Planning travel for meetings and events shouldn’t feel like its own full-time job. But for many planners, that’s exactly what it turns into — managing dozens of attendees, collecting details, booking flights, and handling last-minute changes, often with tools that aren’t built for the task.
Whether you’re organizing a team offsite, client summit, or company-wide event, there are a few common ways teams handle travel — each with its own pros and cons.
DIY Travel Planning
One approach is to manage all the bookings yourself or let attendees book and submit for reimbursement. This can work for very small groups, especially if travelers are covering their own costs. But once the group grows, things get complicated. You’ll spend a lot of time collecting personal info, managing preferences, tracking receipts, and updating spreadsheets. And when plans change — and they will — you’re often the first call.
Corporate Travel Agencies
Agencies can offer structure and support, but they often rely on emails, forms and back-and-forth communication that slows things down. Travelers may be hesitant to reach out because of service fees, and planners can struggle with limited visibility into bookings and costs. It’s a reliable system, just not a fast or flexible one.
Meeting Platforms
Tools like Cvent or Groupize are great for managing event logistics like registration and room blocks. Some also offer limited travel capabilities when paired with a corporate booking tool. But they’re not always designed with travel as the focus — and that can create gaps, especially for non-employee travelers or when itineraries change.
Meeting Travel Platforms
Meeting travel platforms are purpose-built to simplify attendee travel. Platforms like AmTrav Gather let planners set travel policies and payment rules, then invite attendees to book for themselves — all within the guardrails you’ve defined. You maintain control and visibility while giving attendees flexibility. And when plans change, they get real-time support, not a forwarded email thread.
Making Travel One Less Thing to Worry About
The best solution depends on your team, your event, and how much time you’re willing to spend managing logistics. But for many companies, purpose-built meeting travel platforms offer a smarter, more efficient way to handle attendee travel — one that saves time and keeps everyone on the same page.
Joe Harrington
