“We had to kiss a few frogs,” says Michael Gietzen, CEO of The Human Network, referring to its entry into the corporate travel sector earlier this year.

The independently-owned collective of global events and creative agencies, responsible for organising high profile events such as the King’s Coronation and London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, had set its sights on entering the travel management space as far back as 2020. But the pandemic scuppered any immediate plans, and then it took a while to find the right business.

“We wanted to find a TMC with strong sustainable growth potential – someone we could grow with – and also who would align with our sustainable and social values,” Gietzen explains.

“A lot the TMCs we spoke with had owner managers who would be leaving the business as part of the acquisition. We didn’t want that. We wanted the continuity of the Founder or Managing Director staying on.

“We also wanted a TMC with a good mix of clients across different sectors and which didn’t come with a complicated tech stack. We were looking for someone with a good heritage in its region, an innovative and creative team, and a business that was ready to scale. Oh, and having a licence in Europe was also a real plus.”

“I had this lightbulb moment that the events and the travel don’t have to be managed separately”

Ticking all the above boxes, Belfast-based TMC Beyond Business Travel was acquired in November 2024, giving The Human Network the opportunity to not only manage its clients’ events at scale but to handle the whole door-to-door experience.

As corporate travel and meetings programmes increasingly merge, the last few years have seen a growing number of traditional TMCs moving into the meetings and events side, bolting on dedicated divisions, but The Human Network came at it from the other direction.

“We did the reverse model,” says Gietzen. “We saw the frustrations of clients who were having to deal with multiple partners to manage the different elements of their events at scale. I had this lightbulb moment that the events and the travel don’t have to be managed separately.”

The integration of Beyond Business Travel is well underway. Its owner, Adele Doherty, has stayed on in a consultancy role, Shauna Burns remains MD and Steve Banks, formerly with Agiito/Clarity and then Focus Travel Partnership, was recruited in January as CEO.

“We’ve set our five-year plan and this starts with getting more really good talent to support the management team,” explains Gietzen.

The Group is about to appoint a Chief Technology Officer and Beyond is looking to expand its business development team.

“One thing I’ve seen since we’ve been looking at the travel management sector in the UK and Ireland is that it is full of incredible homegrown talent. You haven’t got far to go to find TMC expertise and that is a great starting point,” adds Gietzen.

“Many TMCs say they do events but in fact these are meetings and conferences. They aren’t on the scale of the events we manage”

In the first three months since its TMC acquisition, The Human Network managed 15 different events in 10 countries. “This has been the perfect test bed for us,” says Gietzen. “Some events were contracted to other TMCs before, so we haven’t been able to manage them but we have been able to go in and see the briefs and show clients our solutions and what we could have offered.”

Beyond has also been managing the internal business travel for The Human Network – a sizeable chunk of business. 

Being part of a collective of events and creative agencies responsible for managing major events has put Beyond firmly on the radar of suppliers. 

“They can see we’re on a swift growth trajectory so we’re getting lots of attention. They are curious to know our story and to see the journey we’re going on.”

Gietzen accepts that The Human Network was not a well-known name in corporate travel before it acquired Beyond.

“That shows the disconnect between the TMC world and major event delivery,” he says. “Many TMCs say they do events but in fact these are meetings and conferences. They aren’t on the scale of the events we manage. There is no comparison.”

“We want people to have remarkable and memorable experiences”

He believes there is a clear gap in the market for its new TMC proposition.

“People are truly crying out for someone to bridge the gap between experiential events and business travel. They are looking for a single solution to their requirements, managing the creative side, the event and the travel, but to the same standard, because with these kinds of events, the stakes are incredibly high.

“We will bring sustainability with authenticity, and the agility to manage high profile projects of significant scale.”

Longer term plans include establishing an operation in mainland UK, both in London and in the Midlands/north of England. It will also look to expand its presence in northern and southern Ireland. Growing the footprint of The Human Network in the Middle East and the US is also on the agenda. 

Gietzen has identified opportunities with emerging technology. While other TMCs are tied to legacy tech or complicated tech stacks, he says this “new kid on the block” can develop technology that’s fit for purpose and is already being seen as a test bed for new solutions. It has been asked to join the Amadeus customer advisory board, for example. “There are lots of tech solutions in the market and there is a big opportunity here to seek out betterment within the sector,” he adds.

