FCM Meetings & Events acquires fresh Group to elevate its position as a creative leader in the UK MICE sector

London, England, 18 March 2026 – FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E), the business known globally as FCM Travel's flagship MICE division, has today announced the acquisition of fresh, the award-winning creative engine behind the brand experiences of multiple blue-chip organisations, including Visa, Vodafone, M&S, Currys, Siemens, Hyundai, Co-op and Samsung.

The announcement is a milestone moment for FCM M&E, with the deal marking the business’s first-ever acquisition and representing a pivotal moment in its evolution, growth and vision for the future.

Combining the expertise of the current FCM M&E UK team and new team members at fresh will quadruple the UK-based team to nearly 100 specialists and add two new hubs in Manchester and Edinburgh to complement their existing London base. 

This strategic move creates a unique single-source business that brings together global event logistics with production, communications and content capabilities, along with an in-house creative studio.

This gives FCM M&E the capability to deliver high-impact brand experiences spanning everything from experiential design and content to in-house high-stakes film production. This UK-based team will expand on the already-successful existing bases in Australia, India and Mexico, while helping with expansion across the business’s 19 markets.

This is a game-changing moment for FCM M&E and our clients across EMEA. We have experienced a 50 per cent increase in business year-on-year from 2025 to 2026, demonstrating strong market demand,” said Frits de Kok, Head of Meetings & Events, EMEA.

The fresh acquisition doesn't just expand our footprint to fulfil the trend for in-person events; it fundamentally transforms what we can deliver for customers. We now have world-class creative business, brand experience expertise, and full-scale production capabilities under one roof.

There’s a high level of alignment and drive across the combined group. We now have the talent, the tools, and the scale to own the entire event journey from that first strategic conversation right through to standing ovation moments that attendees talk about for years. 

"This is an exciting expansion for us and for the MICE industry. It creates something genuinely new for businesses to take advantage of – a can end-to-end partner who can think, create, and execute.”

In a world where 98 per cent of event organisers cite ‘attendee experience’ as a critical priority, this acquisition bridges the creative gap and addresses the longstanding challenge of fragmentation between travel management and event execution. 

FCM M&E UK is now a single provider delivering end-to-end event and meeting management across the fast-growing MICE sector, from venue sourcing and travel logistics to strategic meetings management, event management, creative concept and AV production, and post-event reporting.

Lee Harris, CEO, fresh, added, “We’re delighted to join such a reputable organisation, to accelerate our global presence while retaining the local knowledge and expertise that our clients value. Our combined capabilities will work in unison to remove the friction between planning and creation, all underpinned by leading, innovative technology. The integration allows us to provide a premium, scalable service that delivers visibility, the wow factor, and most importantly strong ROI.

“fresh has always believed that the best experiences start with a clear strategic purpose and that creativity without context is just noise. Joining FCM M&E gives us the operational infrastructure and global reach to support our vision and scale, with the right talent, in the right place, at every stage of the event journey.”