Synergi Synergizes W/ Euro GTM Partners

<B>Synergi Synergizes W/ Euro GTM Partners</B>

By Megan Hjermstad

Synergi Inc. last month announced it is joining forces with the majority of the existing GTM members in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company, which will be renamed Synergi Global Travel Management, estimated that the integration of new members will grow its annual network air sales to up to $12 billion from $8 billion last year.

The realignment by GTM members follows the announcement by Maritz Travel Co. that it will withdraw from the GTM organization (BTN, Oct. 2).

Bruce Black, chairman of Synergi and president and CEO of majority owner McCord Travel Management, said Synergi has hard commitments from nine of 12 European GTM members and a South African member, and expects to get commitments from 90 percent of all GTM members. "The dust hasn't settled," said Black. "We have network agreements that have to be executed. In some countries in which we already have excellent representation, we are not certain that each of those countries will join, but we are filling in some companies in which we don't have representation at all."

Synergi has solidified agreements with GTM members in Austria, Denmark, Greece, Poland, South Africa and Sweden, where it previously had no representation. Synergi is in final discussions with the Spanish GTM member, which would build on its existing presence in Spain. Black is not clear on the status of the GTM partner in France, Protravel, but would be very excited if it joined the Synergi network. He also expressed interest in bringing into the fold GTM members in Egypt, Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Black said GTM members will have to meet Synergi network requirements, but stressed that "Mandating requirements doesn't yield execution. We want to deliver expectations in a way that engages members in supporting them. We are mutually designing a pricing system, managing interaction with customers and creating a common vision and sense of what we're doing together."

Synergi asks its members to send key people to a global training program at one of its travel academies--located in the Americas, Europe and Asia--to ensure that all members are meeting organizational standards and understand how to share global accounts to effectively meet customers' expectations. Part of the framework for the organization going forward will be to create a member advisory board to provide more consistent feedback to its corporate staff.

Synergi also is taking a consistent approach toward technology by implementing products across the organization. Synergi is deploying the TRX ResAssist online booking tool, which McCord earlier this month announced it will extend to its clients as one of the main components of its Select Solutions suite of travel technology offerings. McCord also announced it will use the TRX EnCoRRe service bureau for mid-office quality control and file finishing tasks.

Synergi also has contracted with Hi-Mark to offer consolidated global reporting capabilities using four hub locations to collect data from 35 spoke sites.

"Global reporting is important in understanding the global procurement dynamic based on local information," said Black. "It is at the heart of what global or multinational programs are all about. Service is uniquely local, but how information is managed needs to be uniquely global. We believe the network launch of the Hi-Mark hub and spoke system is one of the most exciting points GTM members are attracted to.