January comes and goes in a flash; while the first month of the year is seen as a fresh start for some, in the corporate travel world, it’s business as usual. I have been in quite a few places so far this month, and I’ll add to my itinerary before the month is out. Business travel presents an opportunity to connect with clients face to face, something I believe cannot be replaced by a telephone call, video screen or email.

I’m fortunate to work for a company that still believes in the human connection, and this is a large aspect of why I believe our publication successfully communicates the latest trends and tips for all of our travel brands. We, the employees of FX Express Publications, are out there with you. We wait in those lines at TSA, we embark on journeys to new and foreign places so we can better understand travel there, and we appreciate and use the loyalty programs our readers rely on for a productive and successful trip.

If you are new to corporate travel or would like to refresh your small- to medium-sized business travel experience, I’d like to invite you to check out IHG Business Edge. This innovative program assists SME’s by offering helpful tips and tools to benefit the business traveler beyond check-in. I expect great opportunities for personal growth for IHG Business Edge users. Keep an eye out for the useful content expected to be released this year. Here is a link to the web portal; I encourage you to take the time to check it out. They understand the value of face-to-face meetings and the importance of travel in a world where connections can be made through various outlets.

Continuing into the month of January, I invite you to remember our annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards are presently accepting votes in various categories of travel. You can navigate to the voting page by clicking here. Take time to vote for your favorites! The continued participation and dedication of our readers is highly valued, and I cannot wait to see who makes it to No. 1.

Each category is something we at GT find to be a pivotal part of the travel experience for both business and leisure travel. Speaking of categories of travel, we added a new category this year: Best Small- to Mid-Sized Business Program.

I wish you all a productive and well-traveled January!

— Stephanie Makowski, account executive