FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Andavo Travel and Christopherson Business Travel Announce Merger

Travel management firms combine operations to become
largest national BCD Travel affiliate

DENVER and SALT LAKE CITY – Jan. 28, 2008 – Andavo Travel and Christopherson Business Travel today announced a merger agreement between the two travel management firms.  The combined operations form one of the largest travel management firms in the United States and the largest national BCD Travel affiliate.

Under terms of the agreement, Andavo Travel, headquartered in Denver, and Christopherson Business Travel, headquartered in Salt Lake City, will merge operations but continue to conduct business under their individual brand names.  This merger includes Christopherson’s Denver-based company, Travel Connections, and Andavo’s Marin, California office. The combined $250 million company will maintain Andavo’s majority woman-owned business status as a nationally-certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), and employ more than 250 travel professionals across the country. Brenda Rivers and Mike Cameron will serve as co-CEOs.

By merging entities, Christopherson/Andavo Travel immediately captures a stronger market position that will enable the company to achieve greater business efficiencies, enhanced travel technology and formidable buying power.  

“Client service will continue to be our number one priority as both companies share like-minded corporate cultures, management philosophies and customer focus,” said Brenda Rivers, president and CEO, Andavo Travel.  “For our customers, this merger means access to greater resources and more value for their travel dollars. To Andavo, this agreement increases our leadership position in the marketplace and gives us additional tools to more efficiently conduct business.”

Both Andavo and Christopherson are affiliates of BCD Travel, the leading provider of global travel logistics. BCD operates in 96 countries with $12 billion in annual travel management bookings and a combined worldwide workforce in excess of 12,000.  Together, Christopherson/Andavo Travel now ranks as the largest affiliate of this prestigious 40-member national affiliate group.  

“Our businesses complement each other in many ways,” said Mike Cameron, CEO, Christopherson Business Travel. “Our proprietary technology enhances and streamlines Andavo’s existing business processes and their customer service offerings. On the flip side, Andavo’s Meetings and Incentives business unit significantly expands the capabilities we can extend to our customers. In addition, gaining Virtuoso membership status automatically enhances our ability to offer outstanding value and benefits to our client base. Our new ‘super regional’ status will open up many new markets and opportunities for our combined company.”

About Christopherson Business Travel
Christopherson Business Travel, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is the independently owned leader in business travel management in the Rocky Mountain region. With over 140 employees and 28 offices, the company supports more than $150 million in annual travel bookings and was ranked the 21st largest business travel management firm in the country in 2007. Christopherson Business Travel provides intelligent travel management to more than 600 successful companies. For more information, visit www.christophersontravel.com.

About Andavo Travel
Andavo Travel, headquartered in Denver, with offices in Larkspur, California, is a $100 million travel management firm, which includes Andavo Meetings and Incentives, a leading event management company. Andavo Travel is uniquely structured to provide integrated business, leisure/adventure, and meeting & incentive travel solutions through a powerful family of companies that operate independently yet completely collectively. Andavo Travel is the 25th largest independent travel management firm in the United States, and the largest in Colorado and in the San Francisco North Bay area. For more information, visit www.andavotravel.com.

 

 

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