Glamping Business Magazine December Issue by Glamping Business Magazine

l mping G INTERNATIONAL

BUSINESS

Issue 5 December 2016

The Dome Garden Jonny Clothier interview

Offaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pitch ready for guests

stand by stand review

Kare Morel

takes glamping to Ecuador

Inspiration and Information for Glamping Operators

Hello & Welcome

Welcome to

l mping G BUSINESS

Cover photograph: With thanks to Anevay w: www.anevay.co.uk/outdoors

Glamping Business is published by: Maggie Media Ltd 01423 263219 Registered Business: Unit 2, Wyevale Business Park, Wyevale Way, Hereford HR4 7BS Other Publications: Holiday Parks Management www.holidayparksmanagement.com Publishers: Maggie Media Ltd Nina Blanchard e: nina.blanch@maggiemedia.co.uk Editor: Steph Curtis-Raleigh t: +44 (0)7887 928819 e: stephcurtisraleigh@gmail.com Sales: Kathryn Kelly t: +44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kathrynkelly@maggiemedia.co.uk Nina Blanchard t: +44 (0) 7799 430327 e: nina.blanch@maggiemedia.co.uk Design: Dean Coulter Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk

It is the season to be jolly, to pull up in front of an open fire, or a lovely stove – such as the one on our front cover (courtesy of Anevay). For many of you reading this issue, you may have already seen your last guests of 2016 – for others, you are managing to make the yearround glamping business dream a reality! I recently enjoyed an October half term holiday at the Dome Garden in Gloucestershire. Nestling on the edge of the Forest of Dean, this was the most amazing setting for an Autumn glamping trip. We enjoyed tramping through russet leaf-strewn woods by day (with wild boar

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Other Events: The Glamping Show w: www.glampingshow.com e: dan.w@theglampingshow.com

No reproduction of any part of the magazine is permitted, nor storage in a retrieval system without prior consent of the publisher. No commercial exploitation is permitted. No warranty is implied in respect of any product or trader mentioned herewith. Prizes offered in competitions might be substituted with ones of similar value.

Steph

Glamping Business Editor

Contents

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snorting nearby) and feasting on wonderful food in the evening at the Dome Garden’s lovely restaurant. Owner Jonny Clothier is one of glamping’s pioneers and he kindly took the time to be interviewed for this issue. We also revisit Phil and Avril this month with their brand new glamping business – Offa’s Pitch. In this latest article – they get more than they bargained for when they look for an impartial opinion on their accommodation! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers and advertisers for their support in this our launch year and to wish you a very merry festive season. See you again in 2017 and look out for our monthly newsletter!

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Industry news

www.adria-mobilehome.com

Glamping Show review

The Dome Garden

Green Tourism – Jon Proctor on the benefits Claire Boyles on surviving Tripadvisor

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New products

Offa’s Pitch and the wedding hitch Kate Morel in Ecuador

The SETT show review – Montpellier

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Wildwood-Design

07985 395 921

wildwood-design@mail.com - www.wildwood-design.org

www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping News

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Robust and Reliable: BOND Safari BOND has been designing and manufacturing bespoke glamping structures and marquees for over 28 years. With their hidden galvanised steel frames BOND Safari Tents are arguably one of the most robust safari structures available. All structures are made and hand finished at BOND’s factory in Gloucestershire with the highest quality materials such as heavy weight PVC roofs and waterproof, rot-resistant and breathable canvas walls - resulting in exceptional quality. The team at BOND work closely with their customers and are very proud to offer a personal, supportive service from planning all the way to installation and beyond. Kate Tregonning runs Brownscombe Luxury Camping in South Devon. When Kate first contacted BOND she had a strong goal in mind to offer families that idyllic back to nature experience with a high level of comfort and luxury. Kate’s experience with Bond was positive throughout the process; “Right from the beginning BOND were different from other tent suppliers in the market place. They were competitive on price but what made them stand out was the customer service - changes were made to their basic design to suit my site, the team came to put them up over two visits and they coped with the rain and long hours with good humour.” Kate is very pleased with the results so far and adds, “We are based in Devon, which gives us an advantage as it is a tried and trusted holiday destination, however we have been really pleased that our occupancy has gone up from 56% to 86% this year in the same period from May October and it is 100% in school holidays. This was way ahead of our business plan as we had budgeted for 70%. The feedback on the finished product has been very positive and I would highly recommend BOND.” www.bondfabrications.co.uk/safari-tent

