Tandem's Takeaways from the M2 AI Summit and How We're Using Them
Part of what it means to be a corporate travel management company committed to leading the industry is staying ahead of change, not waiting for it to happen. That means actively seeking out the conversations, events, and expertise that help us serve our customers better, today and into the future.
One recent example was the M2 AI Summit in Christchurch, where our Business Development Manager, Sarah Jackson, and Account Manager, Vicki Hubble, joined around 300 business leaders to explore the future of artificial intelligence in business.
Hearing from nine expert speakers, they spent the day exploring how AI is reshaping organisations and what that means for industries like corporate travel.
They also invited several of our customers to join them, hosting representatives from Hato Hone St John, NZ Cricket, Farmlands and Wynn Williams. Learning alongside our customers, rather than simply reporting back afterwards, is part of how we build partnerships that go beyond booking flights.
Here is what we heard, and what it means for how we work:
The businesses pulling ahead are investing in their people, not just their tools
The strongest message across the day was one that resonated deeply with how we operate at Tandem: do not outsource your core craft to AI.
The craft, the expertise, judgement, and relationship management that underpins everything we do, is what sets a great travel management company apart from a booking platform. Our consultants understand your travellers, your policy, your risk tolerance, and your organisation's particular way of operating. That institutional knowledge, built over time, is something no AI tool can replicate.
As Vicki noted from the day:
"The key theme was the importance of people behind AI tools. Humans have memories and experience gained over time, but AI doesn't have this expertise. Humans are needed to keep AI current and accountable. Staff are the superpower. AI is an amplifier, not a cost cutter."
Only 14% of companies are currently future-proofing their people alongside AI implementation. At Tandem, we are committed to being in that 14%, investing in our team's capability so that as AI tools evolve, our people are equipped to use them in ways that genuinely improve the service we deliver to customers.
We are preparing for the next phase of AI, so our customers are ahead of it
One of the more significant themes of the day was the speed at which the AI landscape is shifting. We are already moving beyond generative AI, tools that produce content, into what speakers described as agentic AI: systems that take action on your behalf, completing multi-step tasks with minimal human input.
For corporate travel, this evolution is directly relevant. Faster processes, more responsive itinerary management, and more proactive traveller support are all on the horizon. The travel management companies investing in this capability now will be the ones delivering on those expectations when it matters.
Sarah's summary captures what this means for Tandem's direction:
"AI is not just a productivity tool. It is becoming a practical commercial capability that can help teams think more clearly, serve customers faster, and free up time for higher-value relationship work."
That last point is important. Our goal is not to use AI to reduce the human touchpoints in our service, it is to use AI to remove the friction that gets in the way of them. More time for our consultants to focus on your travellers, your programme, and your outcomes.
Better tools only work with better thinking behind them
One of the most practical insights from the Summit reframed what it means to use AI effectively. The quality of output from any AI tool depends entirely on the clarity of thinking that goes into it. A well-constructed brief requires clear context, a specific objective, the right audience, the right format, and an invitation to ask questions when information is missing.
This is the same discipline that makes any professional service excellent, and it applies directly to how we use AI internally at Tandem. Whether it's improving how we analyse travel spend, generate reporting, or prepare account reviews, the value we create for customers depends on the quality of thinking we bring to every process, not just the tools we use to execute it. As Sarah observed:
"The future is about rethinking, not just automating."
Embracing AI responsibly
As AI becomes more embedded in the way businesses operate, we know innovation must go hand in hand with trust. That's why we're committed to using AI responsibly, with strong governance, human oversight and a clear focus on protecting data and delivering better outcomes for our customers.
As part of the Air New Zealand Group, we benefit from a considered approach to adopting emerging technologies. Air New Zealand's strategic partnership with OpenAI reflects a commitment to exploring AI in ways that are secure, practical and customer-focused.
For us, AI isn't about replacing the expertise of our consultants. It's about giving them better tools to work smarter, so they can spend less time on manual tasks and more time delivering the personalised advice, problem-solving and service our customers value most.
What this means for our customers
Attending events like the M2 AI Summit is one of the ways we ensure Tandem remains at the forefront of corporate travel management in New Zealand. We do not wait to see where the industry lands, we invest in understanding what is coming and build the capability to meet it.
For our existing customers, this means your travel programme is being managed by a team that is actively evolving, bringing new thinking, better processes, and stronger tools to the partnership every year.
For organisations considering a travel management partner, choosing Tandem means partnering with a company that takes its responsibility to stay ahead seriously.
The specific commitments we are taking forward from the Summit:
- Continuing to invest in our people as the foundation of everything we deliver, AI capability sits alongside human judgement, not in place of it
- Identifying workflow improvements that reduce friction and free our consultants to spend more time on the relationships and decisions that matter
- Staying at the forefront of how AI is reshaping travel management, so our customers benefit from innovation without having to navigate it themselves
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