By Vicky Lerego-Wright, Project Manager at Festive Road
It comes as no surprise that AI came up in each session at ITM’s 2026 Autumn Conference recently.
Interestingly, some of the most useful messages for buyers weren’t really about the technology, but rather about who owns what, the decisions we make and why programmes run the way they do.
Here are six highlights I took away from another insightful ITM conference.
1. Who’s accountable?
The Evolution of AI in Travel session posed a big question: who is accountable if an AI “recommendation” turns out to be wrong? Fifty-one percent of the room said both the travel programme and the supplier.
That question of ownership was a recurring theme across the day. Who owns it when hotel rate loading goes wrong? Who owns supplier partnerships, the client or the TMC?
For all the talk of new technology, the answer was pretty straightforward: buyers, TMCs and suppliers need to actually talk to each other.
The TMC session summed it up best: challenge the promises and verify the delivery.
2. Get your AI governance sorted first
The EU AI Act, the EU’s landmark legislation for regulating artificial intelligence, is already being phased in, with further requirements coming into effect over the next couple of years. So, this isn’t something to leave on the “we’ll get to it” list. The European Commission has a useful timeline of what applies and when.
If an AI tool makes a recommendation, you need to be able to explain it. What variables did it use? Where did the information come from? And is it actually AI, or is it automation with a new label?
One of the most practical tools of the day was the RCI test: Reversibility, Consequence, Impact. If a decision is easy to undo and the stakes are low, automate it. If not, keep the guardrails.
This was tested during the AI session with ‘Deploy’ or ‘Delay’ scenarios, which created a lot of conversation in the room. AI profiling of travellers for policy compliance was one of the scenarios debated. Does it work for every trip type? And at what point can a decision be fully automated?
3. Data needs a reason to exist
In the session on the value of the managed travel programme, 84% of surveyed programmes said they were still evolving.
Much of the conversation was about using data better, but importantly, asking ourselves why are we capturing it in the first place?
And when you take that data to stakeholders, are you giving them numbers, or a story with a “so what”? This should vary depending on the audience. Organisations capture so much data that it can quickly become overwhelming, so it’s important to rethink what is shared and how it is presented.
One line really stuck with me: historic data won’t make you strategic. You need data that looks forward. Is the company opening any new offices, securing a new client or project, or is there an acquisition on the horizon? Looking ahead provides the future perspective needed to evolve the programme and ensure it is fit for what’s coming, rather than what has already happened.
The hotel session added another interesting angle. Put accommodation data alongside flight and trip data and you start to understand why people are travelling, not just where they’re going.
4. Value, not just price
Tie your programme to what the company actually cares about, and what the objectives are. Not every organisational priority needs to be covered, just the ones that matter. Understanding how the organisation measures success will make the programme more meaningful and help it resonate with leadership and travellers.
Then look hard at your controls, does a 14-day advance purchase rule help the business, or get in its way?
There was some honest discussion about patience too. Long-term planning is hard when everyone wants results now, but it’s vital for T&E programmes today, and for the future.
Billable travel came up as well, it might be billable, but is it actually being recoverable? Understanding the data was a clear message and knowing how this ties back into an organisation.
Different questions, but they all came back to something I’d starred in my notes: clarity of the problem statement. Know what you’re trying to solve before you start.
5. Is your hotel RFP a habit?
The hotel session was called “Rethinking Hotel Strategy: Check In or Check Out?” Asked whether their hotel RFPs were strategic or habit, 70% of the room said habit.
That’s a big number.
So, if nothing material has changed in your programme, why run an annual RFP?
The alternative discussed was continuous sourcing. Keep an eye on ADRs and availability and keep talking to hotels throughout the year rather than once a year. Plenty of programmes already mix negotiated rates with TMC consortia rates, supporting areas of programmes where there may not be large volumes to warrant hotel specific rates.
We might need better tools to make the switch, but the room was up for making the change.
6. It still comes down to people
The TMC session threw up plenty of questions. Single strategic partner or plug and play? What does a “modern” TMC even look like? There was a call for greater visibility on commercials, while transparency, content parity, local capability, and tech roadmaps all got a mention.
But one line on my mind map stood out: AI is still only an enabler.
The TMC differentiator is still the people. When decisions and advice get emotional, you need a human in the loop.
That applies buyer-side too. Your internal network matters, and HR and Talent are a good place to start. Even exit interview feedback can tell you a lot about how travel is landing with your people, from the perspective of what to protect, and what may need to change.
What this means for buyers
AI is moving fast. But amid all that change, the questions worth asking are actually quite simple.
Who owns this? What problem are we solving? Can we explain the decision? Are we doing this because it makes sense, or because it’s what we’ve always done?
Those questions came up whether we were talking about AI, data, hotel sourcing or TMCs.
And that was probably my biggest takeaway from the day. AI may have dominated the conversation, but so many of the answers came back to people.
Mind mapping these sessions proved really useful, especially when I look back now to see the breadth of content that was covered in just one day! I’ll definitely be doing the same at the next conference, thanks for the excellent tip, Caroline!
