I developed the idea for CONVIEN when I felt I was spending more time at the airport than with my family. The main drawbacks during my business trips were unfavorable flight times and connections due to hastily selected meeting destinations. The associated long waiting and transfer times not only cost valuable working time but also affect the work-life balance and thus productivity.

Constant travel not only tugs at my nerves – Almost every second employee finds business travel stressful, as a survey of the German Travel Association e.V. businesspeople traveling more than 50 times a year also complains about a significant disruption to their work-life balance.

Appreciation towards employees, on the other hand, has a positive effect on commitment and motivation. One of the signs of appreciation, in my opinion, is to keep stress for business travelers as low as possible. I found out that longer travel times, for example, because of one or more stopovers, ultimately increase staff costs and burden staff, even if the fare is initially cheaper.

I imagined a system that allows participants to compare travel experiences for different meeting locations based on travel time, travel costs, and CO2 emissions. For the first time, this system enabled me to consider indirect travel costs, such as personnel costs due to long waiting times at the airport. In doing so, I discovered considerable savings potential – the foundation for the Meeting Place Finder was laid.

Based on the places of origin of the participants from different parts of the world, the Meeting Place Finder determines the optimal meeting destination. The CO2 emissions and the cheapest travel costs and subsistence costs are calculated for all participants if desired including the indirect travel costs in the form of personnel costs.