Corporate travel and mobility patterns are increasingly diversifying in line with changing work patterns; there is a growing need for duty of care to be applied to data as well as the traveller and value is being redefined to include greater focus on traveller experience.
These are the key insights shared at the seventh annual SilverDoor Partner Engagement Day held at Fulham Pier on Tuesday 6th October 2026.
Nearly 200 operators in the SilverDoor supply chain and sector representatives attended, including leading corporate travel and relocation industry representatives for an afternoon of thought-provoking panel sessions and conversations on current trends impacting the accommodation, corporate travel and mobility sectors.
SilverDoor CEO Stuart Winstone opened the day with details on the company’s global expansion plans following the completion of its integration with Synergy Global Housing and launch of its own directly managed corporate housing brand Synergy by SilverDoor..
The agenda also included the panel session, ‘What clients need from supply chains in a rapidly changing market’ hosted by SilverDoor’s Head of Client Partnerships, EMEA, Al Butler with insights from Jason Coggles, Lodging Partnerships Manager- Navan, Carol Fergus, Director – Global Travel, Meetings and Ground Transportation – Fidelity and Gavin Carruthers Partner Relationship Lead – Europe – K2.
Key topics discussed on the day included:
Work, corporate travel and mobility patterns are diversifying
Corporate travel and mobility is becoming increasingly more diverse and personalised as global work patterns shift. Traditional multi-year assignments are being replaced by shorter, more project-based programmes with a focus on graduate programmes, domestic relocations and large-scale intern projects, particularly across APAC.
In addition, client requirements for VIP and group programmes along with increasing requests for travel to more tertiary locations are driving demand for tailored corporate travel programmes. As a result, the line between visitor and resident is also becoming increasingly blurred as traveller requirements also fragment.
Duty of care increasingly being applied to data as well as travellers
Recent world events have put data and traveller security in the spotlight. Cyber resilience, ISO accreditation and data handling are moving swiftly to the top of client’s agendas, more rapidly than ever before. Effective traveller duty of care depends on real-time visibility and access to accurate, transparent data to locate and support travellers while also often managing risks across increasingly complex supply chains.
A duty of care approach for data is increasingly being applied alongside duty of care for travellers. From supplier APIs and real-time property inspections to traveller tracking and compliance reporting, connected and protected data is increasingly being regarded as a non-negotiable for clients focused on delivering safe, seamless programmes.
Value is being redefined
With AI putting price transparency and comparison capabilities at an all-time high, clients are turning attention to service quality, responsiveness and consistency to determine value and inform purchasing decisions. Value now includes quality, safety reliability, trust and transparency to qualify supplier choice and travel programme success.
Commenting on the topics discussed, Alex Neale, SilverDoor’s Chief Supply Officer said: “Today’s corporate travel and mobility programmes are more complex than ever, driven by changing booking behaviours, heightened data and duty of care responsibilities and rising traveller expectations. To keep pace, accommodation providers and the wider supply chain are developing smarter service models and leveraging data more effectively to deliver deeper insights that prove value beyond cost.
“AI is accelerating this shift, giving clients greater visibility into programme performance across increasingly diverse traveller groups and destinations. As reporting becomes more sophisticated, experience and compliance are becoming as important as price, traveller safety and data risk management.
“But technology is only part of the answer. There is an increasing need for more frequent conversations before a programme starts as well as throughout its duration, which include clear, frank directives from clients in terms of their requirements and from suppliers in terms of what they can offer. Particularly for programmes with more diverse requirements where historically data sets might not be as readily available. Continuous collaboration – including sharing market intelligence – throughout the programme lifecycle is now more critical than ever before.”
