Business Travel Show organiser Centaur Exhibitions is introducing three brand new showcases at the 15th London event in Earls Court from February 5 - 7 2008.The new showcases were developed after the organisers identified three specific issues that were of growing importance to travel and meeting buyers, bookers and arrangers.

The new feature areas are a CSR (corporate social responsibility) Showcase, a Business Meetings Showcase and a Business Travel Technology Showcase. The CSR Showcase highlights suppliers of traveller safety, wellbeing and security, crisis management and management of reduction of carbon emissions. The Business Meetings Showcase is the ultimate destination for visitors to source leading meeting, event and conference venue finders, intermediaries and meeting management technology. The Business Travel Technology Showcase will host suppliers of online booking tools, expense management and data analysis and reconciliation solutions.

The Business Travel Show is also introducing an enhanced Innovation Awards ceremony for 2008 in recognition of the popularity of the single innovation award that was introduced in 2005. The annual Awards reward business travel suppliers who create highly innovative products, services and processes for buyers, travellers or other suppliers.

David Chapple, the event director, said: “The Business Travel Show’s Innovation Award has had a natural progression since 2005 and it’s only right to extend the award so that it recognises the vast amount of innovation within our industry.”

This year there will be seven awards for innovation in the areas of; air travel, accommodation, ground transportation, technology, traveller services, travel management services and corporate social responsibility. One pivotal category winner will also be awarded the ‘Gold Innovation Award’, which will be presented at the Business Travel Show Party on February 5 2008.

The Business Travel Show is the leading event for anyone who buys or manages company travel or books business trips and sources meeting venues over the Internet, the phone or through an agent.

Last year, attendance at the event rose by seven per cent to 7,232. Exhibitor numbers were also up, by approximately 25 per cent, and 97 companies took a stand at the show for the first time. In the two weeks following the Business Travel Show 2007, 85 per cent of exhibitors had committed to attending in 2008, including British Airways, Airport Express, Virgin Atlantic, National Car Rental, HRG, Sabre, The Trainline, Portman Travel, Wyndham Hotels, Sol Melia, Expedia, Travelocity, Barclaycard and Airplus.
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