Canadian Cedar Hot Tubs Now in the UK Verdure Outdoor Living saunas and hot tubs are unique in the UK marketplace Using the highest quality sustainable Western Red Cedar, grown over decades in the stunningly beautiful mountains of British Colombia, each item is produced by forest artisans in the Ontario countryside and carry the name of the individual craftsman who built it. “Our highly skilled craftsmen have all chosen not work in a largescale factory setting, but from their own workshops in small groups of creative specialist wood workers. They also choose to work with Western Red Cedar for its durability, strength, beauty and versatility, but also because it is sourced from the most sustainably managed forests in the world,” says Charlie Timms, sales executive. Canadian Western Red Cedar is a highly revered, incredibly durable wood that is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attacks – which means that everything that is constructed with it will last longer and will require less maintenance. All Verdure products are hand crafted in rural Canada using high quality Western Red Cedar – shipped to the UK and lovingly assembled by our team at your home or chosen location www.verdureoutdoorliving.com

Willerby Lifestyle signs four new deals Willerby Lifestyle, a division of Willerby Innovations, has signed new agreements with four holiday home dealerships, bringing its wide range of off-site modular solutions to holiday parks across the UK from 2017. Following a successful show season, Southern Counties Leisure, Salop Leisure, Harrison Leisure, and Skegness Caravan Sales have all become Willerby Lifestyle dealers. All four were already Willerby Holiday Homes dealers and the new Willerby Lifestyle products will complement their existing product offering.

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Glamping News

Dimpsey Glamping Wins Gold Dimpsey Glamping in Chard, Somerset, has won Gold in the Glamping Business of the Year category of the Tourism Awards for Bath, Bristol and Somerset held in Bristol in October.

Round up your Twagons Wildwood-design is the home of the “Twagon”- towable wagon, Twagons combine the luxury and practicality of modern design yet incorporate the timeless defining features of traditional vehicles. Twagon is the product name for these beautiful car towable wagons which are available in two versions: the bowtop and the showman’s. The showman’s model was launched this year at both the Glamping Show and the 'NEC Camper and Caravan Show. This new model was extremely well received by both the industry and the public, with visitors very excited by its versatility, build quality and attention to detail. “At Wildwood-design we are passionate about traditional build features so we always incorporate them into our designs. For example the Bowtop has a rear bay window and comes fully chamfered as per tradition. The showman’s incorporates a molly croft roof, rear bay window and stable door,” says Wildwood’s Chris Ward. “Although we love tradition we also understand that the best way to build a product that will stand the test of time is to incorporate modern building techniques into its construction. All our Twagons come fully insulated for all year round use and a waterproof breathable membrane is used to protect against any damp. We also use many contemporary marine products; glues, sealants and paints in our builds as they are very high performing product in extreme conditions.” By combining the traditional and the modern Wildwood give their products products a stunning appearance which complements the functional design. All our interiors are fully bespoke and the exterior colour is chosen from the excellent pallet range offered by international paints. And to make your Twagon truly unique to you it can be decorated in your favourite colours by their fantastic wagon painter Sarah Harvey. http://www.wildwood-design.org

Sponsored by Aztec Media, Dimpsey was one of three South-West glamping businesses to have been shortlisted from 110 entries in the category. Emma Warren, who runs the 5* luxury glamping retreat, is delighted for Dimpsey, which has been a labour of love for her over the past 18 months. She says: ‘We are over the moon to have won Gold for Dimpsey. We are one shepherd's hut on a farm, but our glamping experience is all about reconnecting with each other in a luxurious hut that allows you to relax in nature and enjoy time away from it all. It's a very boutique experience and we cater specifically for couples. ‘We've added a hot tub and wood-fired oven this year, and we've seen occupancy hit almost 100%, which is wonderful. We're so pleased that people love their stays with us! We'll display our award proudly in the hut for new guests to see. ‘As Sally Shalam the tourism consultant at the awards last night said - we really are in the "happiness business" and we are so very happy to be part of that for people who love glamping.” Dimpsey will now be fast-tracked into the South West awards and possibly the VisitEngland awards later this year. The Tourism Awards were launched to help raise the profile of the area and recognise its top operators. The awards included 20 different categories, reflecting the diversity of the region's tourism industry.

