Penn Travel Week
August 10 – August 13, 2026
The inaugural Penn Travel Week is a multi-day program offering both in-person and virtual events that connect Penn business travelers and support staff with travel experts and campus partners.
Hosted collaboratively by the Travel Expense Management and Global Support Services teams, Penn Travel Week highlights the University’s travel policies, resources, and best practices to help the Penn community plan and support travel with confidence and ease.
See the full schedule, find more information about each session, and register below!
At a Glance
Schedule Overview
| Monday, August 10 | Tuesday, August 11 | Wednesday, August 12 | Thursday, August 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concur Tips & Tricks 10:00am – 11:00am Virtual | Lobby & Beyond: Sheraton University City Site Visit 10:00am – 11:00am, 2:00pm – 3:00pm In Person | Global Programming: Strategies for Success 9:00am – 11:00am In Person | Protecting Your Data On-The-Go 10:00am – 10:45am Virtual |
| The Penn Travel Card: Streamlining University Business Travel 12:00pm – 1:00pm Virtual | Rental Vehicles: Safe, Simple, Supported 12:00pm – 1:00pm Virtual | Lunchtime Layover with Lyft 12:00pm – 1:00pm Virtual | Penn Meeting & Purchasing Cards: Best Practices and Benefits 12:00pm – 1:00pm Virtual |
| Leading Abroad: International Trip Leader Training 2:00pm – 3:00pm Virtual | Lobby & Beyond: Inn at Penn Site Visit 2:00pm – 3:00pm In Person | Managing Unused Airline Credits 2:00pm – 2:45pm Virtual |
Monday
August 10
Concur Tips and Tricks
Virtual Session
Join World Travel Inc’s Product Trainer, Tom DeVito, to review the travel booking process in Concur and learn a few tips and tricks!
Please Note: Registration for this session requires accessing World Travel’s host platform via PennKey.
The Penn Travel Card: Streamlining University Business Travel
Virtual Session
Learn how to maximize the benefits of the Penn Travel Card and streamline your expense reporting process. This session will cover Penn Travel Card best practices, Bank of America Works transaction management, Global Card Access features, and automatic receipt upload to Concur.
Leading Abroad: International Trip Leader Training
Virtual Session
Traveling Abroad with Penn Students? Get Trip Leader Certified. Join the Office of Risk Management for a virtual training designed for Penn faculty, staff, and student leaders who travel abroad with students or support the teams who do.
TUESDAY
August 11
Lobby & Beyond: Sheraton University City Site Visit
In-Person Session – Additional times added!
Experience the transformed Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel with an exclusive site visit showcasing their newly reimagined spaces and enhanced guest experience.
Rental Vehicles: Safe, Simple, Supported
Virtual Session
This practical session is designed to help staff navigate the University’s vehicle rental program with confidence. We will cover the rental process, approved suppliers, University compliance, insurance and safety considerations, driver responsibilities, and available support resources when plans change.
Lobby & Beyond: The Inn at Penn Site Visit
In-Person Session
Join an exclusive site visit of The Inn at Penn, a Hilton Hotel. This location offers modern amenities, such as complimentary Wi-Fi and bottled water, valet parking, a fitness center featuring Peloton bikes, and a variety of dining options, including Louie Louie and the newly opened Junction Café + Provisions.
WEdnesday
August 12
Global Programming: Strategies for Success
In-Person Session
Taking Penn programs overseas requires thoughtful planning, strong partnerships, and the right global strategy. This expert panel, featuring speakers from Penn Abroad, the Lauder Institute, and Development and Alumni Relations, will share practical guidance for developing and executing student trips, academic programs, and business events abroad.
Lunchtime Layover with Penn Preferred Travel Supplier: Lyft
Virtual Session
Travel & Expense Management’s Lunchtime Layover series returns! Penn’s Lyft Account Manager will highlight the program features and benefits, best practices, and current industry trends with time for Q&A.
Managing Unused Airline Credits
Virtual Session
Unused airline credits can represent significant value, and managing them effectively is easier than you might think. This session will cover best practices for tracking, managing, and maximizing unused airline credits to ensure your department gets the most out of every travel dollar.
Thursday
August 13
Protecting Your Data On-The-Go
Virtual Session
Keeping your data safe on-the-go means understanding the unique risks that travel poses to data security. Join this session to learn how to minimize risks and stay protected while traveling domestically or internationally.
Penn Meeting & Purchasing Cards: Best Practices and Benefits
Virtual Session
Learn how to select and use the appropriate University purchasing card for your business needs. This session will cover the differences between the Purchasing Card (PCard), Meeting Card, and Travel Card; card eligibility and spending limits; and transaction management through PaymentNet.
Additional Resources
Travel & Expense Management FAQs and How-to-Guides
Visit the BEN Helps support portal for comprehensive travel and expense resources and to submit a support ticket.SAP Concur Travel Training Series
SAP Concur Travel training is a self-paced six-course program presented by Penn’s preferred travel management company, World Travel Inc.Creating Expense Reports in SAP Concur
Designed for users who will be entering expense report information in SAP Concur on behalf of themselves or others. The on-demand guide provides a general background and walk-through of the basic tasks required for using the Expense Report function in SAP Concur.
Organizers
Penn Travel & Expense Management
Penn Travel and Expense Management is the University’s central resource for travel and expense services for faculty, staff, students, and guests. The department negotiates travel discounts, manages travel vendor relationships, and supports payment options, including the Penn Travel Card and airfare BTA card. Penn TEM also oversees Concur for travel booking, expense reporting, approvals, and reimbursements. In addition, the team develops and manages University travel and expense policies and procedures.
Global Support Services
Global Support Services (GSS) supports the administrative and business functions of the University’s international activities. GSS works closely with the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and various other departments within Penn to advise and support central organizations, schools and centers on new and ongoing international activities. From facilitating smooth global operations to ensuring compliance with international regulations, our team applies global knowledge and expertise to enable your work across borders.