While OTAs and TMCs predominate in booking business and personal travel and accommodation, SMEs and associations can now look to small online platforms to book tours, venues, caterers, and transportation.
Singapore-based Equinox, a segment brand of Travel Trade Marketplace, is targeting SMEs and associations with a business model that does not rely on commissions or service fees typically charged by intermediaries.
Equinox’s founder and CEO Fred Seow told TTGmice: “Equinox offers a lower cost of sale (and purchase) due to its low transaction-fee model instead of sales commissions.”
The fee is charged to sellers, who have full control of their online distribution, viewership and pricing by markets and business segments.
“Buyers are provided with tools for faster engagement with sellers, better recognition of support and more benefits and rewards directly from sellers. The platform recognises buyers’ purpose of use (business or personal travel) and rewards or cross-rewards accordingly,” Seow elaborated.
Enterprise accounts are co-branded private travel portals for staff, customers or members with annual prize rewards. Each company’s identity and database are fully protected.
In addition, Equinox negotiates better rates for volume and events. For instance, hotel rates can be locked in for staff who need to make several trips over a project’s duration and priced in the buyer’s currency.
“As an added benefit to SMEs and associations, we support their group movements and event management. This is usually process intensive. Although we currently support offline, when our system is fully developed, it will automate most of the work for clients and suppliers,” he said.
Equinox already has early-adopter travel agencies and independent hotels on board, with full launch by mid-2025 and secondary features in 4Q.
A director of a professional industry organisation said she used Equinox to offer overseas conference participants the option to book hotel rooms at special rates.
“Equinox negotiated for us, but because we couldn’t guarantee the numbers, they didn’t have much negotiation power,” she said, adding that this may be useful for corporate retreats.
Another Singapore player, micelah.com, positions itself as “a one-stop shop platform for the MICE industry”. SMEs, MNCs and a few government agencies and institutions of higher learning are its main users.
“We are strictly MICE; bookings must be 10 or more pax,” said Nim Bali, founder and CEO, MiceLah. “The most popular services currently are hotels as a venue, teambuilding, catering and transportation.”
The start-up received funding from Enterprise Singapore and is still in the early stages, with a webpage revamp to be completed by July. MiceLah plans to extend destination coverage to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and India in 3Q2025.
Delegates also have the option of booking hotel stays through OTAs, sometimes at lower prices. Since many OTAs restrict bookings to eight or 10 rooms, delegations can either book several room blocks, use wholesalers or even go directly to listed hotels, as has happened at large conventions.
For instance, the 25th World Congress of Dermatology held in Singapore in 2023 drew 12,000 pax. Despite a PCO handling reservations, booking.com was also visible on the accommodation webpage.
Booking.com for Business is a “free travel management platform” powered by booking.com and supported by CWT. It offers benefits such as corporate rates and free 24/7 travel support. Staff can book accommodation, flights and car rentals for work trips, and administrators can see itineraries and expenditure.
