Look Before You Book Announces Australian JV

MEDIA RELEASE
7th APRIL 2004

Look Before You Book Announces Australian Joint Venture

New Zealand-based online video streaming and travel company, Look Before You Book, today announced a joint venture partnership with two highly experienced Australian travel figures.

Look Before You Book has signed an agreement with Bill Branch and Julian Good who will trade under the company name, Look Before You Book, based in Sydney.

Look Before You Book managing director, Peter Tanner says the joint venture aims to further build distribution partnerships in Australia and neighbouring Indonesia.

“Both Bill and Julian have extensive international travel industry and hospitality backgrounds and their experience will allow us to cultivate our business in a major tourism region,” he explains.

Mr Good has more than 20 years hotel sales and marketing and consulting experience with the UK Forte Hotel Group followed by his own business Good Liaisons. Mr Branch, a former vice president of American Express wholesale division, established Templar Marketing Services in the late 1980s. The company grew into one of Australia’s largest travel industry distribution and communications companies.

Look Before You Book was established in 1993 and has since revolutionised online travel by providing high-speed, quick loading video footage of hotels, resorts, destinations and activities around the world. The footage allows travellers to literally walk around hotels or destinations online, and get a real feel for them, as opposed to simply picking up a travel brochure and looking at static hotel shots.

Mr Tanner says the addition of Mr Branch and Mr Good to the company opens up new opportunities for Look Before You Book, particularly in light of the phenomenal growth in online bookings and a realisation among travel companies that this facility is now an essential – and financially viable - sales tool.

“More and more distribution partners - including national tourism offices, airlines, hotels and wholesalers - are opting to use video in their own websites - giving travellers instant access to quality video footage of a potential destination, before they book.”

Mr Tanner says these companies recognise the value quality travel footage can add to a site and its role within the marketing mix. “Most companies are highly experienced at selling or promoting travel but don’t always know how to gather or manage online video content. That is where we come in with more than 10 years experience and close to 500 video clips. We take away the hassle of organising camera crews, developing appropriate software and installation. Our material is literally ready-to-roll and ready to be linked to other sites.”

Look Before You Book is now investigating possible joint venture opportunities in wider Asia and Mr Tanner anticipates details to be finalised in the next few months.

ENDS

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