The acquisition of a Hong Kong-based event management and production company will see the Flight Centre Travel Group expand its Cievents network.
Under a new deal, Maya Events has been added to FLT’s Greater China operation to boost its presence in the “rapidly expanding” business events sector.
Maya Events was established in 2005 by local businesswoman Mireya Garcia and further expanded in 2011 when Yamilette Cano joined the team. Both Garcia and Cano will transfer to FLT’s Hong Kong business along with seven employees.
Cievents global general manager Natalie Simmons was confident the acquisition would strengthen the company’s position in what she described as an “important market”, but that it would also provide it with a platform for further growth in Asia.
“As a full service agency for the corporate market providing specialised services in logistics and creative services the Maya acquisition is an important step in our growth strategy ensuring we are delivering on our client value proposition in all markets in which we operate,” she said.
“The Maya acquisition compliments all of our current offerings enabling us to instantly provide added value to our already existing strong and growing customer base.”
Cievents, founded in Australia more than 30 years ago, now has offices in Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Hong Kong.
Further expansion is planned this year, with a Singapore office set to open in April 2016.
FLT Hong Kong managing director David Fraser said the acquisition would “add scale’ to Cievents’ existing Hong Kong operation and would complement the services the company already offers there.
“Maya Events is a highly successful business with an established client base and strong expertise in production and creative areas,” he said.
“It will be a great fit with our existing Cievents business in Hong Kong, which has historically outsourced some of these functions. Now, we will offer a full suite of services in-house to prospective clients and existing customers in the rapidly expanding MICE sector.”
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