TMCnet News
BusBank Acquires Buster, Combining Tech Expertise with Service LeadershipBusBank, the group transportation booking platform of choice for professional sports teams, music festivals, Fortune 500 companies, and event planners, has acquired Buster, the tech-savvy startup that makes it easy to book group transportation online. BusBank, which allows travelers to book group transportation in three easy steps, has a presence in 135 metro areas, and has done charters in all 50 states and every province in Canada. The company's market share leadership will be strengthened and accelerated by the addition of Buster's state-of-the-art booking and transportation management technology. "Everyone from the admin who plans company trips to the association organizing a major convention knows the pain of booking group transportation," said Buster CEO Harald Kruse. "This market is demanding more technology, and we're bringing it to them." The acquisition will create a simple booking experience similar to what travelers use for booking plane tickets, rental cars, and other travel products, whether they're booking a single party van or a fleet of 100 buses. Currently, the group transportation industry is a manual, hone-driven, and time-intensive process. BusBank and Buster are changing that by providing a simple, online platform for bus charter bookings. Additionally, the group transportation market in North America is fragmented. According to a 2017 study by the American Bus Association, there are over 3,200 bus companies in the U.S. and Canada, yet 94 percent of them operate 25 or fewer motorcoaches. "This is confusing and overwhelming for human resource teams, event planners, and everyday people who need to make a simple booking for bus transportation," said BusBank General Manager Brandon Dudley. "Our approach at solving this problem brings simplicity, reliability, and industry experience to group travel planning." BusBank and Buster say their travel and transportation experience sets them apart. Several BusBank and Buster leaders have experience with Priceline: Kruse was a director of account management at the company, and Jeffery Boyd, chairman of the board at Priceline, will be a future board member of BusBank and Buster. In addition, key members of the leadership team at Lancer Insurance Company, a leader in transportation insurance, are invested in BusBank - including David Delaney, Lancer Financial Group's CEO and president. About BusBank Travelers use BusBank to book a large group vehicle in three steps: input itinerary, select bus type, and reserve. The scope of services range from simple one-day outings to large events such as trade shows, conventions, sporting events, and large-scale music festivals. Its users include academic institutions, corporate event planners, athletic organizations, government agencies, families, and tour operators. It has served every major league sports team, the last eight presidential campaigns (Democratic and Republican), and more than half of the Fortune 500 companies. The company is profitable and has over $200 million in revenue since founding. About Buster Buster is the Internet's most comprehensive group transportation service for event planners, corporate travel departments, and consumers. Buster works with a nationwide network of operator partners to offer coach buses, limousines, SUVs, Sprinter vans, luxury buses, and yellow school buses for trips of all lengths and for all itineraries. Buster's vendor marketplace allows transportation providers to maintain pricing control. Vendors input their data, and Buster creates a market price based on all area vendors' fees. Vendors receive emails that trips are available in the marketplace and can accept them according to their availability.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180711005139/en/ |
