How to Better Enjoy Business Trips

BLEISURE TRAVEL HACKS: HOW TO BETTER ENJOY THAT BUSINESS TRIP

Looking for travel experiences outside the boardroom? Here are some tips on how to make the most of your work trips.

As personal and professional spheres increasingly overlap, nearly half of today’s millennial travellers are adding leisure legs to their business trips. Altitude asked globe-trotting WordPress expert and bleisure hunter Andrea Zoellner for five tips on how to make the most of your time out of office.

1. Plan ahead

“The best way to ensure you see more than the boardroom is research. Buck the trend of staying in a hotel near the conference centre by choosing lodging in a unique, vibrant area of your destination. I like reading up on where the cool neighbourhoods are in any city I travel to, like the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon, or Fishtown in Philadelphia, and then I take advantage of moments between engagements to walk around the block, visit hole-in-the-wall cafés or sightsee.”

2. Get gear

“I’m a real minimalist when I travel, but I’ve invested in a Roost laptop stand as well as a keyboard and mouse – I recommend the Logitech MX Master mouse for anyone serious about wrist comfort – so that I can set up a really nice, comfortable desk in any hotel room or co-working space. It helps me work more efficiently: After a couple of hours straight, I’m done and left with more time to go exploring.”

3. Find partners

“If you know people at, say, a trade show you’re working at or a conference you’re attending, enlist them to keep the conversation going over dinner or coffee at a special place you’ve scoped out ahead of time. Or if you’re there to meet clients, the location that you choose can be strategic. Set up your meeting in a coffee shop near the museum you want to visit, or hold it in an area you’re interested in and ask your client for recommendations on things that you should check out while you’re there.”

4. Stay mobile

“My source of freedom when I’m travelling depends on how easy it is for me to get to places. If I’m in a really remote location, like an airport hotel, then I might rent a car to be able to travel to the spots on my bucket list if I get an hour’s break here and there. For a place like Kansas City, for example, which is composed of small neighbourhoods that aren’t connected, driving is necessary. But most places are easy to navigate by public transport, or my favourite, on foot, with a little advance research.”

5. Recharge regularly

“Travel can be tiring on its own. Toss in the responsibilities and stress of a business trip and suddenly wellness and self-care become even more important. I try to make plenty of time for rest on a trip, whether it’s using the hotel spa, taking a bath or making sure I get a good night’s sleep. The key is listening to your needs so you don’t burn out.”

Reprinted from Air Canada Altitude, March 2018