Two recent announcements will mean a significant shift in players in the destination management industry and a more global presence for their clients.

Allied Europe announced last Tuesday its acquisition of PRA Destination Management, the leading DMC in North America. PRA’s 19 franchises, along with Allied’s seven offices in Europe and the Middle East, will form a new parent company, Allied International.

Allied CEO James W. Hensley has expanded his company exponentially since 1999, from one office in France to offices in the U.K., Italy, Spain, Monaco, and the United Arab Emirates. This move further increases the company’s reach, providing DMC services to three continents. PRA founder and chairwoman Patti Roscoe, who formed her company in 1981, will continue her involvement as a member of the board of directors of Allied International.

Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, DMC veterans Patrick Delaney and Padraic Gilligan announced the formation of Ovation Global DMC, an expansion of their Dublin, Ireland-based company, which services many North American programs. Besides its Ireland office, Ovation will now have offices in Dubai, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and the U.K., with additional offices opening in 2008 in Austria, China, India, and Portugal.

During the announcement at EIBTM in Barcelona, Delaney said, “Ovation Global will redefine the concept of destination management services by creating a truly professional global organization run by people who intimately understand the logistical, creative, and strategic requirements of meetings, events, and incentive travel planners.”