13 November 2009

Online booking service sold

 

 
 
 
Online booking service LateMeetings.com has been acquired by hotel and conference booking agency Expotel for an undisclosed sum.

LateMeetings.com was established in 2005 and features 11,000 venues in the
UK and Europe.

Expotel CEO Ian Burnley said: "This expansion should be seen as integral to the development of our recently re-launched expotel.com online presence. 
 
"Whilst call centre bookings will continue to dominate, within five years perhaps 25% of all
business event transactions will be web-driven."

The £200 million-a-year hotel and travel management services group places
more than 20,000 conferences and meetings annually and expects the acquisition to
lead to significant growth.

"LateMeetings.com delivers the advantages of immediacy, connectivity, 24/7 accessibility, internationality and sustainability," said Burnley. 
 
"Increasingly these will be the values that corporate and public sector buyers, as well as venue operators, will rate most highly."

LateMeetings.com directors John Gallery and Chris Martins are being retained
as consultants by Expotel.
 
by Phil Davies


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