“The sector is also still very transactional so we will be looking to build a reputation for making business travel an experience for our customers, not just moving them around. We want people to have remarkable and memorable experiences.”

Quick fire questions

Do you have a good work-life balance?

The truth is I need more hours in a day. I definitely work long hours but I’m also very strict about my priorities. My family time and exercise time is non-negotiable. Wednesday afternoons are when my sons (aged 6 and 9) do sport and I have been known to travel across the world to get back home for those special family moments.  

I start each day at 6.30am, addressing all the emails in my inbox and looking at my diary. At 7.45am I am either in the gym or taking the dog (Bertie the springer spaniel) for a run.

It helps that I’ve built a fantastic management team and I am careful not to micromanage people. I’ve learnt over the years that accountability is key to managing people. We have meaningful management meetings but I give them space.

You’ve been involved in organising some major events. What was the most memorable and why?

Definitely the coronation of King Charles III.  It was one of the most extraordinary projects we’ve worked on and I was humbled and honoured to be part of something that will be written in the history books and which was watched by billions of people around the world. It was such a special moment for the company.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with all the royal protocols, the worldwide broadcasting, the pageantry, security, working in Westminster Abbey, all the rehearsals.

Do you travel frequently and do you enjoy it?

Having offices in four different continents means I practically live on planes, but I love it. I love experiencing the different cultures and dynamics of the different continents.

Has the way you travel changed in recent years and why?

Yes, definitely. Before I would fly in and out for meetings but now I fly in and out for purposeful trips. I’m extending my time overseas, perhaps taking family with me for ‘workations’ or I might go from meeting to meeting within a region. Technology has brought the ability to work anywhere in the world so I can now join a meeting from a hotel room in Chicago.

Do you worry about your personal carbon footprint and, if so, what are you doing about it?

In the last five years I have reduced my work travel by around 40%. It means I might spend longer away but I will make sure that time is used more purposefully. It would be hypocritical of me to run a company that champions sustainability and not personally take it on. In my personal life, we have hybrid vehicles, reusable household energy and use public transport when possible. My children are conscious of the environment and as a father and CEO I need to lead by example.

Who would you like to sit next to on a long-haul flight and what would you talk about?

Sir Richard Branson. I would love to pick his brain about how he disrupted his industries.

Are you a good packer?

I’m a late-minute packer but I make it easier by having two of everything – toothbrush, shaver – and keeping one in my travel bag.

What are your pet hates about travelling?

Inconsistent Wi-Fi on fights and inefficient security checks. I love flying out of Dubai where bag check is super efficient – the fastest in the world I think.

Aisle seat or window?

Aisle seat. Being a taller person I like having that extra leg room. Although then when we’re landing I’m that annoying person who is leaning over people to see out of the window.

Favourite Netflix series?

Drive to survive. I’m a massive Formula 1 fan.

Proudest moment?

Delivering the G7 summit in Cornwall. It was the first major live event after the Covid lockdowns and the way we dealt with all the challenges paved the way for how events were done at that time.

Who has had the biggest influence in your life/career and why?

Can I have two? The first would be Sir Martin Sorrel, the founder of WPP – the world’s largest advertising and PR group. I closely looked at what he did and used it as a blueprint for The Human Network.

The other would be Steven Bartlett for his Diary of a CEO podcast . It’s kept me company on many a dog walk and has changed my approach to management.

Who was your best boss and why?

My Mum. She still tells me what to do and I listen to her guidance.

Are you a good boss and why? 

I hope so. I like to think I’m a boss who empowers my senior leadership team. I pride myself on continuously pushing the team to have a vision and execute on that. I think this is reflected in the long-term retention. Most of my close team have been with me since the start.

What keeps you awake at night?

Working out how to scale the business without losing our soul and culture and preserving the entrepreneurial spirit – and insuring that we are authentically sustainable in everything we do.

What’s your most annoying habit?

Constantly coming up with new ideas. And always wanting to do the next thing, sometimes before marking off the last task!

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