Seamless travel management: Lifestyle Design Group and BCD tailor a cost-saving partnership

Centralized data and streamlined bookings deliver cost savings, enhanced traveler safety, and empowered strategic decision-making across the corporate travel program in Europe, APAC, and the U.S.

Woman in suit using tablet near leather bag.

Lifestyle Design Group – a global leader in luxury furniture and the parent company of renowned brands like Poltrona Frau, Cassina, and Zanotta – partnered with BCD Travel Italy in 2023 to manage corporate travel across nine European countries. Following the success of this partnership, Lifestyle Design Group also selected BCD Travel to oversee their corporate travel programs in the APAC region and the United States.

With over €2 million (approx. $2.08M USD) in travel spend across EMEA alone, the goals were ambitious:

  • Centralize travel data within a single system
  • Enhance reporting
  • Ensure employee safety during trips
  • Optimize costs

In a short time, the implementation of BCD’s DecisionSource® data insights and analytics provided the group with visibility into travel data, allowing them to monitor travel spend, negotiate better supplier deals, and use the security partition to always know travelers’ locations.

BCD boosts client’s hotel negotiating power

The integration of corporate rates for over 80 hotels into the online booking tool (OBT) and BCD’s reservation systems encouraged the use of contracted properties. This not only generated immediate savings but also consolidated spending volumes with these properties, enhancing the client’s negotiation power for future years. Simultaneously, the OBT implementation was completed in Italy and France – with advanced features integrated to manage pre- and post-trip processes through the Zucchetti management system.

“Collaborating with a structured company like Lifestyle Design is inspiring. Working alongside skilled professionals makes everything smoother and more synergistic,” said Gandolfo Lo Bianco, Program Manager at BCD Travel, who has supported the client since the beginning of the partnership.

Man in suit with a beard smiling professionally.
Gandolfo Lo Bianco, Program manager, BCD Travel

Greta Vergani leads travel at Lifestyle Design Group

Lifestyle Design Group (formerly known as Poltrona Frau Group) is a federation of independent companies operating in the design sector across various global markets. Part of the international Haworth Inc. group, it is a world leader in high-end furniture, featuring prestigious brands such as Poltrona Frau®, Cassina®, Cappellini®, Luxury Living®, Ceccotti Collezioni®, and Zanotta®.

Lifestyle Design’s travel office is led by Travel Manager Greta Vergani, who coordinates the relationship with BCD and other partners involved in the group’s business travel (airlines, hotels, car rentals, private transfers, etc.).

Vergani described the journey that led to transforming their travel program: “Managing travel for a federation of such diverse companies is a fascinating challenge. Before starting the collaboration with BCD Travel Italy, the biggest difficulty was ensuring compliance with the travel policy and obtaining complete and global reporting, essential for making strategic decisions.”

Benefits appeared fast, thanks to the centralization of travel management at the European level with BCD Travel Italy. “Now, we have visibility into who is traveling and where they are, which is crucial for both safety and expense control,” Vergani said.

The integration of the self-booking tool in Italy and France marked another turning point. “Booking processes have become faster, and our travelers are more aware of travel costs and preferred properties, opting for corporate rates where available. This not only helps us save but also strengthens our negotiating power for future years,” Vergani said.

DecisionSource has also proven to be a key tool. “The ability to extract updated data at any time is fundamental, and we are working on leveraging its potential even further,” she said.

A team effort that makes the difference

“Teamwork is undoubtedly one of the most important elements. Feeling supported by a partner who understands our dynamics and adapts to our needs, especially regarding the travel policy, makes a difference. Additionally, the quality of reporting allows us to maintain control over expenses,” Vergani said. “We are very satisfied. It’s great to see a partner committed to every topic, even the most complex ones, always striving to find a solution together.”

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