Hogg Robinson buys NY firm

Hogg Robinson, owners of BTI, has bought a New York-based business travel company and meetings and incentive planner. The acquisition of Sea Gate Travel was announced this week. The company has clients in the banking, media, sport and entertainment sectors, and in order to maintain this client base, Hogg Robinson will continue to operate Sea Gate independently, maintaining the company name and its staff. As well as co-ordinating corporate travel, Sea Gate has a meetings and incentive planning arm, called Advanced Travel Management, which it bought in 2002. Hogg Robinson overseas investment director, Roger Westwood, will take the role of president and a chief operating officer is being sought. The company already operates in business travel management in the US with its WorldTravelBTI brand, part-owned by Hogg Robinson and part by BCD Holdings, a Dutch company. Report by Ginny McGrath