Secret Escapes acquires My City Venue to strengthen events arm

Luxury travel site Secret Escapes, founded by Alex Saint, Troy Collins and 2012 Young Gun Tom Valentine, has acquired ‘digital concierge service’ My City Venue (MCV) for an undisclosed amount in a move to extend its events side of the business.

Founded in 2012, London-based My City Venue is an online platform which looks to “digitise, simplify and unify the process of planning a night out” by allowing users to find and book tickets, register for guest lists and queue jump, and access relevant deals and promotions.

A competitor to companies such as YPlan and Time Out, the booking platform works with over 1000 venues in the UK facilitating ticket purchases and promotions for exclusive events and nightclubs.

The acquisition, which has not yet been formally announced by Startups Award winner Secret Escapes, will see the travel specialist take over operations and incorporate the brand into its own offering to bolster its events.

The deal is Secret Escapes’ third acquisition this year following its recent purchases of Polish competitor Travelist  and German mobile booking specialist JustBook.