Fresh Group brings to FCM Meetings & Events its integrated expertise from creative work and production to digital platforms and experiential design. Photo Credit: Fresh Group, an FCM Meetings & Events Company
Flight Centre Travel Group Limited (FLT) has acquired Fresh Approach (UK) Holdings Limited, an integrated meetings and events (M&E) services agency, to strengthen its position in the M&E sector.
The UK-based agency will integrate into FLT’s FCM Meetings & Events division, retaining its creative identity, while benefiting from FLT’s global scale, governance and technology.
Fresh Approach now markets under the brand, The Fresh Group an FCM Meetings & Events Company.
Fresh’s CEO Lee Harris and the existing leadership team will continue to manage the business, which operates out of Manchester and Edinburgh.
Owning previously outsourced expertise
The acquisition is expected to enhance FLT’s end-to-end M&E offering by bringing previously outsourced capabilities in-house. Fresh will bring to the merged entity its integrated services across creative, production, digital platforms, experiential design, content, film, social media and logistics.
By internalising these capabilities, FLT aims to improve customer experience, reduce reliance on third-party suppliers and capture additional margin within the group.
UK meetings and events expansion
The deal also positions FLT to tap into further growth in the UK M&E market, which is forecast to expand at around 7% annually.
Fresh is projected to generate approximately 18 million pounds (US$24 million) in turnover and 1.2 million pounds in EBITDA in the 2026 fiscal year.
The acquisition aligns with FLT’s broader strategy to diversify beyond its travel agency and travel management units and deliver value-adds to its corporate clients.
Reciprocal growth
Meetings, events and professional services already account for nearly 10% of its corporate sector revenue in the first half of FY2026.
Enabling cross-sell potentials across FLT’s 2,200 UK corporate customers, the deal will give Fresh’s clients access to FCM’s corporate travel and global servicing capabilities.
“Fresh unlocks meaningful growth opportunities on both sides of the relationship, from cross‑selling into our UK corporate customer base to supporting Fresh’s clients with our global travel capabilities,” FLT managing director Graham Turner said, further recognising Fresh’s “strong market reputation and blue‑chip client roster”.
FLT’s scale will synergise with Fresh’s local expertise and integrated services. Harris pointed to FLT’s reputation and capabilities to “accelerate our global presence while retaining the local knowledge and expertise that our clients value”. FLT and Fresh’s combined capabilities will “work in unison to remove the friction between planning and creation”, he added.