FCM M&E Makes Power Move with fresh Acquisition — And It Changes Everything for Events

FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E) has just made its first-ever acquisition, and it’s not a small one. 

The global MICE heavyweight has snapped up fresh, the award-winning creative force behind standout brand experiences for giants like Visa, Vodafone, M&S and Samsung.

This isn’t just another industry deal. It’s a statement of intent.

By bringing fresh into the fold, FCM M&E is transforming from a logistics-led events player into a fully integrated experience powerhouse, one that can design, produce, and deliver world-class events from concept to curtain call.

Scale, speed, and serious creative firepower

The immediate impact is huge. The combined UK team will quadruple in size to nearly 100 specialists, with new hubs in Manchester and Edinburgh joining its London base. That’s not just growth, it’s strategic expansion into key creative and commercial centres.

But the real story is capability.

FCM M&E can now offer clients a single, seamless service that covers everything: global travel logistics, event delivery, creative concepting, content production, and even high-end film production, all under one roof. No more juggling agencies. No more fragmented execution.

Why this matters right now

The timing couldn’t be sharper. With 98% of event organisers now prioritising attendee experience, the pressure is on to deliver events that are not just well-run, but unforgettable.

FCM M&E’s EMEA lead, Frits de Kok, says the business has already seen a 50% surge in demand year-on-year, and this move is designed to capitalise on that momentum.

The acquisition of fresh plugs a long-standing gap in the MICE sector: the disconnect between planning and creativity. Now, strategy, storytelling, and execution sit side by side.

From logistics to “standing ovation” moments

This is about more than efficiency, it’s about impact.

With fresh’s creative DNA now embedded into the business, FCM M&E is positioning itself as an end-to-end partner that doesn’t just manage events, but creates experiences people remember.

As fresh CEO Lee Harris puts it, the goal is simple: remove friction, amplify creativity, and deliver measurable ROI — all backed by global infrastructure and smart tech.

The bottom line

FCM M&E hasn’t just expanded. It’s reinvented its proposition.

In a sector where expectations are rising fast, this move signals a clear shift: the future of events belongs to those who can think, create, and execute, all in one place.

And right now, FCM M&E looks ready to own that space.

https://www.fcmtravel.com/en-gb

LEA boosts fleet

With the addition of a new Legacy 650 this summer, London Executive Aviation (LEA), one of Europe’s largest business jet charter operators, is now flying the world’s largest non-fractional Embraer Legacy fleet.

LEA operates two Legacy 650s and six Legacy 600s in a total charter fleet of 24 aircraft, ranging from the entry-level Cessna Citation Mustang to the transatlantic Dassault Falcon 900EX. Both the Legacy 650 and 600 can seat 13 passengers, with the 650 being the extended range derivative.

LEA managing director George Galanopoulos says: “Like the Falcon 900EX, the Legacy 650 brings us truly transatlantic capability.” The Legacy 650 has a maximum range of 3,800 miles with four passengers. “We can offer nonstop routes like London-New York, London-Lagos, Dubai-London and Astana-London, to name just a few. And we’ve already taken one of our 650s to the Seychelles with just one stop and carried out a London-Los Angeles trip with only a quick fuelling stop in Canada. We can provide all these services for around 30% less than the equivalent flights in a Gulfstream or a Bombardier Global, yet the cabins are almost identical.

“Embraer Legacy aircraft combine the cabin luxury that customers appreciate with operating economics and field service that make operators smile.

“Tour managers are among our many customers who particularly love Legacys. As musicians now rely heavily on performing live for their profits, tour managers are very sensitive to the cost/benefit analysis of aircraft choice. The Legacys are widely seen in this market to offer exceptional value for their size.”

Galanopoulos says, overall, large cabin aircraft continue to be in greater demand from charter customers than light jets. “One of the recessionary trends that initially took us by surprise was how our large jets kept flying, while our mid-size and light jets were, comparatively, less in demand. The fact usage patterns have yet to change significantly shows high-net-worth individuals and governmental customers remain critical to the charter market in 2011, while other customers have yet to return in large numbers.”

Business Flights Specialist Receives Four New Awards

Business flights specialist CT Business Travel has earned four new awards in recognition of how well the business and its staff are performing.

Corporate travel specialist CT Business Travel recently attended an awards event held by UNIGLOBE Travel where the business collected the awards for outstanding achievements.

UNIGLOBE Travel is the world’s largest single-brand travel management company. Being a member of the organisation provides businesses like CT Business Travel access to the best airfares, hotel and car hire rates globally.

With CT Business Travel’s UNIGLOBE membership status, it means the business can pro-actively compete against other major players in the travel management sector by providing clients with the best prices available for all the relevant products. In addition to this, CT Business Travel clients can expect to receive exceptional service from qualified and knowledgeable staff.

