RELAY GmbH - Creative Event Transportation

What RELAY GmbH - Creative Event Transportation does

RELAY GmbH is a Cologne-based, full-service event mobility provider founded around 2017 by Bernard Lay, an event professional with more than 20 years of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) expertise. The company organizes passenger transportation for corporate events, large-scale public events, and festivals across Germany and large parts of Europe, delivering coordinated bus transfers, shuttle services, chauffeur-driven VIP transport, and upstream consulting and mobility concept planning. Its value proposition is end-to-end responsibility from planning through on-site execution, delivered through a flexible fleet and a European bus-partner network.

The business operates on a professional services model with quote-based, project-specific pricing tailored to each event's fleet, duration, and coordination complexity. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct B2B engagement with corporate event organizers, festival producers, and event agencies, supplemented by published case studies (RWE, dm drogeriemarkt, Parookaville Festival, Sky Deutschland, AXA) and referrals. Marketing is deliberately lean: a website with inquiry form, LinkedIn and Instagram presence, and reference-driven credibility rather than broad digital campaigns.

RELAY is a privately held GmbH with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity. Headcount stands at approximately 100 employees. Named customers are enterprise-grade and span energy (RWE), retail (dm), entertainment (Parookaville), media (Sky Deutschland), and financial services (AXA), with several multi-year relationships. The company has completed more than 2,800 events and holds a 5.0 Google rating across 26 reviews. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or app products are disclosed in available sources.

Name

RELAY GmbH - Creative Event Transportation

Legal name

Relay GmbH

Website

https://relay-on.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RELAY GmbH is a Cologne-based full-service event mobility provider delivering bus transfers, shuttle services, chauffeur transport, and mobility consulting for corporate events, large-scale events, and festivals across Germany and parts of Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Transportation Services

NAICS

Charter Bus Industry (4855), Charter Bus Industry (48551), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889), Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Team & Event Transport Charters (THAIAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Party Transportation (Limo, Shuttle) Services (HSACACAN), Event-Based / Occasional Shared Rides (Concerts, Sports, Festivals) (THADAFAG), Cross-Border/International Scheduled Coach Operators (THAIADAC)

Keywords

• Event transportation services
• Bus transfer logistics
• Corporate shuttle services
• VIP chauffeur services
• Mobility consulting events

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne (Köln)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transportation Services: Revenue generated from bus transfer, shuttle service, and chauffeur service for events. Services are priced per project/event with customized quotes based on fleet size, duration, and complexity.
2. Consulting & Mobility Concepts: Advisory services for event mobility planning and concept development, typically bundled with transportation services or sold as standalone consulting engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RELAY GmbH provides full-service event mobility and passenger transportation for corporate events, large-scale events, and festivals across Germany and large parts of Europe. The offering is delivered through four core service lines — Bustransfer, Shuttle Service, Chauffeur & Fahrservice, and Beratung & Mobilitätskonzepte — combined with a flexible vehicle fleet and partner bus network. Services are delivered as a single-source, end-to-end solution covering planning, on-site coordination, and execution.

Product overview

RELAY GmbH is a full-service event mobility and passenger transportation company, not a software product company. Its offering consists of four core service lines delivered as a unified, end-to-end event logistics solution: (1) Bustransfer (bus transfer) for structured coordination of large guest groups; (2) Shuttle Service for flexible arrival and departure travel between defined points; (3) Chauffeur & Fahrservice (Chauffeur Service) for quality-sensitive, discreet, and reliable transport; and (4) Beratung & Mobilitätskonzepte (Consulting & Mobility Concepts) for optimal planning tailored to specific events. These services are delivered through a flexible, combinable vehicle fleet and a strong partner network, covering firm events (100–1,000 persons), large-scale events (1,000+ persons), and festivals and concerts (tens of thousands of guests/VIPs). The company operates from Cologne, Germany, and serves clients across Germany and much of Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bustransfer (Bus Transfer) Structured coordination of large guest groups via bus transportation, enabling organized movement of high attendee volumes to and from event venues for corporate, large-scale, and festival events.
• Shuttle Service Flexible shuttle transportation for arrival and departure travel between defined pickup and drop-off points, supporting dynamic event logistics with high participant volumes.
• Chauffeur & Fahrservice (Chauffeur Service) Premium chauffeur-driven transport service emphasizing quality, discretion, and reliability for VIP, executive, and high-sensitivity event guests such as film premieres and corporate hospitality.
• Beratung & Mobilitätskonzepte (Consulting & Mobility Concepts) Expert consulting and bespoke event-mobility concept planning covering the full spectrum from strategy to execution, typically bundled with transportation services or delivered as standalone advisory work for event organizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transported 4,700 employees in one hour for RWE's 125-year jubilee
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Areal BöhlerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a fixed cooperation partner of RELAY. Areal Böhler appears to be a venue/location partner that collaborates with RELAY for events hosted at their facility.
• The Frame (Spaces Management)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a fixed cooperation partner of RELAY. The Frame is a venue/location partner for events.
• Köln TourismusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a fixed cooperation partner of RELAY. Köln Tourismus is the official tourism body for Cologne, suggesting destination event collaboration.
• Düsseldorf ConventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a fixed cooperation partner of RELAY. Düsseldorf Convention is the convention bureau for Düsseldorf, enabling cross-city event logistics.
• Bus Company NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partner network with bus companies across Europe providing high capacity for large-scale events. Referenced as a key asset enabling RELAY to handle events with thousands of participants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sixt SE: German mobility provider with chauffeur and corporate transfer services across Europe. Comparable to RELAY's chauffeur and VIP transportation offering, but Sixt operates a far broader rental and fleet management portfolio.
• DB Regio: Deutsche Bahn subsidiary operating regional bus and rail services across Germany. Comparable as a large German bus operator with capacity for large-scale passenger movements, though focused on scheduled public transit.
• National Express Group: UK-listed public transport operator with coach and bus services across the UK, Europe, and North America. Comparable as a large-scale coach operator that could move into dedicated event charter work.
• ComfortDelGro: Singapore-listed global land transport conglomerate with taxi, bus, and chauffeur services across Europe. Comparable as a multinational mobility provider offering chauffeur and event-style transport to corporate clients.
• FlixMobility (FlixBus): Europe's largest intercity bus/coach operator. Comparable as a long-distance bus transport provider operating across Germany and Europe, though FlixBus focuses on scheduled intercity routes rather than dedicated event charter mobility.
• Arriva plc: Major European passenger transport provider (owned by Deutsche Bahn) operating bus and rail services across 14 European countries. Comparable as a pan-European bus/charter operator with extensive fleet and partner networks.
• Stagecoach Group: UK bus and coach operator with significant fleet capacity and European operations. Comparable to RELAY's charter bus capabilities, with substantially larger fleet and balance sheet.

Emerging players

• Gett: Global corporate ground transportation platform with strong presence in Germany. Comparable as a B2B-focused chauffeur and corporate mobility provider using technology to manage event-style and executive transport bookings.
• Uber for Business: Uber's enterprise product offering corporate event transportation at scale through its app-based platform. Comparable as a technology-enabled corporate and event mobility provider competing for the same end customers as RELAY.

Direct peers

• Blacklane: Berlin-based professional chauffeur service operating globally including event and corporate transfers. Comparable as a premium, B2B chauffeur and event-transport provider in the German and European market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relaygmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RELAY GmbH - Creative Event Transportation