Fastbreak AI Acquires Groupbook and Competition Travel

AI-powered sports operations company Fastbreak AI has acquired Groupbook and Competition Travel, two group travel companies that expand the reach of its group accommodations business, Fastbreak Travel, into new customer categories and event types.

As a result, both companies will be brought under the Fastbreak Travel umbrella, serving national governing bodies, tournament directors, sports commissions, clubs and families across North America.

The two acquisitions extend Fastbreak Travel’s category coverage across the full spectrum of sports travel.

Groupbook adds a club and team travel offering that is purpose-built for youth sports coaches, team managers and club administrators.

Meanwhile, Competition Travel adds expertise in group travel for cheer and dance competitions, through an integrated approach that includes hotel strategy, ground transportation, practice facilities, on-site logistics, and customized travel experiences for event partners, athletes, families and staff.

Groupbook Acquisition

Based in the United States and trusted by more than 2,500 youth clubs and tournament organizers, Groupbook was built to solve travel and administration challenges for coaches and team parents who experience tournament chaos every weekend. The platform connects families to a network of 30,000-plus hotels, automates team communications, and handles the operational load of collecting waivers, tracking payments and coordinating trip logistics.

Doug Freeman, founder and CEO of Groupbook, joins Fastbreak AI as a general manager of club travel. In his new role, he will be tasked with leading Fastbreak Travel for Clubs, a new offering that gives club directors, coaches, and team managers the tools to book, manage, and customize travel for every event their teams attend.

“For too long, club and team travel has been an afterthought inside sports travel, treated as a smaller version of tournament housing rather than what it actually is, which is a completely different job with different needs,” said Freeman. “Coaches need custom arrangements. Team members and their parents and relatives need clear communication. Clubs need to see everything in one place.

“Bringing Groupbook into Fastbreak Travel means every club now has a travel offering built for how they actually operate, backed by the negotiating power of one of the largest group travel businesses in sports and an innovative platform that improves the entire experience. That’s a real step forward for the community.”

Competition Travel

Competition Travel, founded in 2014 by industry veteran Susan Tucker, is an event housing and travel management partner specializing in competitive cheer, dance, and international event producers. Supporting more than 500 events annually, from regional competitions to major national championships, the company delivers a concierge approach to event travel that includes hotel strategy, practice facilities, ground transportation, on-site logistics and customized travel experiences.

Tucker joins Fastbreak Travel as vice president of concierge travel, where she will lead the expansion of Fastbreak Travel’s offerings across fast-growing event categories.

The two acquisitions follow Fastbreak’s purchase of GroupHousing earlier this year.

“Sports travel has been fragmented for a long time,” said Fastbreak AI Co-Founder and CEO John Stewart. “Different companies for different customer types, different agencies for different sports, and families and organizations left to piece it all together on their own. That’s changing.

“Fastbreak Travel now serves tournaments and clubs with purpose-built offerings across every event category, meeting customers where they are, from an NGB running national championships to a club coach booking a single weekend. Doug and Susan are exactly the leaders to help us grow this business and make travel more affordable for every family in sports.”

“Concierge travel is built on relationships, service, and understanding the unique complexities of event travel,” said Tucker. “We know our clients, we know our hotel partners, and we understand what it takes to successfully support thousands of traveling athletes and families.

“With Fastbreak’s scale in sports travel, we will bring the same personalized, hands-on level of concierge service that we provide our cheer and dance clients to more event organizers, athletes, and families while continuing to deliver the experiences our clients have come to expect.”