First Devon Glamping Award Goes to Longlands Longlands in Combe Martin won gold for Glamping Business of the Year in the 2016 Visit Devon Awards. Bella Given, owner of Longlands, said: "We are so delighted that our hard work over the past five years has been recognised. The entire Longlands team has put their hearts and souls into making it a success, so it is wonderful to celebrate with them. "This accolade is all the more special because it is the first competition we have ever entered. It's brilliant that glamping is a standalone category for the first time because it is a totally different experience to staying in self-catering accommodation, and one that is increasing in popularity every year."

www.glampingbusiness.com

Image shows Emma Warren, second from left, the owner of Dimpsey Glamping

Glamping News

CPES Clean Up at Shows The great response at the Glamping Show and Farm Business Innovation from land owners and small park operators to CampPlus & Camperclean indicates how the niche sector for glamping is looking to raise the bar in terms of luxury and quality for their guests. Caravan Park Electrical Services Ltd have always been at the forefront of providing high quality products to the camping sector, with their ground breaking camping units that they developed for key camps in the 1980’s. For over 30 years they have focussed on bringing quality and innovative products to the holiday park sector, providing electrical distribution units, that both look good and do the job. They provide a bespoke service, as well as off the shelf products for tent’s, tourers and static pitches. Their friendly staff are happy to offer advice, weather you want to simply buy a connection unit for your own electrician to install, or would like a full design and installation package.

Inn Style powers Glastonbury Glamping Leading online booking provider Inn Style was chosen by The Pop Up Hotel, which offers a glamping experience for festival goers for some of the most high-profile festivals in the UK including Glastonbury and Cornbury. “Our online booking engine needs to be fast, slick, intuitive and easy to navigate. It must also cope with the huge surge in demand that occurs when festival ticket sales begin,” says Mark Sorrill from The Pop Up Hotel. “We offer luxury camping experiences for guests at some of the biggest and best festivals in the UK. Attending one of these world renowned festivals is a big occasion for visitors and expectations are high.”

CampPlus is an innovative product that Caravan Park Electrical Services Ltd are sole distributor of in the UK & ROI. It is an ensuite facility which can be easily sited to provide either en-suite accommodation for each camping pitch, or can be used as the sole toilet block for small sites. It is a high quality, cost effective solution which guests rave about once they have experienced having their own en-suite on a campsite.

“Guests expect us to deliver amazing accommodation. We want to provide a fabulous service and make sure the event is memorable for all the right reasons. It’s imperative that the booking system reflects our same high standards and the expectations of our customers. Inn Style effortlessly does both.”

Camperclean is another great product designed to make the cleaning of portable toilet cassettes as easy and guest friendly as possible. The user simply inserts a coin into the machine, inserts the toilet cassette and in under 2 minutes they are presented with an emptied cassette which has been washed and re-sanitised. No mess, no smell and no blue hands.

“There is massive traffic on the Inn Style booking system, as soon as the Glastonbury tickets are released for sale. Once festival-goers have purchased their tickets, they are keen to secure their accommodation of choice and Inn Style copes brilliantly with the surge in demand. It’s fast, robust and the response times never falter,” adds Mark.

If you would like to know more about these great products call 01790 753153 or email sales@cpes.co.uk

With luxury accommodation ranging from yurts, bell-tents, safari tents, airstreams and even Tenthouse suites, The Pop Up Hotel guests can choose a package to perfectly enhance their festival experience. Additional luxury services are offered, such as a Pop-up Spa, relaxed service restaurant, concierge service, helipad and even a pool.

Lotus Belle Hits the Kiwi Market Six Lotus Belle tents have gone to newly established Valley Views Glamping in Oamaru, New Zealand. The business will operate over spring and summer, and will feature six sites, each with a 5m-wide Lotus Belle tent. Inside each tent will be a king or super king bed that can split into two singles, as well as two chairs and two side tables. Each tent is set up on a macrocarpa platform, which extends out 2m in front of each tent to create a deck. The northwest side of each platform is to be planted with tussock and flaxes to help shelter the tents from wind. An off-grid lodge is also being built near the sites and will include shower and toilet facilities, a kitchen and dining area and a patio. It is hoped the business will be running by mid-January and the lodge completed in March.

“Finding the correct online booking system was very important for us. We needed a very adaptable system than could handle the many variables that we have.” He added, “The way The Pop Up Hotel operates is very different from the norm. It’s not every hotel that has such spikes in demand, changes location and has the number of options that we have!” Mark acknowledged. He continued, “The Inn Style team has great knowledge. The team is small enough to care, and to listen to what we need. They understand that their clients all have different requirements and the system is brilliantly adaptable to suit our expectations. The Inn Style team has been very responsive and understood that we have an unusual modus operandi. They’ve worked really hard for us and we’re very grateful to them all.”

