People's Choice Award

The People’s Choice Award is given to the innovation that garners the most votes. This year's People's Choice will be presented to Hertz for their innovation, NeverLost Gen5. This product provides concierge-assisted routing services and pushes customized “trips on demand” directly into the navigation device in travelers’ rental cars.

Innovation Award #1: Sustainable Practice
Outstanding and original environmental efforts in the travel industry.

Winner: Hertz
Innovation:Hertz On Demand

Hertz On Demand is a car-sharing service offering hybrid, electric and traditional vehicles for short-term (hourly, daily, one-way rentals globally) all of which are SmartWay certified.

Innovation Award #2: Traveler Comfort                                                                       

Products/services that focus on travelers’ ease and well being.

Winner: ExpertFlyer

Innovation: Seat Alerts

ExpertFlyer Seat Alerts notifies you when there is a desirable free seat on your flight, such as an aisle or window seat, when you are stuck in a middle seat.  

Innovation Award #3: Travel Personalization

Innovation and excellence in customizing the business travel experience for the individual.

Winner: Hertz
Innovation: NeverLost Gen5

Hertz NeverLost Gen5 provides concierge-assisted routing services and pushes customized “trips on demand” directly into the navigation device in travelers’ rental cars. 

Innovation Award #4: Outstanding Apps

Applications that help business travelers organize and/or make best use of their time on the road.

Winner: GateGuru
Innovation: In-airport tool/guide

GateGuru is the first mobile application to refine your airport experience. The app offers information to guide any trip -providing instant access to your itinerary, security wait times, a structured database of airport amenities (with ratings, reviews and tips from fellow travelers) and airport maps. GateGuru has been featured in Apple’s ad campaigns, covered by leading media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Techcrunch, Mashable, and recognized as one of the "Top 5 Air Travel Apps" by CNN.

Innovation Award #5: Travel Convenience & Efficiency

Services that expedite the travel process.

Winner: Intelity
Innovation: ICE Touch on iPads

The Intelity ICS Touch provides virtual concierge stationed on iPads in hotel rooms. Guests quickly navigate services such as housekeeping, transportation, room service, spa and flight info without ever picking up a phone.  

Innovation Award #6: Travel Management

Winner: Sabre
Innovation: Sabre Hotel RFP - an automated service that brings corporations and agencies together with hotels

Sabre Hotel RFP is a GDS neutral, simple to use, affordable and extremely effective global hotel sourcing and rate negotiation tool.  Trusted by over 1,500 corporations and agencies including hundreds of the Fortune 1,000, Sabre Hotel RFP provides corporations and agencies with unprecedented access to over 100,000 hotels worldwide.  A favorite of hotels and their global customers, Sabre Hotel RFP is the easiest to use and most intuitive product in the field.  Sabre Hotel RFP combines GBTA compliant RFP’s with an intelligent decision engine including reports, exports, and, new for 2011, Room Night Volume collection.  Ever raising the bar on performance and robust features without raising cost of ownership, Sabre Hotel RFP is proud to maintain disruptively low pricing while continuing to be the benchmark by which other RFP tools are measured. 

Innovation Award #7: Traveler Productivity

Solutions that keep mobile executives productive.

Winner: Lufthansa
Innovation: FlyNet Transatlantic “Boundless” broadband

The FlyNet Transatlantic “Boundless” broadband is the first of its kind, offering broadband access with no downtime over oceans.

Judges’ Choice Award – To Be Determined
A panel of travel celebrity judges will evaluate the featured innovations to determine the 2011 Business Travel Innovation Judges’ Choice Award winner,