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Tony Bonanno, President of Groundspan
Ground transportation automation and management platform Groundspan announced a new technology partnership with global, national, and regional chauffeured transportation companies to support Concur Travel clients that do not have their own preferred ground transportation suppliers.
Concur, a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions, can now offer global ground programs to all customers regardless of size or transaction volume, and Concur clients can now book executive car/black cars, sedans, vans, and SUVs in cities across the globe even if they don't have their own preferred ground transportation relationships or negotiated rates.
"Many corporate travelers are booking with TNCs because of the lack of alternative technologies in the ground transportation space and no defined preferred vendor program within their company. Groundspan's vendor partners coupled with our booking tools through Concur, travel agencies and now our neutral mobile applications give these travelers a credible, secure booking option,” says Tony Bonanno, president of Groundspan.
The announcement comes on the heels of an earlier press release this month about a partnership with Virgin Atlantic. Groundspan reported that its global ground transportation automation and management tools will be used exclusively by Virgin Atlantic to book chauffeur cars for their Upper Class customers.
Groundspan reports that leading operators such as Dav El/BostonCoach, Carey International, EmpireCLS, Flyte Tyme Worldwide, and TriStar Worldwide will participate in this program and leverage their existing connectivity.
"With the success we are having with Groundspan, this offering is a natural progression of our relationship. With the Preferred Partner Program, companies can connect with vendors in every major market around the globe," says Charlie Sultan, SVP of Supplier Management at Concur. "Now all of our clients have the ability to book chauffeured ground transportation services real-time from leading ground transportation providers, without an agreement or corporate negotiated rates. This allows corporations to quickly build a global program with minimal effort."
For more information, visit groundspan.com or concur.com.
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iCARS made the announcement at the GBTA Convention, where they also had a booth
San Francisco — The news from corporate travel’s largest meeting—the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention held July 16-20 in Denver—continues with the announcement from web and mobile app iCARS for major national growth in 2016.
Officially launched in the San Francisco Bay Area in early 2016, iCARS has since launched in Austin, Dallas, and Houston this summer. In the coming months, this growth will be followed by launches in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The expansion of the iCARS network represents a key milestone for the corporate travel sector, which is growing exponentially. According to GBTA's BTI Outlook – Annual Global Report & Forecast, global business travel spend is forecast to reach 1.3 trillion in 2016. iCARS is poised to meet this growing demand as reputable business travel professionals acknowledge the importance of using only the most trusted drivers and vehicles for all ground transportation needs.
"Travel professionals have long demanded safe and reliable transportation options and we're thrilled with iCARS' forthcoming national expansion," said Gary Bauer, founder and CEO of iCARS. "iCARS provides a peace of mind for both executives and corporate travel professionals who book transportation for their employees. We are confident in the potential for growth in each respective market."
In addition to near demand and future booking capabilities, iCARS enables third-party providers such as concierges, travel management companies, and corporate travel administrators to book rides on behalf of any number of travelers, and entirely manage ground transportation itineraries as part of their duty of care obligations, making it ideal for usage within the business travel and hospitality industry.
The iCARS fleet is made up of many popular luxury vehicles, including Sedan Class, SUV Class, and Sprinter Class vehicles. While the iCARS network encompasses each regional market's leading transportation providers, iCARS only works with affiliates who operate insured vehicles driven by professional chauffeurs who meet all state and federal transportation regulations. iCARS can also accommodate "house car" services for the hotel partner's discretionary use.
According to iCARS, it only partners with transportation companies that carry at least $1 million in commercial liability insurance, regularly maintain their vehicles, conduct random drug testing and background checks on their employees, provide driver training courses, fingerprinted employees, and pay employee benefits as required by their respective states.
Visit icars.cc for more information.
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Bill Faeth CEO of Inbound Marketing Agents
Nashville — Marketing agency Inbound Marketing Agents planned and executed a marketing campaign for Signature Transportation Services based on hit mobile app Pokemon Go in a record five hours.
“It was really important that we got this campaign turned around so quickly because we were dealing with such a topical subject,” says Whitney Duprey, a project manager at Inbound Marketing Agents. “Pokemon Go came out of nowhere so we didn't have any lead time to prepare for this, and no one knows how long the craze will last, so we had to capitalize on it before the fad passed.”
The campaign is for Pokemon Go tours in Nashville, taking passengers to Pokestops and Gyms in a 32-passenger bus. The tours last for an hour and a half, and run at four different times on Saturdays and Sundays. Inbound Marketing Agents created the campaign in five hours, including brainstorming, building web pages, executing a social media ad campaign, writing a press release, and securing press coverage.
“[Inbound Marketing Agents] has done a fantastic job on this campaign in a very short time,” says Mike Dozier, CEO and founder of Signature Transportation.
Visit inboundmarketingagents.com for more information.
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