First Business Trip

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Wow...I feel like an adult sort of. I travelling to Colorado Springs for work for a few weeks in March to assist in training a new set of employees.

What do y'all do during business trips? I'm gonna be there for about 3 weeks. Any ideas?
 
SkyHog said:
Wow...I feel like an adult sort of. I travelling to Colorado Springs for work for a few weeks in March to assist in training a new set of employees.

What do y'all do during business trips? I'm gonna be there for about 3 weeks. Any ideas?
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I spent two weeks at Colorado Springs once for work. I spent a LOT of time out watching the nearby Air Force Academy cadets sky diving and flying gliders. You have to go tour the grounds at least. They have a cool gift shop with all things Air Force related! All kinds of other "touristy" stuff around there to go see as well. Caves, hiking, etc.
 
Second the recommendation on the tour of the Academy, that's a beautiful area.
 
Stay at a hotel with a good exercise room -- and use it every day. It's way too easy to eat and drink too much of the wrong things on the road, and exercise will help moderate your appetite as well as burn off calories. I also keep a supply of bottles of flavored seltzer in the 'fridge in the room -- helps hydration as well as avoiding calories and caffeine.
 
I don't know why I'm so stoked about this, but I really am. Thanks for the advice so far, keep it coming (I like Ron's idea of working out daily).

I'm looking at this as the opportunity I've been waiting for to show that I would be a good training facilitator. Maybe I can turn some heads!
 
SkyHog said:
Wow...I feel like an adult sort of. I travelling to Colorado Springs for work for a few weeks in March to assist in training a new set of employees.

What do y'all do during business trips? I'm gonna be there for about 3 weeks. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I've yet to get a business trip out of my employer... get a few training sessions in Greenville, but I'm holding out hope for InfoComm 08. Las Vegas :D

http://www.infocommshow.org/infocomm2008/public/enter.aspx
 
SkyHog said:
What do y'all do during business trips? I'm gonna be there for about 3 weeks. Any ideas?
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During the day work, at night meet with customers, return to room and catch up on emails, sleep for about 4 hours, get up, get on phone call back to the home office, rinse and repeat until time to head to airport for return home.

Business trips are not fun, they are usually more work than staying in the office.
 
SkyHog said:
Well, of course that's plan #1. lol
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Along those lines: If you have a choice, stay at a hotel with a good bar in it. Or at least near it. Hotel bars rank fairly high among my... er... favorite places to waste time. :D

Oh, and another thing: Depending on how your company does expenses, it may be wise to pay out of pocket for breakfast and lunch some days, and save the entire per diem for dinner and drinks. Drinks at the target rich enviro -- er, uh... I mean hotel bar.
 
SkyHog said:
I don't know why I'm so stoked about this, but I really am. ...
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Trust us, if you had to travel often you'll learn to hate it. I did it before 9/11 & TSA and it was a pain then, limo rides and all. Now I wouldn't do it short of a private jet.
 
As one with too many business trips under my belt, I think there is some good advice above. Don't vegitate. Don't stay in your room. Walk. Different restaurant every night (never the restaurant in your hotel). For as long as you're staying, give the local C of C a call or visit. They'll have brochures showing stuff to do at night and weekends.
There used to be a pretty big glider operation around there. You might want to go check that out.
Climb Pikes Peak?
Have fun.
 
smigaldi said:
During the day work, at night meet with customers, return to room and catch up on emails, sleep for about 4 hours, get up, get on phone call back to the home office, rinse and repeat until time to head to airport for return home.

Business trips are not fun, they are usually more work than staying in the office.
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BS.

You're always on here talking about the various trips you make. That's right, you, Mr 11,000+ post man.
 
Enjoy the trip while you're on it. The real challenge will be when you get back home and have to do the expense report.

You might have to, as happened to me, deal with a boss and others that tell you they don't pay for stuff. I really lost money - a lot of money - on some travel expenses.
 
Richard said:
BS.