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Glamping News

Comfort and Value from Mattressman

If you need mattresses for your business, look no further than the Mattressman Trade department! The rapidly expanding Mattressman team provides high-quality mattresses, bed frames and divans to hotels, holiday homes, leisure parks and more across the country. All mattresses meet Source 5 or Source 7 flammability standard, and with a huge variety of types and sizes available, there’s sure to be something to suit your needs. Popular mattresses in Mattressman’s trade range include the Hotel Four Pocket, a pocket sprung mattress with luxurious natural fillings and a Medium-Firm tension. Ideal for easing back pain and preventing the buildup of uncomfortable pressure points, pocket springs provide much better support than open coil mattresses, as they respond individually to pressure, allowing them to mould to the body and the natural curve of the spine. Pocket sprung mattresses are also ideal for couples, as the individual movement of the springs means minimal disturbance between partners and a better night’s sleep. The Mattressman trade department supplies mattresses in all standard sizes from small single up to super king size, but can also offer custom size mattresses, with sizes up to 7ft by 7ft. King and super king size mattresses are available as versatile zip-and-links, too. You can also get a great range of stylish bed frames, or buy your mattresses as a bundle with a quality customisable divan base. Mattressman offers free delivery to most areas of the UK on all orders over £45, whether you want one mattress or 100, and if you place your order before 4pm, you’ll get it the next working day – perfect if you need to replace a mattress in a hurry. If you want to find out more or to get the best deals, give the friendly Trade sales team a call on 0800 5677625.

Cosy Kids with MooMoo

MooMoo have a range of polar fleece ponchos for children, which are ideal for glamping trips. They are lightweight, highly insulating and water repellant and could be the perfect accessory for glampsite shops or as a luxury accessory.

Major International Safari Tent Manufacturer Seeks UK Agent A significant and long established manufacturer of high quality safari tents is seeking a sales representative or agent to work with in the UK. Manufacturing high quality tents with luxurious interiors this company offers a high quality product with superb after sales service and support. Already well established in Europe the company has created significant interest in the UK market and wishes to appoint a UK agent with excellent knowledge and working relations with the major camping groups. Full marketing and operational support will be provided for the agent who main objective is to use their network of contacts and relationships to raise the companies profile and sales results. Contact peter.r@swanevents.co.uk for more details

“This is an ideal garment for little glampers and could be provided with laundry packs, as a little something extra to give your business that edge! These could be branded with your trade name, providing excellent advertising while out and about!” says MooMoo’s Nadine Morgan. The ponchos are uitable for boys and girls, ranging from 1year up to 13yrs. There is a whole range to choose from with attractive designs suitable for youngsters. All garments are supplied hanging or in a box, which make them perfect for gifts or special surprises! www.moomoo.uk.com

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Glamping News

Willerby Brings Enchanted Village to Life Willerby Innovations has created a fairy tale experience for visitors to Alton Towers Resort by building a retail outlet and 120 unique lodges dubbed 'The Enchanted Village'. Merlin Entertainment commissioned Willerby Bespoke, a division of Willerby Innovations, to design and build the unusual, fun lodges with their round Hobbit-style doorways and asymmetrical, pointed roofs, to create a magical place for guests to stay. With a tight timescale to work around, Willerby’s offsite modular solution was ideal, saving valuable time and ensuring the lodges could be available as early as possible. The crooked cedar shingle roofs, which were a key part of the design, were manufactured and tiled in Willerby’s factory before being delivered to site, to ensure maximum efficiency. The roofs required five pitch changes and joists as well as the incorporation of pantiles and a crooked chimney in their construction, which would have been far more difficult to execute on site. There was also no need for scaffolding and there was significant reduction in prelims. The modules, which feature two bedrooms and a bathroom, incorporated specialist joinery, bespoke themed flooring, flat screen TVs and bunk beds for children. They were all factory rendered and delivered to site where they were joined in pairs and the roof modules stitched together in-situ for maximum programme efficiencies.

