SingaporeSeries B<50 EmployeesHospitality & Tourism
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XXX XXXXX XXXX137 CECIL STREET #10-01/05 HENGDA BUILDING SINGAPORE (069537)
Faster checkout, speedier sales for tours and activities: Travel Weekly Asia
Singapore's BeMyGuest has developed Xplore WebPOS, a web-based point of sale (POS) system, for offline transactions.The online specialist said the software module, the company’s first, is designed for activity operators to sell faster over the counter. It has been created specifically for travel activity operations as an alternative solution to more traditional and generic style POS systems, which do not fit the unique scope of needs for this sector.“Traditionally many activity operators have adapted their POS needs to fit food and beverage systems, which on the most part run completely offline,” said Blanca Menchaca, CEO of BeMyGuest. “Activity products are far more complex and detailed than F&B items, so this restricts flexibility a great deal.”The software module is adaptable to any Windows compatible POS hardware, and also accessible online through multiple devices including laptops, tablets and smartphones giving activity operators the flexibility to run operations. USB ports allow for the connection of peripherals such as ticket scanners, cash drawers, wristbands and ticket printers, as well as gantries and turnstiles. Access to sales history and transactions is in real-time, and they are stored securely in the cloud and not on one fixed device as with most traditional POS systems.“Operators can access sales data any time without having to wait until the end of day as with most systems. Dashboards display detailed transaction records, with itemised activity history, and the ability to void, refund, cancel and manage any incoming sale,” added Menchaca.There is also multiple payment method choices for the operators including cash, credit card terminals, and local mobile solutions such as PayLah and GrabPay. They can also set up third party agent sales tracking to simplify consolidation of consumers who purchased tickets through their own corporate clients or travel agent resellers.Other functionalities of Xplore WebPOS include full product and pricing management backend where operators can update retail pricing at any time; add merchandise and ancillary products such as photo packages, souvenir collectibles, food and drink items; include unique product upgrade items for walk-in customers; provide staff and corporate partner discounts, special event tickets, weekday or birthday promotions.“Adaptation has been the name of the game for the travel industry throughout this pandemic, and for BeMyGuest responding to the challenges that operators face during this difficult time has been a top priority,” said Menchaca.Source: Web in Travel
Publish Date : 2021-08-03
BeMyGuest raises new funds for expansion in Asia
Singapore-based provider of travel activities and tours in Asia, BeMyGuest, has secured a new round of funding in Series B “largely from internal stakeholders” to drive continued development in its Asian home market. The technology and distribution specialist did not disclose the amount of the new funding. But its CEO & co-founder Blanca Menchaca said it “will take the company through its next phase of growth including the launch of a number of progressive technological initiatives.” In July 2017, BeMyGuest closed Series A that brought its total equity funding to S$11.5 million (US$8.5 million at the rate of exchange then). Blanca Menchaca: New funding to take the company through its next phase of growth. (Image credit: BeMyGuest) Menchaca said the company is committed to building on its unique model that “combines strong distribution with a powerful API to some of the largest OTAs in markets such as Indonesia, China, Korea and Vietnam.” BeMyGuest recently launched a SaaS (Service as a Software) platform to empower more operators as they can get “affordable tech” to connect to BeMyGuest’s distribution network, as well as use for their own business opportunities. According to Menchaca, this approach was needed in Asia where tech adoption is low among a large proportion of operators. “We want to empower more operators with tech so that the entire market grows and everyone wins.” The company has established “a unique and agnostic B2B position in Asia” she added, and has set up a number of tech initiatives including the “most robust API platform” in the attractions and tours & activities vertical, supporting more than 50 integrations with the largest OTAs in the region. Last October the company unveiled Xplore, a booking system and channel manager described as “specifically tailored to the unique needs of Asian attractions, tours and activity operators”. BeMyGuest has seen a doubling of its revenues for the fourth year running, said Menchaca, but she did not disclose any figures. She expects the company to maintain the rapid pace of growth this year, attributing it to its “innovative API, scaling connectivity” and support from many of the region’s top online travel groups. • Featured image credit: the.epic_.man/Getty Images
Publish Date : 2019-06-24
Blanca Menchaca is new CEO of BeMyGuest
BeMyGuest, one of Asia’s fastest growing tours and activities platforms, has named Blanca Menchaca chief executive officer, with Clement Wong stepping down from the position after founding the company in 2012. In a LinkedIn post Wong said that having helmed the company as CEO for almost seven years it was time to move on and devote more time to his family. “I will also be dedicating time to give back to the startup community and being involved in charity work.” Menchaca, who was most immediately chief operating officer, co-founded the company with Wong in 2013. She has over 12 years online experience holding senior positions in Australian Enero Group (previously Photon) in 2007 within its startup incubator arm, and joined flights and hotels metasearch startup Wego in Singapore in 2010. “Surrounded by our skilled team of professionals I’m completely confident that the adoption of the technology we have designed to power the attractions, tour and activities sector in Asia is trending towards a pivotal stage of our business,” she said. Commenting on the appointment Kei Shibata, co-founder & CEO at Venture Republic, and a board member of BeMyGuest said: “Blanca’s strong leadership and commitment to BeMyGuest have been one of the major driving forces of the company’s rapid growth over the last few years.”
