History
BSI – Booking Services International – was set-up and commenced trading on July 16th 1984.
Some of the key milestones in the development of the group as Europe’s leading accommodation, meetings & event management specialist are given below:
1987
BSI develops MARRS™ reservation system providing access to over 60,000 accommodation providers.
1988
The company relocated its operation from London to Taunton in Somerset, UK.
1994
BSI delivers the first outsourcing solution of hotel bookings for a travel management company. Today, BSI has technology integrations in place with leading travel management companies, to deliver seamless hotel and air booking solutions for clients seeking to optimize both savings in compliance in their total travel programme.
1995
Charles Cockell and Simon Milsted undertake a management buy-out.
1995
BSI expands into mainland Europe opening a European Centre of Excellence in Paris, France.
1997
BSI becomes a founder member of the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA). Over the years a number of senior BSI personnel have assumed the role of HBAA Chairman including the current Group Managing Director, Charles Cockell.
2003
BSI launches consultancy and programme management division, to fulfill the accommodation and meetings procurement requirements of major global corporate organisations.
2003
BSI launches the 2nd generation MARRS2™ reservation system providing access to over 80,000 hotels & guesthouses, and 30,000 serviced apartments worldwide.
2004
BSIDirect™ - BSI’s online ‘self-booking tool’ technology – is launched providing clients with real-time online booking capability.
2005
BSI launches MERCURY™ system for conference/meeting space bookings and opens a specialist MICE (meetings, incentives, conference & events) Centre of Excellence in Cheadle, South Manchester, UK.
2005
BSI becomes the first agency to implement ‘direct connectivity’ with Premier Travel Inn enabling BSI agents and online users to book directly and immediately from the hotel group’s own central reservation system.
2006
BSI acquires Nottingham-based hotel booking agency, International Reservations – the 6th largest specialist HBA in the UK.
2006
BSI is ranked #10 in Business Travel World’s Leading 50 TMCs – the only specialist hotel booking agency in the Top 10.
2007
BSI acquires London-based Olive360°, one of the UK’s leading full service event management companies.
2007
BSI launches its 2nd generation self-booking tool (SBT), BSIDirect™ v2, with increased functionality including real-time, online management information reporting functionality.
2007
BSI launches a dedicated business unit providing serviced apartment booking services for customers requiring alternative options for longer stays.
2008
BSI completes the integration of Olive360° into the BSI business and rolls out full event services to complement venue-find to existing customers.
2009
BSI delivers the first truly online venue booking tool enabling meeting planners to search and book internal and external meeting space.
2009
BSI launches an online traveller & delegate tracking tool to help customers quickly locate their people in emergency scenarios and meet their duty of care obligations.
2009
BSI becomes the first agency to integrate with Zanzibar, the e-Procurement system delivered by ProcServe on behalf of HM Treasury, to deliver significant back-end, payment process efficiencies to public sector organisations.
2009
BSI rationalises all historic group brands under a single unified brand identity.