Big Red Group has announced the acquisition of Experience Oz and leading hotel concierge booking platform Local Agent, in a move designed to bring Australian owned and operated businesses together to strengthen the domestic experience marketplace.
Owners of Red Balloon, Big Red Group have announced the acquisition of Experience Oz and Experience Oz Local Agent from holding company TicketMates Australia.
In line with Big Red Group’s ethos to support local, the new additions are Australian-owned and operated entities, making them a logical fit to join the powerhouse of experience brands which include Adrenaline, Lime&Tonic, and RedBalloon.
All brands under TicketMates Australia will move into Big Red Group’s portfolio of brands, with the exception of auto-club business Club Connect – a dedicated member benefits platform serving Australia’s large-scale auto-clubs such as RACQ, RACV and NRMA.
Queensland-based Experience Oz is an industry leader in serving domestic holidaymakers, while its B2B platform Local Agent, is Australia’s leading one-stop shop for concierge activity bookings.
Local Agent currently serves 700+ hotels including Mantra and Oaks Hotels, providing access to 3000+ experiences Australia-wide.
TicketMates Australia Managing Director, Ben Manns will become a shareholder in Big Red Group and join the senior leadership team effective immediately, with the remit to refine and grow relationships with industry alliances and supply partners.
Clint Gudenswager, General Manager of TicketMates Australia, will continue his stewardship of Local Agent, with the number of experiences available, and hotels across Australia and New Zealand set to vastly expand under the Big Red Group umbrella.
“We’re delighted to welcome Experience Oz and Local Agent into our portfolio of experience brands,” said David Anderson, CEO of Big Red Group.
“This is a natural evolution that has been in the workings for over a year. And while Club Connect will continue to procure its existing products directly, we have negotiated a long-term wholesale agreement enabling Big Red Group experience suppliers to be progressively introduced to the portal, giving them exclusive access to auto club’s 11 million members.”
Anderson sees it as a win-win for all parties, with Club Connect able to offer the auto-clubs more expansive choice, and Big Red Group experience suppliers gaining a new channel to market.
This is in addition to the recent Google Big Red Group integration, for Google’s ‘Things to Do’, of which suppliers listed across Adrenaline, Experience Oz and RedBalloon may feature if they fit users’ geographic search criteria.
Excited at the tremendous mutual benefits ahead through driving efficiencies and expanding product offerings, Anderson says it’s the right time to reset Big Red Group’s supplier value proposition.
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