Build your own shepherd hut with Tithe Barn Shepherd Huts original parts. Tithe Barn Shepherd Huts started building shepherds’ huts 5 years ago and thoroughly enjoy it. Having invested in their own patterns and, following repeated requests for parts from people who wanted to build their own hut, the company started supplying cast iron wheels a couple of years ago. Since then they have expanded their range of quality components, which now incorporates everything from a complete chassis, hardwood joinery (including double stable doors), curved and straight corrugated sheets, their unique and beautiful timber roof structures, stoves, flue kits and more – probably the most comprehensive range of quality shepherd hut parts available. The “family” of cast iron wheels comprises 20”, 24”, 32” and a whopping 40” diameter, and therefore suitable for the smallest, right through to the largest hut you might wish to build. Tithe Barn have recently introduced “bundles” of chassis parts, comprising various sizes of cast iron wheels complete with stub axles, split pins and washers, a pair of turn-plates with centre pin and a traditional heavy duty ‘A’ frame which, starting from under £1,000 are proving extremely popular. Sally Bradbury from Tithe Barn has a couple of pieces of advice for those embarking on a self-build – “Take time at the outset of your build to ensure you get your proportions right and don’t use wheels that are too small. They can spoil the look of what might otherwise be a stunning hut. Also – as you go up steps to enter a hut, your eyes are naturally drawn upwards to the ceiling. Exposed solid timber spars, with tongue and groove running above, helps create that initial “wow” factor and a memorable experience!” “Although only a small business we get plenty of visitors coming to collect parts and to see how we build our huts and, although we would never say we are experts, we are more than happy to share our knowledge,” she adds.

Janet Gurr, hotel operations director at Alton Towers Resort, said: “We wanted guests visiting our Enchanted Village to feel like they’d stepped into a fantastical forest so it was vital that the new lodges looked the part to create the full experience. Willerby worked closely with our architectural team to realise all the unique details, including the crooked roofs and chimneys, which make the woodland lodges so different. “We were impressed by the speed of installation on site as well as the quality of the finish and have had some great feedback from our guests.”

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www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping Show Review

2 01 6 The sun shone for a second year during the Glamping Show which took place from September 22-24. Once again we offered a combination of indoor and outdoor pitches and this year we even welcomed our first livestock in the form of alpacas! The seminar programme was a highlight for viisitors and despite us providing larger pods, there were stil queues forming outside some of the talks. Here is a round-up of the exhibitors who took part.

Adria UK

www.adria.co.uk Adria is already a leading manufacturer of leisure vehicles, with an excellent reputation and year of experience. The company has now recognized the growth of glamping and used the show to introduce its luxury boutique tents to the UK. The stunning tents offer designated bedrooms with beautiful features such as kingsize beds, hotel style bathrooms and a comfortable open plan lounge, kitchen and dining room. You can select standard specification or upgrade with additional features, including air conditioning and an outside terrace complete with hot tub give you those luxury finishing touches for the perfect getaway.

Alpaca Alliance

www.alpacaalliance.com These guys stole the show! Who could resist these beautiful coloured alpacas? They are the ideal accompaniment to any glamping business. As rare and valuable animals that produce a highly regarded luxury product for a rapidly growing market they are profitable in their own right, but their gentle, curious nature means alpacas are a family friendly unique selling point for your glamping enterprise as well! The Alpaca Alliance is a leading name in coloured alpacas throughout Europe. Conveniently located in both the north and south of the UK, they provide help and support to new alpaca enterprises ranging from high quality breeding animals and ready-trained trekking alpacas to lovely, friendly pets.

catering cottages. Helping to reduce those time-consuming dayto-day admin tasks – the system offers management flexibility, offering real-time availability and bookings to your website, handling payments, integrated e-marketing and text messaging, and firing out emails automatically to help you sell extras such as dog passes, hampers and electric hook-ups. Clever reporting whether routine, housekeeping or financial – also helps you to keep your finger on the pulse.

Aquashell Floating Pods & Lodges www.aquashell.eu/www.aquashell.uk

Aquashell manufacture and supply innovative, ecological and contemporary floating pods & lodges, for luxury glamping and tourism projects. They are specialists in making floating structures but these can also be placed on land. They can also manufacture bespoke designs for hotels and restaurants. Amazing prices starting from £18 - £60K fully furnished and insulated with double glazing and suitable for year-round use, either on your private lake, river or on the land. These can also be used on flood plains with a special system that can lift the house up to 6 mtrs.

Ashton Shepherd Huts

www.ashtonshepherdhuts.co.uk Made in Wiltshire by experienced tradesmen and fitted throughout to the highest quality. Handcrafted doors, oak steps and bespoke furniture is created and fitted. Ashton Shepherd Huts offer eco-friendly locally sourced materials where possible to create stunning traditional Shepherd Huts.

Anytime Booking

Ashwood Shepherd Huts

Anytime Booking is a web-based booking and management system designed for glampsites, campsites, holiday parks and self-

Ashwood Shepherd Huts is a long-established family-run hut building company, designing and building huts starting from the

www.anytimebooking.co.uk

www.ashwoodshepherdhuts.co.uk

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www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping Show Review

basic 12ft X 7ft up to a shepherd’s cabin. The company’s 2016 show cabin demonstrated their innovative approach to new concepts and uses within a hut and was met with an extremely positive response from visitors to the exhibition.