The accolades were awarded by UNIGLOBE Travel to members who excelled in both the standard of service they provide to their clients and contributions made to UNIGLOBE as a whole.

In total, thirty-one UNIGLOBE members in the UK including CT Business Travel were competing for the various coveted awards, CT Business Travel was awarded two company awards and two individual staff awards.

The company awards CT Business Travel received were ‘Best overall sales performer in the UK for Exclusively Hotels’ and a ‘Star Agency’ award in recognition for best use of systems and its overall high level of customer service.

The individual awards were presented to CT Business Travel’s Matt Hall for 'Operations consultant of the year', an award which singled him out as the best out of a possible 300 consultants from 31 agencies.

The second award was the ‘President’s special recognition award’ presented to Managing Director Mark Kempster, who commented, “It is incredibly gratifying for the business to be presented with these awards. I’m delighted for the whole team as it really demonstrates the hard efforts everyone has given to help make our business not only a success, but an enjoyable, fun place to work, which is really satisfying for me”.

Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, CT Business Travel has been trading for 21 years and is one of the largest independent business travel agents in the UK working with an impressive range of national and international clients. To find out more about CT Business Travel visit www.ctbusinesstravel.co.uk

Ocean Sky appoints Samantha Clouder to accelerate charter business growth

Rapidly growing private jet company Ocean Sky has appointed Samantha Clouder as its sales and business development director for Ocean Sky Aircraft Charter.

Clouder joins Ocean Sky after nine years with NetJets, where she was vice president of UK Sales. Prior to joining NetJets, Clouder worked in financial public relations as a member of the flotations, mergers and acquisitions team at top City consultancy Citigate Dewe Rogerson.

“Ocean Sky is a fresh and exciting business with the potential to become the coolest air charter brand in Europe,” says Clouder. “My challenge is to intensify the business development process of an already successful operation, fine-tuning our activities and readying ourselves for the coming market upturn.”

“In only a few years of operation, Ocean Sky has earned the respect of customers and competitors, making this a very exciting time to join the business. With the investments Ocean Sky has been making, we have the fundamentals in place to attract many more charter customers and develop lasting relationships with them.”

Ocean Sky’s group chief executive Stephen Grimes points out: “We are delighted to welcome Samantha as head of our charter team. She joins with a superb track record of achieving growth, even in the face of recession, and her leadership will enable us to expand our markets and further strengthen the Ocean Sky brand.

“As a group, Ocean Sky is investing significantly in developing world-class services for every business aviation need. Aircraft charter is a key part of this strategy and, with our growing senior team, we are well-positioned to capitalise on growth opportunities in Europe and beyond.”

Eurostar to boost service levels

Eurostar will be changing its branding and introducing new service enhancements for its travellers, with Eurostar wishing to reflect its plans and ambitions for the business in the future.

Over the last few years Eurostar has seen a big increase in the number of passengers choosing to connect through Lille, Brussels and Paris Gare du Nord to other destinations. This has been driven by shorter journey times and the growing desire among customers to travel in an environmentally responsible, sustainable way.

Whereas in the past Eurostar was an unincorporated partnership of three railways its business was transformed last year into one single corporate entity. Eurostar is no longer just operating in three markets - UK, France and Belgium - and its ambition is to broaden its reach and encourage customers to ditch the plane and travel further into Europe by high speed rail. Eurostar is looking to expand its horizons to the South of France, Germany and the Netherlands. To mark the start of this new chapter and signal the change within the business Eurostar has developed a new identity.

The new logo was given a lot of thought, as Eurostar are aware how much travellers like its logo. This change was researched extensively to ensure that it captures the key characteristics of Eurostar and creates an identity that signals the next phase of the business.

The new branding will be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks and months. The first changes will take place on the Eurostar website and on travel tickets, with it then moving on to logos within stations and on trains.

Over the coming months Business Premier customers will see a number of enhancements to the Eurostar service based on business customers' feedback. These include guaranteed boarding, menus from Alain Roux and an onboard taxi booking service.

Eurostar leisure customers will also see a number of improvements. Eurostar staff have expert knowledge about the destinations and want to use that expertise to enhance the overall experience for the customers. To ensure that leisure customers get the most out of their trip, Eurostar is forging partnerships across cities which ensure that its travellers get the most out of their leisure time at no extra cost – be it art, music, sport, gastronomy or shopping.

The Eurostar Plus initiative, for example, gives customers 'two for the price of one' entry to the leading galleries and museums in London, Paris and Brussels and has recently struck a deal with Jamie Oliver whereby customers travelling from the continent can get a 15% discount at his '15' restaurant in London.

Eurostar will also be upgrading its fleet and purchasing 10 new trainsets which complement its existing fleet.