Passenger Travel Focused: A Conversation with Bryan J. Scott

The GovTravels Symposium is just around the corner. This annual event, co-sponsored by NDTA and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) and held in association with the General Services Administration (GSA), will occur at the end of February in Alexandria, Virginia. In preparation for the conference, DTJ sat down to chat with one of the key leaders of the event—Bryan J. Scott, Chairperson of the NDTA Government Passenger Travel Advisory Council (GPTAC), and Assistant Vice President of Government Business at Enterprise Holdings.

During our chat, Mr. Scott provided background on the GPTAC, details about its committees, and shared a rundown of what GovTravels attendees can expect this year. We also had a chance to discuss some exciting new initiatives recently unveiled by Enterprise, as well as his insights into the rental car industry as a whole.

DTJ:
First things first, for those readers who may not be familiar with it, can you tell us a little bit about the Government Passenger Travel Advisory Council?

Scott:
Sure, the GPTAC was created by NDTA and industry to provide an open, collaborative forum between government entities and the travel industry to exchange ideas, analyze trends and policies, and work to improve common travel issues.

Its primary goals are threefold: To encourage, promote, and foster new avenues for research, collaboration, and knowledge sharing about government travel industry trends; to use evaluation and research data to inform and foster an environment of continuous improvement and growth between government travelers and industry members; and to provide regular forums where industry and government agencies can collaborate on priorities established by the GPTAC.

DTJ:
I know the Council is comprised of several Committees—can you tell us a little about the Committees?

Scott:
The Committees are really the heartbeat of GPTAC. They act as a central voice to the membership and government stakeholders. Each Committee is comprised of volunteers from the travel industry. These folks are unquestionable leaders in their segments in terms of knowledge of the industry and government programs they support. These leaders contribute to discussions and engage with industry and government collaborators.

A great example of the committees’ value was demonstrated in the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committees maintained constant communication with all parties to ensure government was able to mobilize and travel at a time when supply lines and resources were compromised.

In terms of how we are organized, I lead the Council as Chairman alongside my Vice Chair Greg Harkins. And then for the Committees we have Michael DeRosa leading the Car Rental Committee, Marlene Gray leading the Travel Management Companies Committee, Jason Moore leading the Long Term Lodging Committee, Lauren Gibson leading the Bus Committee, Chris McLaughlin leading the Hotel Committee, and Evan Koppel leading the Airline Committee.

DTJ:
GovTravels is coming up. What role does the Council and its Committees play in that event and what can attendees expect this year?

Scott:
The Committee Chairs play a vital role in the planning and content creation for GovTravels. The planning for this year’s event started shortly after the conclusion of GovTravels ’23. Our members actively participate in determining the agenda for the event and keynote speakers, based on feedback and current industry issues.

The theme of this year’s event is The Future of Government Travel: Trends in Sustainability, Innovation and Evolving Technologies. Keynotes will be focused on the rapid advancements in innovation, technology, and sustainability, and their positive impacts on the customer travel experience.

DTJ:
Wow, that sounds like it’s going to be a really valuable event. I have to admit, each time I attend it feels like GovTravels is bigger and better than ever.

Scott: All credit for the growth of GovTravels goes to NDTA, DTMO, GSA, and industry leadership. We have exceeded expectations every year, and expect attendance this year to be the largest on record. It’s a testament to the value of the event to those who participate. It truly is a one-of-a-kind event—the largest collection of government and industry travel experts coming together to ensure our managed travel programs remain best in class and are positioned to allow our government to succeed in their missions.

DTJ:
Well, I’m definitely excited to attend. Speaking of exciting, I’ve heard there are a lot of exciting things going on at Enterprise. Can you tell us some of what you all have been up to?

Scott:
We are firing on all cylinders to serve our customers around the world across the full spectrum of their transportation needs. And, as we look to help shape the future of mobility, we are connecting the business’ full portfolio of offerings under a new corporate brand – Enterprise Mobility.

I’m really excited about this. I recently celebrated my 35th anniversary with Enterprise with the past 18 working with the Federal Government. And, for the majority of my tenure, we have been best known as the world’s largest car rental provider. Yet, the business has evolved immensely in terms of geography, offerings, and customer segments we serve. Today, we operate in more than 90 countries and territories, and serve customers across nine mobility offerings including car rental, fleet management, carsharing, vanpooling, car sales, truck rental, and a number of technology solutions. “Enterprise Mobility” represents more fully who we are and what we have to offer today.

DTJ: Interesting, and what will these changes mean for your customers?

Scott: Our corporate brand is changing—but who we are, and what our customers know us for, is not. The Enterprise Mobility portfolio of brands, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo will remain unchanged as key offerings.

The motivation behind this announcement is to bring together the power of our full mobility portfolio as we continue to invest significantly to deliver leading customer service and experiences.

As Enterprise Mobility, we will stay true to the values we’ve held since our founding that guide how we do business and how we give back to communities. We will maintain the same culture of exceptional service, always putting our customers first. We will constantly innovate so we can deliver people-first experiences in the rapidly evolving area of mobility. And, we will continue creating meaningful connections—with our customers, our business partners, and across industry, so we can keep moving mobility forward together.

DTJ: That’s great to hear. In terms of the overall car rental industry what are the trends you are seeing and how does what you are doing relate?

Scott: The mobility industry is changing rapidly as the world evolves toward transportation solutions that are more efficient, convenient, sustainable and technology-forward. Those changes are transforming the ways we move, commute, and interact with the world around us. At Enterprise Mobility, we are approaching those changes in a mindful way.

We are implementing new technology experiences that are personalized, digital, connected, and on-demand.

We are also working to help our customers integrate the latest vehicle technologies in the right way for them. Our fleet management business, for example, recently provided more than 1,100 custom-branded 2023 Chevy Bolt electric vehicles at select Domino’s franchise and corporate stores, making it one of the largest all-electric food delivery fleets in the country. We take care of vehicle acquisition, financing, telematics solutions, and maintenance, while Domino’s realizes the benefits of an EV fleet such as zero tailpipe emissions, advanced safety features, and lower average maintenance costs than non-electric vehicles.

DTJ: Bryan, thank you so much for your time and thoughts today. Before we go, is there anything else you wanted to share with DTJ readers?

Scott: I’d like to offer a big thank you to the NDTA, the GPTAC membership, and our government partners for all their support. Not only for this event, but also for their efforts throughout the year to foster new avenues of collaboration and knowledge share. It’s truly humbling to represent an industry that is so focused and committed to supporting the US Government. DTJ