Our 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 forms a strategic alliance with Portman Travel – the first outsourcing of hotel bookings by a travel management company to a specialist hotel booking agency. Today, BSI has partnerships in place with a number of reputable travel management companies including Gray Dawes, Business Travel Plus and The Flight Bureau.
1995
Charles Cockell and Simon Milsted implement a management buy-out.
1995
BSI expands into mainland Europe opening a new 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 deputy chairman, Charles Cockell.
2003
BSI launches consultancy and programme management division, ICOR 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 85,000 hotels & guesthouses, and 25,000 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.
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.
BSI launches its 2nd generation self-booking tool (SBT), BSIDirect™ v2, with increased functionality including real-time, online management information reporting functionality.
2008
BSI launches new website