Agnès Canonica, CMP, CMM, HMCC, global director of strategic meetings management for AHM, a leading global provider of technology and service solutions for the Life Sciences industry, spoke at Prevue’s New York Visionary Summit at Langham Place last week about international travel requirements when meeting abroad.
As meeting planners take attendees to more exotic destinations, it’s important to know the specifics of what’s required to travel abroad before signing a contract. Canonica even cited a Forbes article that discussed how Americans might soon need visas to travel to Europe. Before jumping to conclusions—the controversial decision deadline is July 12—here are six important travel reminders that Canonica suggested meeting planners consider before taking groups abroad.
- Each attendee must have a minimum of two blank pages in his or her passport before traveling.
- A passport must be valid sixth months past the return date of the attendee.
- Make sure that all attendees have the necessary documentation required for visa applications.
- Set up an international credit card with no international fees, as fees can add up quickly when traveling.
- Some countries require credit cards with chips (for instance, taxis in Amsterdam), another thing to consider before planning on making purchases abroad.
- Because of the different fees and requirements for credit cards abroad, it’s always smart to bring currency local to the destination your visiting, in the event that your credit card doesn’t work.