Publish Date : 2018-11-28
BeMyGuest unveils Xplore, a new booking system designed for Asia’s travel operators
BeMyGuest unveils Xplore, a new booking system designed for Asia’s travel operators BeMyGuest, Asia’s largest B2B aggregator of attractions, tours and activities, has launched Xplore described as “Asia’s first locally relevant digital solution for Asian travel experiences”. Introduced at last week’s ITB Asia in Singapore, the booking system and channel manager are “specifically tailored to the unique needs of Asian attractions, tours and activity operators,” said the company. The digital solution is available in multiple Asian languages that enables operators to capture online transactions, collect payments in multiple Asian currencies and run product promotions for their B2C customers on their own websites and/or ticket counters. The channel manager module allows suppliers to deliver electronic tickets to B2B customers, in bulk to traditional travel agents and via a booking and content API to the operator’s online travel agent partners. In explaining why the solution is targeted at Asian operators, Clement Wong, CEO and founder of BeMyGuest, said the attractions, tours and activities space is undergoing “a massive shift in their business fundamentals globally,” and this shift is posing a great challenge especially for a market like Asia that is mostly fragmented and largely offline. “While there is a number of booking systems available for suppliers in US, Europe and even Australia, relevant technological innovation for this region was required as a matter of urgency, which is what motivated us to design and launch Xplore,” he added. Blanca Menchaca: “The response (to Xplore) has been phenomenal.” Blanca Menchaca, BeMyGuest COO and co-founder, said with flights, hotels and car hire now sold with instant confirmation, today’s online shoppers expect travel experiences to be sold similarly. “Attractions, tours and activity products that are not readily available for booking in real-time and on a same-day basis are missing out on the fastest growing customer audience. This is especially so in Asia where mobile booking and payment behaviour prevails.” Xplore provides the tools operators need to scale online sales, specifically real-time availability and instant confirmation. As an example Menchaca cited collecting weight, which is vital information that a hot air balloon operator in Myanmar needs to be able to confirm a booking, but traditionally the operator would contact the customer directly to obtain the data. “The system digitises such complex check-out options as well as capacity and time-slots, immediately transforming products previously unavailable to be instantly booked.” Menchaca stressed that developing Xplore is not just about getting Asia’s experience operators online to meet the demands of OTAs and other travel marketplaces. “It’s also about technology working with, and maintaining, the valuable offline travel agent and corporate partner relationships.” Xplore also connects with BeMyGuest’s distribution network, which currently consists of over 50 API connections with travel sites in Asia such as Traveloka in Indonesia, Ctrip in China, Naver in Korea in addition to 500 traditional travel agencies accessing BeMyGuest Agents Marketplace. Xplore is tailored to the unique needs of Asian attractions, tours and activity operators. The BeMyGuest team has been on the road this year meeting with suppliers of attractions, tours and activities throughout Asia and the response to the system has been “phenomenal”, Menchaca said. “It’s almost like, ah finally! Clearly the flexibilities that have been built into the system are resonating with operators who understand that Xplore has been especially built for Asia.” Similar response was seen at ITB Asia. “Our approach was validated at ITB Asia, which saw our booth overwhelmed with enquiries for Xplore continuing well after the 5pm closing time. The message is being heard,” she disclosed. This strong showing could perhaps be partly attributed to Singapore’s senior minister of state for trade and industry & education, Chee Hong Tat, who mentioned Xplore at the travel show’s opening ceremony saying the “smart, flexible e-commerce platform” could help create a more seamless user experience for travellers. Travel experiences in Asia was also given much visibility at the concurrent WiT Singapore 2018. Menchaca said she was “thrilled” with the attention given to this sector at the conference. “For this valuable travel segment to grow in Asia we need to support and understand the unique needs in the region.” • All images credit: BeMyGuest
Publish Date : 2018-10-24
BeMyGuest
on 17 October 2018 Asia’s first locally relevant digital solution for Asian travel experiences Attractions, tours and activities fastest growing segment in global travel industry Urgency to go digital - bookings for Asian travel experiences remain largely offline International booking systems not locally relevant to Asian operators, or travellers SINGAPORE, 17 October 2018 - As ITB Asia 2018 kicks off in Singapore, BeMyGuest announces the launch of Xplore; a uniquely Asian booking system and channel manager, specifically tailored to the unique needs of Asian attractions, tours and activity operators. “It’s undeniable that the attractions, tours and activities space is undergoing a massive shift in their business fundamentals globally, but in such a multicultural and fragmented, largely offline market like Asia, the shift is a far greater challenge,” said Clement Wong, CEO and Founder of BeMyGuest. “For many years BeMyGuest has been bridging the technology gap that exists between a very digitally enabled distribution landscape and a very, manual and traditional supply of attractions, tours and activities products in Asia. While there is a number of booking systems available for suppliers in US, Europe and even