CHICAGO, July 11, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- BCD Travel, the world's third largest travel management company, today announced the creation of a global organization and brand focused on supporting meetings, incentives and events.
BCD Meetings & Incentives combines the experience and expertise of three legacy companies to achieve an unparalleled depth of service and talent across the meetings and incentives industry. This new company has been formed by a combination of the following:
-- WorldTravel Meetings & Incentives -- America's focus
on strategic meetings management, incentive travel,
product launches and creative communications
-- TQ3 Events (a subdivision of TQ3 Travel Solutions Management
Holding GmbH) -- European focus on meetings, incentive
travel, sports programs and customized cultural group
travel
-- Talking Point -- United Kingdom and European focus on
full-scale creative event management, production and live
show management and incentive travel fulfillment
BCD Meetings & Incentives will be led by Scott Graf, who served as President of WorldTravel Meetings & Incentives before it joined WorldTravel BTI and several other travel-related companies under the BCD Holdings N.V. umbrella.
"Since the launch of BCD Travel, existing and prospective customers have become very interested in learning how we can support their meetings, incentives and events on a multi-national and global scale," said Graf, Global President of BCD Meetings & Incentives. "As we combine the skills of three very successful companies, our depth of service and talent will make us well positioned to meet the demands of a growing global business environment. We will be an organization that acts globally, aligns regionally and -- most importantly -- services locally."
Immediate initiatives in this endeavor include:
-- Exploration and adoption of an integrated global technology
platform -- enabling BCD M&I to lead meetings and incentive
customers further forward in an ever expanding integrated
global marketplace
-- Integration of Talking Point's production and event services
into American and European markets, ensuring the company's
traditional MICE customers have ready access to this
specialized service
-- A global account review to identify ways to drive
efficiencies for global customers currently working with
one or more of the legacy agencies
Graf believes that being a stand-alone operating business within a large company offers BCD Meetings & Incentives customers the best of both worlds. "As a distinct operating unit of BCD Travel, we enjoy the strength and leverage of a $12 billion company. But as a separate business, we can maintain the intimate, customer-focused culture that made each of our legacy organizations a success."
BCD Meetings & Incentives has about 500 employees in the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (ASPAC). It has a presence in 21 countries -- wholly owned in 13 countries, with strong partnerships in eight countries. Its world headquarters is in Chicago, with regional hubs in San Francisco, Mexico City, London, Brussels and Singapore.
About BCD Travel
As a leading provider of global corporate travel management, BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the business of travel. This benefits the organization on every level: from the bottom-line to the business traveler. BCD Travel operates in 96 countries on five continents, with US$12 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide work force in excess of 12,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company.
About BCD Holdings N.V.
BCD Holdings N.V. is a Dutch, family-owned company, founded by John A. Fentener van Vlissingen in 1975, which focuses on the travel industry and financial services. The operating companies of BCD Holdings N.V. post total sales of US$13 billion and 14,000 employees.