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ttglive.com
Think big!
With £100,000 on the table,
you’ve got nothing to lose
Is your idea worth £100k?
WIN
The Big Idea 2009 is an amazing
chance to win a £100,000 investment
from four major travel industry figures.
As travel entrepreneurs get busy formulating their business
This is a chance of a lifetime to transform an
proposals, Rupert Murray talks to one of our ‘dragons’, idea into a working business.
Attraction Tickets Direct founder Oliver Brendon
All finalists will go on to pitch to the four
investors and be invited to the TTG Travel
Awards in September, where the
I
n 1904 Thomas Edison said: “Genius is 1% yourself and I found it really hard to let go.” winner will be revealed.
inspiration, 99% perspiration.” Oliver The Big Idea’s youngest dragon can’t wait to Entries must be submitted
Brendon doesn’t claim to be a genius but cast his eyes over the entries. He says he’s by August 3. For details,
he certainly knew what Edison meant happy to see new ideas but the winner could visit ttgbigidea.com
when he borrowed £10,000 and set up equally offer a new take on an old one.
Attraction Tickets Direct in 2002. In an act of “In BBC2’s Dragons’ Den ideas are slammed
self-imposed slavery he didn’t have a day off for not being original. But the biggest successes
until 2004. are often fresh approaches to an existing one, IAN SCOTT
His business, which includes Complete as last year’s Big Idea winners have proven.” UK & Ireland director,
Orlando and DoSomethingDifferent.com, is For Brendon the personality is as important Dubai Tourism and
still open 365 days a year but, thankfully for as the idea and he hopes to see a varied group Commerce Marketing
Brendon’s wife and young family, he now has of entrants: “I want to see single-mindedness,
30 staff to take some of the strain. determination, no fear of failure and evidence IN DUBAI we often talk of
Having the idea that this person will spectacular hotel develop-
was the easy part for put everything into ments but the transporta-
the then 27-year-old, becoming a success.” tion infrastructure is one
thanks to knowledge His final words of of the best examples of
and experience advice were to ignore creativity, innovation and
gleaned working as a the recession and big ideas being realised.
rep for the Florida grasp this no-risk Dubai Airports and Dubai
tourist board. opportunity. Metro are testament to that.
“I saw a gap in “The process is Dubai has ambitions to attract 15 million
the market and went confidential so even if visitors by 2015, and that ambition requires
for it because I had you have a job there some big ideas from an airports perspective.
nothing to lose – I was is nothing to lose. In autumn 2008, Terminal 3 opened
27 with no assets and “And while a seamlessly at Dubai International Airport,
no responsibilities.” recession might not raising annual passenger capacity to 70 million
When asked what seem the obvious a year, and 2010 will see the opening of the
the biggest challenge time to start up, the first phase of the world’s largest airport,
in his seven years of competition is likely Al Makhtoum International.
building a £40 million to be cutting costs In September 2009, Dubai will reaffirm its
turnover business and looking inwards reputation of innovation when it opens the
had been, his reply – in this environment longest fully automated rail transport system
was: “Delegation: a lean, mean and in the world, the Dubai Metro.
in the beginning innovative business Designed to give residents and visitors a
you do everything could fly.” more efficient and alternative way to navigate
the city as the number of visitors continues to
increase, this is another landmark develop-
For rules and entry form go to ttgbigidea.com
ment for this pioneering destination.
This is our big idea. So, what’s yours?
12 03.07.2009
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