Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has strengthened its push into the lucrative meetings and events sector (M&E), acquiring UK agency Fresh Approach to broaden its global corporate offering.
The Brisbane-based travel giant says the move will expand its presence in the fast-growing meetings and events (M&E) market while helping deepen relationships with corporate clients.
Following the deal, Fresh will integrate into FCM Meetings & Events, part of Flight Centre’s corporate travel arm.
The agency will keep its creative brand and leadership team, including CEO Lee Harris.
Fresh operates from Manchester and Edinburgh and is expected to generate about £18 million (around AU$35 million) in turnover and £1.2 million (AU$2.3 million) in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the 2026 financial year.
Fresh offers services across experiential design, production, digital platforms, content, film and logistics.
Until now, many of these services were outsourced in the UK market. But by bringing those capabilities under one roof, Flight Centre says it can deliver a more seamless end-to-end experience for corporate customers while capturing revenue previously paid to external suppliers.
The deal also opens cross-selling opportunities. Fresh can tap into Flight Centre’s 2,200 UK corporate clients, while its existing customers gain access to FCM’s global travel management network.
The UK meetings and events market is forecast to grow by about seven per cent annually.
“With Fresh’s addition, we can deliver a fully integrated M&E offering in the UK, reduce reliance on external suppliers and capture more value within the group,” FCTG Managing Director Graham Turner said.
“This acquisition helps us deepen relationships with our corporate clients by offering more of the services they need in one place – creative, production and travel management delivered seamlessly.
“Fresh unlocks meaningful growth opportunities on both sides of the relationship, from cross-selling into our UK corporate customer base to supporting Fresh’s clients with our global travel capabilities.”
Fresh CEO Lee Harris said the move “allows us to provide a premium, scalable service that delivers visibility, the wow factor and, most importantly, strong returns on investment”.
“We are delighted to join such a reputable organisation and to accelerate our global presence while retaining the local knowledge and expertise that our clients value,” he added.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Meetings and events are becoming serious business for travel companies. For travel advisors, it shows how corporate travel is expanding well beyond flights and hotels into full experience design.