You're always on here talking about the various trips you make. That's right, you, Mr 10,000+ post man.
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Not BS at all. My days are spent in group meetings where we sit behind our computers listening to different presentations and occasionally having to finagle votes on a topic. It is the breaks, lunches, and evenings where all the real politickings goes on. Then after all is said and done jet lags stops me from sleeping.

My SO used to give me crap about flying to these exotic locations until I took her on a few trips. She sure did not like me getting up at 4am for conference calls in Hawaii. Or going to meetings at 11pm to 2am in Paris. It all sounds exotic but it sucks!

At least I know that Ghery understands.
 
I spent 15 years on the road (over a 120 nights/year). When ever possible I'd get checked out at a new field. Once my checkouts were complete I'd enjoy short flight on subsequent visits. It ain't cheap but it beats paying for over priced movies in the room.

Oh yea, and since you're a single guy, hit it early and often. :D
 
Last Biz trip was to Las Vegas. Contrary to what others think, I spent about 1 hour gambling. With the rented wheels, I toured the area. There's some nice country out there (put on about 100 miles a day). I even managed a two hour flight from No LV Airport, sharing space with two F22 Raptors. I sat outside the fence at Las Vegas (LAS) Mc Carran, watched the planes, and listened to ATC. And the company holding the meeting I was at had access to the bar at the top of Mandalay Bay (the Foundation Room?). They sponsored an evening there.
And I usually buy a bottle or two and keep them in the room. Saves on the Hotel bar (at $7.50 a shot) tab. When I was travelling for another company, I would stay at the Residence Inn. With a full kitchen, it gave me a chance to have better than hotel food (home made). It also caused me issues with the company expenses.
Find out the rules on expenses BEFORE you leave on the trip. Find out if you are PER DIEM or if they only pay for breakfast and dinner (I've been there). Lunch buffets are cheap if you can go a whole day on one meal. Stretches the expense dollars. Liquor usually is not covered, nor are guests. You probably won't be reimbursed for cable movies you buy and remember, they get listed on the bill, as do room service. Expect to spend more than you will get reimbursed for. Same as at home. No one covers those random sodas, coffees, or donuts.
 
Check out the Devil's Garden. Very cool, pretty much smack dab in CS. Frankly, Colorado Springs is a pretty dull place. Correction. It is a really dull place. There's a hippie town, can't remember the name, on the road into the Rockies that's somewhat interesting.

Maybe you could get a tour of Cheyenne Mtn (NORAD HQ) while you're there, if you stay on the weekend.

Guys, don't crap on Nick for being excited. I remember my early days of business travel, it was exciting at first. He'll enjoy it.

Have fun Nick, glad you're getting out of the cube!!!

Andrew
 
smigaldi said:
My SO used to give me crap about flying to these exotic locations until I took her on a few trips. She sure did not like me getting up at 4am for conference calls in Hawaii. Or going to meetings at 11pm to 2am in Paris. It all sounds exotic but it sucks!
Click to expand...

When I first started consulting in '95, my wife was jealous that I "got" to travel every week, stay in hotels, and eat in fancy restaraunts. One trip with me set her straight on the facts and she hasn't wanted to go again.
 
SkyHog said:
What do y'all do during business trips? I'm gonna be there for about 3 weeks. Any ideas?
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Well, if you're like me and you end up going on trips quite a bit from now on, you might get into the various frequent flyer communities and perks. If you pay enough attention to that and you travel quite a bit, things become a bit less annoying as you move up in the FF ranks. Best of all, you can get about 2 free vacations a year out of it.

Then there's usually lots of random stuff to do. I like this post as an example:

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2008/01/16/making-the-most-of-your-lax-layover/

I tried it just last week, and it worked out quite well!

I don't do much on business trips. Usually, it's all about meeting friends that happen to live in the area, eating out in nice restaurants, and sleeping in.

Have fun!