Australia, relevant technological innovation for this region was required as a matter of urgency which is what motivated us to design and launch Xplore,” Wong added. Xplore is available in a software as a service model in multiple Asian languages; its E-commerce modules provide operators with the ability to capture online transactions, collect payments in multiple Asian currencies and run product promotions for their B2C customers on their own websites and/or ticket counters. The Channel Manager module enables suppliers to deliver electronic tickets to B2B customers, in bulk to traditional travel agents, and via a booking and content API to the operator’s online travel agent partners. “With flights, hotels and car hire being sold on an instant confirmation basis foryears, today’s online travel shoppers expect travel experiences to be soldsimilarly. Attractions, tours and activity products that are not readily available for booking in real-time and on a same-day basis are missing out on the fastest growing customer audience. This is especially so in Asia where mobile booking and payment behaviour prevails,” said Blanca Menchaca, COO and Co-founder of BeMyGuest. “We developed Xplore to support operators by providing the tools they need to scale online sales, specifically real-time availability and instant confirmation. Collecting weight for example, is vital information a Hot Air Balloon operator in Myanmar needs to know to be able to confirm a booking, but traditionally the operator would contact the customer directly to collect this information,” Menchaca explained. “The system digitises such complex check-out options as well as capacity and time-slots, immediately transforming products previously unavailable to be instantly booked.” Xplore also connects with BeMyGuest’s distribution network which currently consists of over 50 API connections with some of the most prominent travel sites in Asia such as Traveloka in Indonesia, Ctrip in China, Naver in Korea, in addition to 500 traditional travel agencies accessing BeMyGuest Agents Marketplace. About BeMyGuest BeMyGuest is Asia’s largest B2B aggregator of attraction, tour and activity products, and designers of innovative tech solutions tailor-made especially for Asia’s unique experiential travel ecosystem. The firm provides digital solutions for tour and activity suppliers, as well as access to powerful tech, essential for online business growth in the region. Headquartered in Singapore, BeMyGuest has offices in Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur and Manila, and teams throughout Southeast Asia. Awarded Best Business Innovation at the 2016 Singapore Tourism Awards, Best Strategic Partner by Ctrip in 2017, as well as being named one of the top five in the travel category of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies 2016. Contact: Anita Duffin Communications Director Email: [email protected] Phone: +62 812-3792-0968
Publish Date : 2018-10-17
BeMyGuest
on 19 October 2017 Singapore, 19 October, 2017 - Following a successful Series A, and to support the rapid expansion of BeMyGuest, experts in the science of technology for tours and activities in Asia, BeMyGuest today announced the appointment of travel veteran Graham Hills to the position of Chief Commercial Officer, and industry leader Kei Shibata to its Board of Directors. “We are excited about the growth opportunities that Graham’s expertise in product development, data analytics, digital media as well as his track record in revenue generation and success scaling business operations, especially in Indonesia, will bring to our company,” said Clement Wong, CEO & Founder of BeMyGuest. Hills’ well rounded career spans 15 years, ten of those in Southeast Asia. Graham has worked across multiple travel sectors, including government institutions (Tourism Western Australia), online travel agencies (Octopus Travel), travel publishers (Yahoo!) and metasearch engines (Wego). Of his appointment, Hills said, “This is an extraordinary opportunity to be able to join the team who is setting the standard for technology in Asia in the fastest growing travel segment, within the largest regional market in the world - the attractions, tours and activities space. I am looking forward to playing a part during this period of hyper-growth, and help BeMyGuest continue to drive innovation for the sector.” “Kei’s appointment to our Board of Directors, will allow us to work closer together and leverage his extensive knowledge of ecommerce and his strong entrepreneurial business acumen. We are honoured to add this level of experience to our management team,” said, Blanca Menchaca COO & Co-Founder of BeMyGuest. “Kei’s exemplary achievements in the Asian travel industry, especially in Japan, are well known. He co-founded Venture Republic Inc. and as CEO took the company public in 2008 after seven years of operation.” Over the last 16 years, Shibata has built a variety of online vertical media including Travel.jp, the leading travel metasearch site in Japan, Hotel.jp and Coneco.net. He has also led multiple investments in travel and ecommerce startups particularly in Asia, including Allstay in South Korea and Trip101 in Singapore. Previously, Kei worked at Mitsubishi Corporation for 11 years playing a key role in the company’s largest M&A deal to acquire Lawson Inc. - one of the largest convenience store chains in Japan. “BeMyGuest has successfully elevated Asia’s attractions, tours and activities sector,” said Shibata. “Their strategic execution and ability to attract global distribution partners, suppliers, industry talent and investors is outstanding, and I’m extremely happy to be working with the management team to progress the business even further.” The appointments complement a number of additional high level specialist hires reflecting the company’s commitment and positive response to BeMyGuest Labs’ technology.
Publish Date : 2017-10-19