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50 Tips to Make You a Smarter Traveler
FICP Education Committee
Friday, October 20, 2017

Risk is everywhere and can impact your event in a variety of ways. Check out these 50 (yes, 50!) travel tips from the FICP Education Committee to minimize risk to your event, your participants, and your team.  

Pack Smart

It starts before you even leave your house.

• “Think about what will be most difficult to duplicate once you are at your event and pack that in your carry-on bag, especially when traveling internationally. This might include registration supplies like event-specific badgestock and pocket guides.” - Ellie Hurley, Events Director, FICP
• Always have a stocked travel kit to throw in your suitcase to include the typical items like band aids and a lint roller. A small flashlight to keep near the bed can assist in a middle of the night fire drill. Post-it notes can be used to cover peepholes on your hotel room door.
• The Safety Cat keychain is a self-defense tool that can be attached to rental car keys upon arrival and kept in hand. Please note that this item would need to be included in checked luggage, not carry on.

Back Up Smart

Take a few minutes on the front end of your trip to possibly save hours later.

• Make sure at least one colleague has the same vendor/emergency contact list on hand as you do in case your phone is inaccessible or you are the one delayed. Or put the entire list on an easy to find shared drive for your team to access.
• “The Tripit app is a great resource for smaller teams to keep flight details available in case of an emergency.” - Lynn Lee, Global Sales Director, AlliedPRA
• Notify your credit card company that you are traveling to X city and they will see purchases from this location to prevent fraud attempt alerts.

• Have a Plan B in place personally (“what’s my quickest flight home in case of an emergency”) and professionally to get home in case of an emergency and for support coverage if you had to leave the event suddenly. Run through the plan with a colleague who will be at the event, and review it with your family.

Phone Smart

Make that smart phone work for you.

• Keep your devices charged, invest in mobile chargers to always have battery life at your fingertips.
• Know country codes and local telephone systems for the destinations you are going.
• Take a picture of your passport, driver’s license and insurance cards so that they are always in your smart phone (just make sure you have a password protection on your cell phone).
• Don’t post your travel information on social media. This could put your empty house at risk.
• “Never store your hotel or home address as “home” in your GPS or smart phone. I either make the address a local police department or I name it something unrelated like Pumpkin Patch. Nothing’s funnier when you are driving back during a late night trip to have the GPS tell you that you are now arriving at Pumpkin Patch.” - Ann Luketic, Marketing Event Specialist, Progressive

Fly Smart

Take the stress out of air travel.

• Stagger your team’s flight arrivals to prevent one delay from heavily impacting event set up.
• If possible, avoid arriving to your destination late at night, especially if ground transportation options are not abundant.
• Keep your bags in sight at all times.
• “Be prepared for delayed or cancelled flights by carrying extra medications you need.” - Angel Tassone, Director of Group Sales, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Set up transportation from the airport in advance vs. relying on local taxi service. Take a picture of the license plate and taxi number and text it to your emergency contact.

Hotel Smart

It’s your home away from home, and you should feel that secure.  

• Use hotel safes. Test them first!
• Take time to review information provided in-room concerning fire safety and emergency exits nearest your room.
• Always ensure your hotel room is locked upon leaving.
• If your room number is announced aloud at the hotel desk, ask to be switched.
• Do not allow strangers into your room, and use the additional interior lock while in the room.
• If you see something unusual on property, you should alert your Global Security representatives, hotel security or local law enforcement officers. Meetings and Hospitality Professionals have been instrumental in some cases identifying red flags of human trafficking violations.
• Always maintain awareness of your surroundings, and remember to pay attention to your personal belongings such as purses, cell phones, laptops and other valuables.
• “Limit displays of jewelry, cash, credit cards or valuables in public areas. Take only what you need and secure the remainder in the hotel safe.” - Erin Longo, Director, Conference and Meeting Services, Prudential
• Know where exits are while in any building, hotel, casino, etc.
• Rooms on the third through sixth floors are both accessible by most rescue ladders while not being too close to lobby/ground level.
• Do a sweep of your hotel room when you first arrive, including making sure any windows or patio doors are locked.
• Put your essentials in a small carry-on each night so if the fire alarm goes off you can walk out with rental car keys, purse, jewelry, laptop, phone, charged, money, etc. Your door may be left propped open by the firefighters, and your belongings could be at risk. Of course, always follow instructions in an emergency to prevent a tripping hazard in the stairwell/hallways by taking too much with you out of the building.

Destination Smart

Self-awareness is key, especially in an unfamiliar city.

• “Consider hiring a security team for a pre-trip assessment.” - Katie Senkowski, Manager, Meetings and Events, AIG
• Get familiar with political/economic/cultural climate of your destination before you go.

• Get up to date on any necessary vaccinations for the area.

• Only use ATMs in banks and at your hotel and be aware of your surroundings when using them.
• Know weather conditions and potential for natural disasters in the area you are headed.
• Locate hospitals, police stations, embassies and airports. Create necessary contact sheets.
• If you are out walking or jogging, plan your route in advance and always have some form of identification. You may want to consider checking with the hotel staff as they may have specific route recommendations.
• Have local currency on hand.
• Try to blend in with neutral clothing that doesn’t advertise your nationality or that you are a tourist.

Wellness Smart

Getting sick or not feeling your best at an event can also be risky to your meeting’s success.

• A stash of Cold-EEze and or AirBorne may help stave off a sudden case of the sniffles.
• On long flights be cognizant about getting up and stretching, relaxing the back. Compression socks help prevent blood clots and aide circulation.
• Layers can be your best friend in destinations that move from hot to cold temps quickly.
• “Understand your medical policy benefits when it comes to traveling internationally. What happens if you fall ill or need to go to the hospital? Your HR or Risk Management liaison and your Health Care provider should be able to let you know what’s covered and what isn’t." - Patricia Beaudoux, Director, International Sales, Sands Asia

We know there are more out there, what are your favorite tips to stay safe, healthy, and secure when you travel? Add to the comments below or start a discussion in theNetwork!