SOME34 Advantage Travel Centre members with a combined turnover of £200m will attend a meeting next Wednesday aimed at setting up a business-travel agents’ buying group within the consortium.
Business travel development manager Norman Gage said he expects most of the 34 members to sign up for the proposed group, called Focus 2000, which will negotiate deals with suppliers on behalf of its members.
“We are very encouraged by the response, especially as about half of those who have said they will attend are agents we do not usually see at business-travel meetings,” said Gage.
Agents who want to join Focus 2000 will have to fulfil certain criteria, including providing regular sales information that can then be presented to airlines to strengthen the group’s negotiating position on existing deals and also help the group to establish links with newsuppliers.
“We only need six companies to form a strong buying group, so I am sure it will go ahead,” said Gage.
“Iam also sure it will be a more cohesive group than that presented bymultiples.”
Meanwhile, three business-travel agents have also applied to join Advantage since news about Focus 2000 was exclusively revealed in Travel Weekly (August 9).