-Felix
 
If you will be staying the full three weeks you will need a laundry. Some hotel/motels have facilities, check it out. Do not use the hotel laundry service unless you are short of time and there is no other way -- they are expensive. If you are on full expenses where you eat doesn't really matter. If you are on a fixed daily perdiem it does. Hopefully the hotel will have a free breakfast, for lunch wing it. For dinner find the buffets. If you don't have a vehicle see if the hotel has a suttle bus. If they do it's worth a couple buck tip to have them drop you a different restaurants malls etc. If your hotel room does not have a refigerator check with house keeping and see if the have any. Worth a $10 tip to get one for your room. If you will be staying at a chain hotel/motel sign up for their rewards program. If you wind up traveling a lot they will come in handy.
Do have fun.
Ron
 
stuff to do ... skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling; Pikes Peak, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Co. Springs Zoo is pretty good, Olympic Training Center, Garden of the Gods, Rodeo Hall of Fame, Air Force Academy, Pueblo (about 1 hr south) Airplane Museum; Denver (1 hr north) Wings of the Rockies Airplane Museum; Denver Zoo; Denver Natural History Museum...
 
rather ironic that Ken posts about single women hanging out in the garden of the gods, and his url ends with "flash=1"? lol If you meet a woman named Eve in the garden, don't eat the apple ... :)
 
ausrere said:
I spent two weeks at Colorado Springs once for work. I spent a LOT of time out watching the nearby Air Force Academy cadets sky diving and flying gliders. You have to go tour the grounds at least. They have a cool gift shop with all things Air Force related! All kinds of other "touristy" stuff around there to go see as well. Caves, hiking, etc.
Click to expand...

. . . . and the AF Academy Chapel, architecturally, is a photographer's wonder child; at least it was when I was there some 35 years ago.

HR
 
smigaldi said:
During the day work, at night meet with customers, return to room and catch up on emails, sleep for about 4 hours, get up, get on phone call back to the home office, rinse and repeat until time to head to airport for return home.

Business trips are not fun, they are usually more work than staying in the office.
Click to expand...

I will second that, I have been traveling for work for about 16 years and I bet I can count the great trips on one hand. I had some fun ones but 90% of the time was all work and sleep.

One time in band camp oh I meant when I was in PR I had the time to fly but the weather well lets say it sucked.

just try to Have fun Nick and if you can:
SkyHog said:
Going flying? Bring a camera! Take a picture (with the codeword integrated), and claim those airports!
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mikea said:
Enjoy the trip while you're on it. The real challenge will be when you get back home and have to do the expense report.
Click to expand...

Do the expense report each day (or 1st thing in the AM). Have a special envelope for your receipts and put them there every day.

mikea said:
You might have to, as happened to me, deal with a boss and others that tell you they don't pay for stuff. I really lost money - a lot of money - on some travel expenses.
Click to expand...

Ask ahead of time- per diem limits, drinks, etc. Usually, your private entertainments aren't reimbursed unless you take a client with you. Someone at work got tagged for the hotel PPV movie.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Do the expense report each day (or 1st thing in the AM). Have a special envelope for your receipts and put them there every day.



Ask ahead of time- per diem limits, drinks, etc. Usually, your private entertainments aren't reimbursed unless you take a client with you. Someone at work got tagged for the hotel PPV movie.
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That's the least of the worries. I knew the rules. We laughed at one point because a V.P. did try to expense the late night movie.

In my case, many years after being a full time traveler I went to one team meeting and got reamed - reamed - by mypointy-headed boss for claiming things that he thought were ridiculous. What happened? It wasn't the same company. This was the company that swallowed the other one. It was one example of those of us swallowees being expected to know the culture and undocumented rules of the company that was our competition.

That boss, who the was worst imaginable, was moved to where he could cause the least damage but he succeeded in damaging me. Even today I hear from co-workers who dread dealing with him where he is.

It's still going on but now I get to be the one that takes all the blame and complaints from the current company and the new swallowees, because the competition failed to follow the standards of their competitors. :mad: As I explained, it is all my fault. I did the merger. :no:
 
im sure you can find a cool bar there with dueling organs and a lot of mohawks. sounds like fun to me!
 
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