BCT Outdoors

www.bctoutdoors.com BCT manufactures a range of tents for the Glamping market, which are based on commercial usage and have been manufacturing tents for over 100 years in Yorkshire, offering a range of over 30 models. The company also offers a state of the art washing and proofing facility with machinery capable of handling up to 90kg.

Blackdown Shepherd Huts

www.blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk Blackdown Shepherd Huts Ltd was established in Somerset in 2011 by cousins Will & George and last year delivered its 200th Shepherd's Hut. A skilled team of craftsmen create the company’s huts, from the top of the range Turnkey Hut or the Artisan Self-Build option for the keen DIY person.

Boldscan

www.boldscan.co.uk

Boldscan’s Albion Canvas collection includes a range of quality tents for Glamping: from traditional Safari and Bell tents to futuristic Geodomes and their newest canvas creations – The Etosha and Kora. Boldscan’s clearspan Clubhouse is the perfect addition for a cafe, shop, wedding or conference venue.

Bond Fabrications

www.bondfabrications.co.uk BOND is a leading and trusted manufacturer in the UK with over 28 years of experience in the design and manufacture of bespoke marquees and glamping structures. Bond’s Safari Tents are available in three sizes and all of the structures are handmade in Gloucestershire with the highest quality performance materials including impermeable PVC roofs, waterproof and rot-resistant breathable canvas walls and of course our hidden galvanised steel frames which create one of the most robust safari structures in the industry

Cadac BBQs

www.cadac.uk.com Since 1948, CADAC, the South African BBQ Company has designed andengineered a range of premium barbecues. Easy to build, easy to use and easy to clean, CADAC have pioneered the way with a range of modular, interchangeable cooking surfaces. Recently, Cadac has invested heavily in bespoke tooling for an

extensive range of patio barbecues covering price points from £200 to £1,500. Cadac barbecues offer a unique style, premium quality and an ease of cleaning that make the brand a real contender for sale or hire into the Glamping market

Camping Connect

www.Campingconnect.co.uk Camping Connect are specialists in providing public and social WiFi solutions for the leisure industry, delivering dependable, affordable and legally compliant systems for businesses of all sizes. From creating additional income streams via supplying payas–you–go Internet access to collecting marketing information from your customers via their Social WiFi analytics tools, Camping Connect will have a WiFi solution to meet your needs

CampManager

www.campmanager.com CampManager is a tailored online booking and management system, providing a complete solution for managing your business. CampManager is cloud-based allowing bookings and payments to be taken from any device with internet access. CampManager will display availability for all your accommodation types in real time, and offer alternative dates and durations during busy periods. Automated emails with links to allow customers to pay invoices online will save you valuable time and administration costs. Personalised emails and booking confirmations will strengthen your brand.

CampPlus

www.campplus.nl CampPlus are Dutch manufacturers of en-suite campsite pods, represented in the UK exclusively by CPES, Caravan Park Electrical Services Ltd. At the Glamping Show CampPlus presented the latest CampPlus model: The Duo. Semi-detached, it serves 2 campsite pitches. Each has it’s own ensuite shower room. State of the art soundproofing and a floating floor ensure that your guests feel at ease in their own space. CampPlus units are very easy to install, they’re plug & play. Just connect them to water, electrics and sewerage and they’re ready to go.

Caravan Park Electrical Services Ltd www.cpes.co.uk

Caravan Park Electrical Services Limited are market leaders in the design, manufacture and installation of electrical distribution systems on holiday, park home and touring parks throughout the United Kingdom. Formed in 1982 in Spilsby Lincolnshire, the company has supplied the caravan industry throughout Europe with its range of specialist electrical products. CPES Ltd offer a range of products including CamperClean, the emptying and cleaning station for touring caravan cassettes and is the exclusive UK distributor for the CampPlus en-suite facilities

Cedartree

www.cedartreeuk.com Cedartree used The Glamping Show to launch its attractive range of "Cedarhuts" to suit the glamping industry, holiday farm tourism, wedding venues, golf courses and particularly the residential market.

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Glamping site for sale

Oakfields, is the perfect glamping site, nestled in the heart of Pembrokeshire, surrounded by fields, trees and woodland. It has good road links, is private with beautiful views. It comprises of a large 4/5bedroom house (suitable for B&B) two self-contained units , ideal for holiday let's . 7 stables suitable for conversion to glamping units . 16 acres (8 acres used to be a touring caravan site) plus a 4500 sq ft storage unit Please contact the owner direct for detailed information Joanne: 07773241640 P.O.A.

