Helix Leisure, a company working in the out-of-home entertainment industry, has today announced its acquisition of Sydney startup Booking Boss, a deal which was completed last July. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The startup was founded by Renee and Andy Welsh in 2012, bringing together their combined 25 years of experience in the travel industry to create a platform helping activity and attractions businesses run better.
Incorporating online booking, ticketing, and point-of-sale (POS) features, the solution is used by venues including Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Australian Reptile PArk, and facilitates integrations with travel booking platforms including Expedia.
The company had in 2015 raised $2 million in a Series A round, taking on funding from Ezidebit founders Michael and Daniel Dempsey, Seattle venture capital firm Acequia Capital, and former Wotif CEO Scott Blume.
Renee Welsh said the company was “delighted” with the opportunity to join Helix Leisure. Helix itself is part of the Leisure & Allied Industries group, which was founded in Perth.
“Their industry leading experience, company culture and global reach is going to take Booking Boss to exciting new industries and drive the future of the out-of-home entertainment industry, which includes attractions, tour operators and activity providers. We share the same passion to innovate booking and ticketing services and promote best-in-class practices,” she said.
Renee and Andy Welsh stayed on with the company following the acquisition, which has seen it fully integrated into Helix Leisure. In particular, the teams have been developing a party booking system for fellow Helix Leisure company, Embed. Embed supplies POS and revenue management systems for companies in the amusement, leisure and entertainment spaces, such as games arcades.
“Using our modern cloud platform and many years of experience in online bookings, Embed’s customers can expect an intuitive and appealing application that will lead the industry in the entertainment venue pre-visit experience,” Andy said.
Theo Sanders, CEO of Helix Leisure, said, “The industry is becoming increasingly aware that a guest’s interactions with the location start long before they step foot in the facility. Their pre-visit experiences form a vital part of their perception of a brand.
“With the Booking Boss acquisition, we’re now able to connect a beautiful pre-visit experience to Embed’s existing on-site capabilities, and in doing so, allow operators to engage with their guests at every step of the journey.”
Image: Renee and Andy Welsh. Source: Supplied.
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