THIS WEEK: RICHARD AND CAROLINE LIGHT


EXPERIENCE IT NOW TRAVEL, SUSSEX


Q&A


Moving from selling experiences to travel has seen Experience It Now open three high street agencies in seven months as part of the Hays Independence Group. Ben Ireland speaks to directors Richard and Caroline Light


Q. What’s the background to the business? A. We established Experience It Now as an auction company in 2012, hosting events around the UK and producing our own portfolio of experience products. We sell things such as hot air balloon rides and corporate days at Ascot and meals cooked by Gordon Ramsay’s chefs.


Q. How did you move into travel? A. We started selling accommodation-only holidays as part of our experiences portfolio. We were sending about 2,000 people abroad each year, so it was a natural progression. We thought it would be great to sell flights to clients and additional products such as attraction tickets and car hire.


Q. Why did you choose to join Hays Independence Group? A. I (Richard) did my


44travelweekly.co.uk6 December 2018


homework and found Hays Travel Independence Group, and the team helped us obtain our Abta licence. It fitted us completely, even though we’re in Sussex and Hays’ headquarters is in Sunderland.


Q. When did you open on the high street? A. We opened our first shop on April 23 this year in Newhaven, which is near Brighton in Sussex. We were getting office space there and the shop was part of the site anyway. It’s done really well. People walk in off the street and spend thousands of pounds. It’s surprised us really, as Newhaven isn’t the most affluent town.


Q. And you’ve expanded since then… A. The success of the first shop gave us the confidence to open another. Our second opened in Seaford on September 12 and our third opened in Peacehaven,


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