0845 601 1099

Cedartreeâ&#x20AC;Ś making the best of nature. Cedarhuts and Cedarcabinsâ&#x20AC;Ś. Glamping at its best.

www.cedartreeuk.com

Units 7&8 Bates Industrial Estate, Wycombe Road, Stokenchurch, High Wycombe HP14 3PD

www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping Show Review

Based in Stokenchurch in Oxfordshire, Cedartree buys cedar directly from managed cedar plantations in British Columbia, and manufactures entirely from raw log to finished product.

Centre For Alternative Technology www.cat.org.uk

CAT is an education and visitor centre demonstrating practical solutions for sustainability. Coveirng all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing.

Certainly Wood

www.certainlywood.co.uk Certainly Wood is the UK's largest specialist supplier of British kiln-dried logs, kindling and Flamers natural firelighters. It supplies its product in a number of different pack options and provides a perfect package for Campsite owners who allow fires or who now have wood burning stoves in their tipis or yurts.

CLA

www.cla.org.uk Formed in 1907, the CLA is the membership organisation for owners of land, property and business in rural England and Wales. Anyone who owns rural land, no matter how much, will benefit from joining the CLA. The CLA is the only organisation dedicated to defending your interests as a landowner and is your only truly independent and authoritative source of advice on matters including planning, diversification and rural tourism. At the show, the CLA ran a series of fascinating seminars which were standing room only for delegates.

Horse Box Hideaways

www.horseboxhideaways.com Clarty Conversions takes old horse trailers and converts them into beautiful glamping pods with bespoke compost loos and offgrid showers to create a truly pop-up experience. Their conversion team of craftsmen take an old trailer and turn it into something beautiful to the specification required by the client. They call their converted trailers 'Horsebox Hideaways' and brought one to the show.

Classic Glamping

www.classicglamping.co.uk Classic Glamping was established in 2013 and now has a portfolio of over 50 glamping destinations. Specialists in helping operators turn a muddy field into a fabulous glamping getaway. The team at Classic Glamping can help operators to understand what guests want. They can help handle the nitty gritty of IT, admin and finances and hold your hand every step of the way. Classic Glamping is the leading marketing agency for luxury glamping accommodation with en suite facilities throughout the South West.

Clear Sky Safari Tents www.safaritents.net

In the four years Clear Sky have been in business, they have become a ‘go to’ company for safari tents and it’s not hard to see why. Specialising in supplying stunning safari tents, made to the very highest quality and due to the fact they manufacture in large

numbers they are 30-40% lower in price than many competitors. Clear Sky also run their own glamping site in Kent, which means from planning permission to creating a website they have done it all and are more than happy to share their knowledge with you!

Coirstore

www.coirstore.co.uk Coirstore, based in Somerset is a small import/retail business providing premium quality coir matting to the marquee, hospitality and glamping sectors. Their Director, Andy personally visits suppliers, mills and manufacturing units in India to inspect working conditions and production first hand. This gives them the ability to ensure the products they supply are ethically produced from the highest quality natural coir fibre, and of excellent workmanship.

Cool Camping

www.coolcamping.co.uk The Cool Camping website is one of the most popular curated glamping websites in the UK with well over 2 million unique users each year. The recent launch of an industry-leading booking system now enables glamping owners to take bookings directly via www.coolcamping.co.uk, while also offering an integrated solution to take bookings on the glampsites’ own website. The new system has taken £3 million in booking revenue for glampsites in its first year, and stands apart from others with its glamping focus and easy-to-use design.

Costco

www.costco.co.uk Costco Wholesale, the world’s second largest retailer, is a membership warehouse club that is dedicated to bringing its members an extremely wide range (selling everything from diamonds to dog food!) of quality goods and services at the lowest possible trade prices, all backed by unbeatable guarantees. At the stand, visitors who joined at the show received a free £10 Costco Shopping voucher that is not available when joining in a Warehouse or online at www.costco.co.uk

Create Escapes

www.createescapes.co.uk Create Escapes was founded by Ben Langford-Archer who grew up in the great outdoors and had a passion for design and construction. Create Escapes’ aim is to provide a range of competitively priced products to help individuals find moments of solitude and quiet to connect with their thoughts, individuals and their surroundings. As more and more of us populate dense urban areas; the desire to find an escape is increasing. These intimate retreats allow people to filter out the distractions and pressures of modern life and reconnect with the things that are most important to them.

