Love in the room

Obviously I can't give too much away (sorry, you'll have to wait until September 13th) but I just got back from the judging day for the 2022 Business Travel People Awards and it cheered me up no end. The room was filled with so much genuine enthusiasm and love for our industry, not just coming from the awards submissions but also radiating from the judges themselves. No disrespect, but some of our judges have been in the travel sector for a long time (me included!) and it would be perfectly understandable if they had started to feel a bit jaded, especially after the last few years. But in our judging room there was nothing but a sense of excitement and positivity about our profession and the opportunities that lie ahead, despite the challenges we still face.

As it says in our feature on the talent shortage on page 28, once travel is in your blood it's hard to imagine working in any other sector. In our efforts to attract new talent, those of us who share that passion for travel must become advocates for it. Being at the judging day, particularly interviewing the candidates for our Rising Star category, reinforced my belief that corporate travel management has a bright future. We just need to spread the word.

Which brings me neatly to our Tech Hotlist on page 12, showcasing the innovators shaping the digital future of business travel. Congratulations to all those who made the cut this year, a few of them back for a second time. Each entry submitted a short video, which you'll find in our 2022 Tech Hotlist report on our website – thebusinesstravelmag.com – along with lots more essential reading and listening for anyone who's part of the business travel family. Have a great summer everyone.