ITA Group, a major player in the meetings, incentives, and customer-engagement arena, has expanded overseas with the launch of ITA Group Europe.

The new company is based in Bruges, Belgium, and has an entrée into that market from a strategic affiliation with Motisha, an incentive technology platform, also in Bruges. Motisha’s platform is designed to motivate sales teams, reward customer loyalty, and motivate employees, and ITA sees the relationship providing access to a network of European support partners, among other benefits.

ITA Group’s President and CEO Brent Vander Waal says the move will put the company in a better position to serve clients with European-based audiences. “As we look to the future, effective global engagement programs will be a critical piece in our clients’ long-term business strategies, and this step is the first of many as we continue to execute our ongoing global expansion strategy.”

Kurt Hosna, ITA Group’s director of global strategy, is heading up the new office. He noted that the expansion and relationship with Motisha will help the company create “stronger, more locally managed, and more culturally sensitive programs,” and that “knowing the nuances between regions, countries and cultures, while also having a strong supplier network, is critical to fulfilling our promise to achieve maximum business results.

Motisha CEO Gunther Everaert added that the affiliation helps both firms “to address rapidly growing client demand for data-based business insights that deliver true engagement and performance.”

ITA Group has three other sister companies: the experiential design and production company Hartmann Studios, acquired in mid-2018; market research and strategy firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, acquired in fall 2017; and travel-management company International Travel Associates.