Does anyone travel abroad for work?

[Peckhaminn]

I've recently taken a new position and it requires travelling for conferences which we organise and have to travel to ensure everything goes smoothly. These happen every other month and I've never travelled on my own especially for work. We are away a week at a time. I am petrified to say the least. Has anyone got any advice?

Why are you petrified? Is it the travel or the actual conferences or something else?

Didn't you know about the travelling before you took the job? what are you petrified about?

I don’t now but used to in a previous life. Sometimes it was once a month, other times it was every week for a few months and came home at the weekends

I loved it. Try and not stay in your room every night. Explore the city, go to a restaurant and if you can tag on a weekend (obviously paying your own hotel and expenses) then all the better - unexpected city break!

Through work I have been to places and stayed in hotels that I would never have done personally. I saw it as an opportunity and because I enjoyed being there, I worked hard too.

What is it exactly that you are petrified about?

What is worrying you? It's like travelling for pleasure as far as the travel, hotel etc except somebody else picks up the costs and you don't get to choose what you do each day - it's usually pretty tiring A's entertaining in the evening is the norm. If you get a big of spare time you can explore, usually at your own expense

I would love to travel more for work, which industries would you recommend?

What is it that’s petrifying you? Are you saying you’ve literally never left the country alone?

I go a couple of times a year.

I researched my travel to and from the airport and make sure I'm organised.

I think if OP is travelling as a conference organiser she's unlikely to have time for evening socialising, I would think it was full-on.

OP, hopefully there are others at your work who've done this for a while who can give you some good pointers. You'll develop a 'go bag' of stuff you just always have ready. For week-long travel you'll probably want to pack smart to avoid having to put a bag in the hold and risk it not showing up at the far end, although it depends if you're meant to be bringing conference stuff out with you - brochures and whatnot. Have a look on YouTube for packing hacks and ideas. Bring a portable battery so you can keep your devices charged even if you can't find a USB port at the airport/on board the plane. Noise cancelling headphones are my travel essential.

You say "we" throughout your thread. Does that mean that 2 or 3 of you will be travelling over each time?

Is it the evenings/solo dining that is bothering you? Can you ask to tag along with colleagues or (after researching) ask if anybody fancied trying a local restaurant? Worst case I am sure you could order room service and watch some movies (download some before you travel).

Admittedly, I've only gone to NY/NZ/Netherlands/France/Germany/Belgium for work but I am a bit puzzled what is different to putting on an event in a town 20 miles away (apart from plug sockets and driving on the right).

The first time I ever flew was for work, and they couldn't understand that the scariest part for me was what to do when I got to Heathrow, because I had no experience of it. They couldn't get their heads round someone getting to 25 and never having flown anywhere.

It will all be fine. If you're going for work, they will probably sort out the accommodation, in which case, you just need to turn up. If they do want you to book it yourself, you need to find out what budget is allowed, and where the conference will be.

A company that does this a lot will have travel policies about all of this and how to claim expenses. Ask about these - even if you're used to travelling for work, every company does it a bit differently, so you will need to know. I would expect to have hotel and transport paid for, and a daily allowance for food and possibly sundries. You will need to save receipts for claiming expenses - there may be an app for this, depending how your company does it.

If you have to pay up-front costs and claim back, and this would be a problem for you, let them know as soon as possible. They will have ways round it.

It will be fine, and then you'll be wondering why you were ever worried.

Hi Hopeful. It's within the bio pharmaceutical industry x

Yes mainly this. And the job itself. I will be managing events with 300+ people on my own plus the idea of travelling alone!

Thank you 😊

Thank you. Just what I needed!

Are they not sending you with a colleague for at least the first couple, @Peckhaminn ? Have you done events management before?

Yes the job will be incredibly full on. No luxury time, purely working for 7 days 7am-10pm. I've travelled lots for leisure but never for work so it's completely new to me.

I will be with another employee for the first conference but they will be working in a different area and then from there on I will be solely on my own. Sounds very immature to say I'm petrified but I just am especially with it being a new job... x

I know far fewer people who’ve travelled abroad alone than those who have. I also have colleagues who do travel abroad alone for business but find it a major undertaking as they would never travel alone in their personal lives. It’s not unusual to have little or no experience of travelling alone and be anxious about it. Only on MN do I see people act with incredulity when someone expresses hesitancy about travelling or dining out alone!

That said, I think if the op is going to be doing a lot of this it will soon become second nature.

Work travel is different and has lots of advantages.

Check your company has organised suitable travel insurance - don't assume.
But the nice thing is, no matter what goes wrong, they will be picking up the bill.

I worked as an international events organiser and it's always a challenge. Get to know the hotel and conference centre concierges as soon as you arrive. They can help you with everything from lost deliveries to disgruntled customers.

Always check food availability - people's requirements for different categories of food often need to be arranged in advance, so the hotel events team are essential contacts too. And try to use the same airline regularly, you will qualify for better seating and get to know the terminal crews on regular routes. Join their frequent flyer program. Program their frequent flyer helpline into your phone.

If travelling to places where language is an issue, I found having a hold-bag of useful stuff - small first aid kit, small toolkit for your tradeshow stand (stapler, scissors, multi-head screwdriver etc), local currency, hang-over cures, condoms for young sales team's use 🙄etc can be very useful.

International power adapters are essential, make sure your phone is always charged, and if you don't have a company credit card, have a separate credit card of your own that you use for all business expenses. It will make claiming at the end of the month MUCH easier. Good luck 🤗

Yes I love it. What are you worried about ?. But you need to be aware of the Schengen rules post brexit it could impact on your holiday time as you can only be inside the Schengen zone for 90 days in any 180. So you should download a Schengen calculator

I lived in France and worked in Switzerland. The furthest I traveled alone for work was to Mumbai. It was fine! DH worked in pharmaceutical industry and went all over. I think St Petersburg was the most complicated. It's surprisingly difficult to get on the wrong flight and in airports there are lots of people around to ask if you need help. Try not to stress.

Also check your passport renewal date, some countries require at least six months validity on the day you fly home. Plan your passport renewal so that they overlap.

I commute every week for work by plane. Very rarely have any issues... Always spoil myself to a spray of perfume in the duty free and buy myself a coffee, magazine at the airport. Enjoy!

Well, that must just be one of those nice things about Mn, where you encounter great swathes of people who consider normal something that strikes you as anomalous, even downright bizarre — for me, it’s people who regard going to the cinema alone as requiring bravery because it’s a sign of social leperism or something, or who rip off their bras as soon as the front door shuts behind them, and put on pyjamas by 6 in the evening.

That’s why I asked the OP what precisely was terrifying her. I could understand it if she’s never event-managed overseas, which would daunt anyone at first, but even if she’s only ever gone on group holidays, surely she knows how airports work?

With it being a new job, you ‘d think that someone would be there to support you on your first conference so that you are experienced with it all.
Does seem very full on with those hours - what happened to the working time agreement? 11 hours between shifts out the window.