Garber Eyes Synergi Revival

The Synergi name—abandoned last month by The Travel Company after its purchase by BCD Holdings—may have found a new home with Garber Travel, as the company last week applied to register the name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Roz Garber, president of the Chestnut Hill, Mass.-based travel management company, said, "We have communicated with all of the partners, and encouraged them to remain within the network. Almost all of them are showing an interest in staying." At least one original Synergi partner has agreed to support the new consortium: U.K.-based Ian Allan Travel.

The timing of the reconstituted network's debut could depend on how quickly the government processes Garber's application. However, former Synergi president and CEO Greg O'Neil, who now heads The Travel Company's TTC Global consortium, said though it did stop using the name, it is trying to convince Garber to proceed differently.

Garber said her team is preparing a business plan and an agreement to send to partners. Synergi previously operated with approximately 45 partners in 40 countries, and Garber expressed hope that 35 to 40 will continue to participate in the network. "Within a couple of weeks, the entire network should be put together," she said.

Garber Travel would manage the new global consortium, but Garber could not yet say whether her company would collect a management fee or coordinate sales efforts. "We spent a lot of time and money and energy so that we are now Garber Travel Synergi USA," Garber said. "We built our reputation on Synergi and telling clients that we have a global network. We've developed relationships within the network, we're doing business with them and want to continue to."