office 2p meeting with Congressman Barney Frank’s Office 2:30 meeting with Congressman Delahunt’s Office 3:15 meeting with Senator Kerry’s Office 4p train back to Baltimore 6p One Industry Event and HME Excellence Awards (we finish as the runner-up in the category of Best Home Medical Equipment Company) 8:30p rain delayed Baltimore Orioles game with attendees, good time to enjoy Camden Yards and some more networking and celebrating.
Wednesday 8-11 conference sessions, 11-1 show floor for meetings with vendors, research on new products, etc. 1p pre-scheduled lunch meeting with vendor to review back office automation techniques. 2p conference call; 5-7p reception with a member services organization we belong to…large crowds and a lot of fun, mostly business talk and networking, but another great venue to learn and share, and celebrate. 7p we head out to dinner with additional team members who flew in Tuesday afternoon…reflect on what we’ve seen and heard so far and discuss the things we’ve seen to help us improve our service, workflow and profitability.
Thursday conference sessions from 8-11…fly home at 12:30 to see the family again.
So…it’s always a busy pace – and in addition to this you’re tending to the normal comings and goings from the business back home; in the era of the BlackBerry there is little escape...for personal travel I make a point to limit usage and contact, but when travelling for business this technology allows seamless communication with employees, customers and vendors and you "miss" much less than you would have prior to having these devices.  I enjoy travel, I like the fast pace and full schedule…but it’s great to land back in Boston and cross the bridge back to the Cape again, see my family and dig out of my desk when I get back in the office.
Sometimes I wonder what folks think we do when we’re on the road…we work together and look for solutions to improve the company – there’s a time and place for kicking back, relaxing and sitting by the pool – it’s called vacation, not business travel.