Judges named data analytics provider PredictX, which
presented its newly launched AI workspace Cogent, as the winner of this
year’s Business Travel Innovation Faceoff at Business Travel Show Europe in
London.
In his presentation to the judging panel, PredictX CEO
Keesup Choe highlighted several use cases that early adopters of Cogent, which
the company announced earlier this month, to show its data management
capabilities. AI agents from the platform can manage complex questions about
travel and expense programs and operate as “virtual full-time
equivalents” in a travel program so that travel managers can become more
efficient in their role, according to the company.
“It’s not a chatbot; it’s not an app,” Choe said
in his presentation. “It’s an entire platform, a framework from which all
of our apps are built.”
Among the use cases built from that framework include a
performance and savings agent that can monitor key performance indicators and,
knowing a program’s goals, look for savings opportunities, he said. Another use
was a vendor performance management that “give you a complete,
comprehensive study” about a supplier relationship to ensure buyers are
prepared when meeting and negotiating with suppliers. Choe also highlighted a
contract management tool, which can analyze a contract and make comparisons
with a proposed new contract.
“It’s not a chatbot; it’s not an app. It’s an entire platform, a framework from which all of our apps are built.”
PredictX CEO Keesup Choe
“This is not a ‘track changes,'” Choe said.
“It knows that travelers never got J Class or that a discount was never
achieved.”
In addition, Choe demonstrated how one of PredictX’s clients
uses an RFP tool from the platform, which event judge Carine Morin—Service
Now’s regional travel manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa—said was
“really good” and “showed efficiency for that process.”
In a separate panel discussion on AI, Choe noted the true
potential for AI was not in taking over the jobs and tasks that people already
are doing but in doing “the work that is not being done by humans, that is
too expensive or requires too much manpower”—what could be done “if
we had an infinite number of people with expertise.”
Overall, Morin said judges were impressed that PredictX
provides “a single data source, and once that data is in, it becomes a
single source of truth.”
High Commendation for SkyLink
The judging panel also gave a “highly commended”
distinction to AI corporate travel assistant SkyLink, which won
the BTN Group’s Innovation Faceoff at its 2024 Innovate conference in New
York. Faceoff judge Karen Hutchings, founder of Cobb & Hutch consulting and
former EY global head of travel, meetings and events, noted the scoring between
the two was close and the decision difficult.
She said SkyLink was “phenomenal” in that it
“takes away the pain of the reservation process” and “Uses AI in
a positive way.” She also praised CEO and cofounder Atyab Bhatti for
demonstrating a feature in its early stages which allows users to book and
manage reservations by voice in a conversational style.
“They’re innovative, but there’s so much more coming on
product and in the development phase,” Hutchings said. “They’re most
definitely one to watch in the industry for disruption.”
Besides Morin and Hutchings, judges for the Faceoff included
Deloitte Germany travel and technology manager Lenny Hornsby and Bala Chandran,
co-founder and CEO of last
year’s BTS Europe Faceoff winner Lumo.
Other participants in this year’s Faceoff included travel
management company customer service platform Front, corporate travel platform Zenmer,
global mobility platform The Cozm, alternative accommodation platform Roamr,
blockchain-based travel, payment and expense management provider Blockskye,
corporate travel audit firm Fare Audit, corporate events planning
technology Planned and global TMC Altour.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
