The ultimate tips for business travelers

From fail-safe packing tips to boosting productivity in flight, Hannah Hudson asks a panel of business gurus, thought leaders and entrepreneurs to share their tips for business trip bliss

- Ben Hammersley, applied futurist, broadcaster and writer

Before I travel… I live by, swear by, adore, and would be bereft without Tripit . Forward confirmation emails for your hotel, flights, car rental and restaurant bookings to the app, and it automatically creates a master itinerary. I’ve done nearly 400 trips with it.

Fail-safe packing tip? Keep your phone, charger and wallet in your pocket – not in your bag. No matter what happens during your journey, having these three items handy means any problem can be solved.

To stay healthy I… keep hydrated. I explore the area near the hotel and buy big bottles of water from a local shop. If you can also find entertaining local snacks, that’s really good for morale.

Must-pack item? A cigarette lighter USB charger. I take a lot of cabs and follow the ABC rule: Always Be Charging.

Remember this… a way-finding trick for strange cities: satellite dishes point to the equator. So now you can always find which way is north.

- Jason Miller, global content marketing leader at LinkedIn

Fail-safe packing tip? Invest in packing cubes . They’ll change your life.

How to beat jet lag… stay up as late as you possibly can. I go to a rock ’n’ roll show where the energy is high, and there is no way I can fall asleep early.

Hotel room hack? Music and lots of natural light. I carry a Bluetooth speaker – also great for conference calls ­– and request a room with natural light.

To stay healthy I… take advantage of the Starwood hotel group’s Gear Lending service . For $5, the hotel will deliver freshly laundered New Balance clothing and trainers ( pictured ) to your room, so you can work out without having to pack your gym kit.

Must-pack item?​Beats Studio Wireless headphones – being able to block out the world completely at any given time is a necessity on the road.

Remember this… Tunity lets you hear any muted TV in a restaurant, bar or at the airport – which comes in very handy when travelling alone.

- Professor Vikas Shah, serial entrepreneur, investor, thinker and educator

Before I travel… I make sure I’m signed up to Global Entry for trips to the USA. The programme allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival. For trips to other parts of the world, I sign up for airport fast-track . For a small fee, it can help speed up your airport experience.

For in-flight productivity… I swear by a good set of headphones, plus a laptop with as long a battery life as possible.

Must-pack item? My extension cable. We live in a multi-gadget world, but many hotel rooms are very underserved in terms of power sockets. You’ll also need fewer adapters.

Remember this… try to learn the fastest routes through airport duty-free to avoid getting sprayed with various fragrances.

Andy Peck, entrepreneur and founder of TrustedHouseSitters

Before I travel… I use the ‘Near Me Now’ feature ( pictured ) on TripAdvisor to choose where to stay and eat. Just because you have business meetings doesn’t mean you can’t have a cultural experience. This is the best way to find a nice tucked-away Vietnamese restaurant.

Hotel room hack? Don’t limit yourself to hotels all the time. I always look for a ‘house sit’ opportunity before I try to find a hotel – it’s a more authentic way to stay within a local community.

Remember this… a business trip is a great opportunity to see more of the world. If you know you have a three-day conference and you’re working 12-hour days, try to take an extra day there as a holiday to enjoy the area when you finish.

- Campbell Macpherson, business improvement expert and author of The Change Catalyst: Secrets to Successful and Sustainable Business Change

Before I travel… I compile an old-fashioned, detailed itinerary pack. This includes my complete schedule, including meeting times, bios of the people I’m meeting, hotel-booking details and all the phone numbers I might need for last-minute alterations. It may all be online, but I also like to have everything in one soft-cover-bound file.

Fail-safe packing tip? I take a wire hanger so I can hang my non-iron shirt in the bathroom – it irons itself while I’m in the shower.

For in-flight productivity… I don’t allow myself a drink until I’ve done my work. I used to have a glass of Champagne before and after take-off, but by the time I was tempted by the wine list, the odds of doing any quality work had evaporated.

Hotel room hack? I spend a silly amount of time covering up all the strange little LED lights that bombard you when the lights are off. I wake in the morning to find the room looks like it has been ransacked, with cushions stacked precariously against the TV, towels draped across power points and laundry bags jammed against alarm clocks.