This year’s GBTA Convention in Orlando showed a record attendance of over 6000 participants.  For Cornerstone, we were thrilled with the overwhelming positive response to our two new travel solutions 4site™ and TravelOptix™. Topping the event headlines and creating the biggest buzz was the shared economy and its effect on travel policies, virtual payment and the involvement of the major credit card companies. Another hot topic one everyone’s radar was mobile and its impact on the industry.

Speaking on a panel was Marc McCabe Airbnb’s head of business travel who urged buyers to trust their employees when it comes to selecting and staying with ‘sharing economy’ companies. McCabe stated, “Most of the time when a business traveler uses Airbnb they are picking it because it’s the best option in terms of cost and convenience.” This statement ignited numerous discussions around the traveler’s use of companies such as Airbnb and Uber.

At Cornerstone, we believe enterprise companies need to make sure that whatever direction they endorse regarding the sharing economy, it needs to be coupled with clear, concise communication about what is compliant with their organization’s travel policy. We know the key to supporting any corporate decision is good data management to ensure policies and suppliers can be measured.

When it comes to avoiding fraud it appears that virtual payment cards are a well-supported solution. This is an emerging topic that is starting to get serious traction.  Suppliers such as Enett,  CSI GLOBALVCARD, and Conferma are working with major brands such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express. Cornerstone see virtual cards as an efficient method of driving secure and consolidated payments and travel data for the enterprise.

I know we have heard for years now – however mobile is still huge for our industry! With 19 vendors offering mobile solutions at this year’s convention, it seems like everyone is trying to figure out how to deliver their product offering via a mobile device.  According to the first-ever GBTA Global Business Traveler Sentiment Index™, mobile technologies – including Wi-Fi, travel apps, and digital wallets – are transforming business travelers’ experience around the globe.

Emerging technology continues to revolutionize the business travel experience and Cornerstone is embracing that challenge.  As pioneers in the industry, we continue to lead the pack with our latest products. With the combination of driving itineraries to mobile devices and integrated information services that provide travelers with actionable choices, we are helping travel companies, and travelers improve and optimize their trips.

Proud to be known as an innovative company and thought leader in the journey management space, this year’s GBTA conference validated Cornerstone’s launch of our two new solutions 4site™ and TravelOptix™ as timely and relevant. It was an exciting week and an honor to be part of The Business Travel Event of the Year®. We want to reiterate our appreciation for the support we received and applaud GBTA 2015 for producing an outstanding conference.