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Glamping Show Review

Easy Cabin

www.easycabin.co.uk

Exhibiting under our EasyCabin brand, AJC Trailers, are one of the leading manufacturers of mobile and static welfare facilities, mobile and static Sleeper units, Toilets and Showers. The company showed the EasySnooze, at The Glamping Show, a 2-berth , static accommodation unit, ideally suited to provide clean, comfortable and spacious temporary en-suite sleeping quarters for events, holiday lets, hotels, student accommodation and construction. The EasySnooze range comes in various specifications from the Compact to the Executive Range all of which can be stacked to utilise space.

Ecotoilets

www.ecotoilets.co.uk

Create Structures

www.createstructures.co.uk Create Structures is an authorised dealer of Unidome. Unique, ecological and beautifully formed - the timber frame construction of these temporary structures mean they blend in seamlessly across a wide range of outside locations. The sustainable, low impact nature of the Unidome, has already propelled its use as accommodation throughout festivals and glamping sites across the UK. The Unidome is handmade in the UK and customisable features include fabric colours, branding and gull wing doors.

Davies and Co.

www.daviesandco.co.uk Chartered Surveyors specialising in advising farms and rural businesses , leisure and tourism operators on securing planning permission and reduction in business rates charged.

Decking NI Ltd

www.deckingni.co.uk/www.deck25.com Decking NI Ltd was established in 2002. Since then, the company has emerged as a UK market leader in the manufacture, importation and supply of high quality, low-maintenance Eco products to the Landscaping, Construction, Leisure, Equestrian and Playground industries. Their low maintenance outdoor products are designed, engineered and manufactured to withstand the harshness of the UK climate, particularly the high levels of rainfall.

Dub Box

www.dub-box.com Dub Box is one of coolest glamping trailers around. Handmade and made to order, these fabulous campers are tailored to your specification. Choose internal and external colours to give your campsite the real wow factor and a unique camping experience. Dub Box has all your customers need, a spacious dining area with seating for four adults, a huge converted bed, a kitchenette with plenty of storage. The optional lifting roof gives the iconic design a real sense of space and room for the little ones to sleep.

www.glampingbusiness.com

Ecotoilets Ltd is the UK’s leading supplier, distributor and installer of waterless toilets. Whether you need toilets and showers for your camping and glamping site, your allotment society, church, school, community garden, garden office or new build property, in fact, anywhere a loo is required, they can provide the solution to all sanitary needs. No water goes in and no sewage comes out. No pit to dig, no smells to cope with and no chemicals required.

Energy Solutions

www.energy-solutions.co.uk Energy Solutions is the UK's leading supplier of off-grid power systems, supplying high quality systems to customers across the UK and internationally for whom connection to the grid is not a viable or desired option. Their range of Off-Grid Power Solutions includes the EasyGrid range – a plug and play solution for businesses and locations looking for a straightforward, affordable way to generate their own power; and VariPower variable speed generator combined with a highly efficient battery bank.

Espresso Essential

www.espressoessential.co.uk Espresso Essential burst upon the world stage back in 2003 and their motto “coffee for life” espouses their philosophy and business ethic – bringing great tasting coffee to coffee lovers all over the world through the sale or leasing of their award-winning real bean to cup automatic vending machines.

Exclusive Tents

krazy@exclusivetents.com Exclusive Tents International is the leader and pioneer in designing and setting up the most luxury, Eco-sensitive, glamping, resort and accommodation tents in the world. Unlike most products in the luxury tent industry, Exclusive Tents carefully crafts each tent based on each and every one of their clients’ unique needs. With our revolutionary design and superior product, made form the highest quality materials, Exclusive Tents are built to be tested by time and the elements. With 31+ available designs, they offer one of the largest selections available in the market.

Glamping Show Review

Farm Stay UK

Hangzhou Leshade Outdoors Limited

Farm Stay UK is a membership-based organisation made up of over 800 farm or rural-based members. Farm Stay UK finances its entire operation through membership fees boosted, wherever possible, by income from sponsorship or advertising. Through its website and printed directory as well as through various marketing activities, it promotes farm and rural tourism in the UK. Farm Stay UK is also there to assist members to broaden their income base through diversification. Glamping has been highlighted as a large growth area for current and potential Farm Stay Members.

Hangzhou Leshade has a range of beautiful canvas bell tents, teepees and safari tents that can help you find the perfect tent for your family holiday, glamping holiday site or festival, wedding or party hire business. They select the highest quality materials for our tents so that they perform to the standards that you expect. Their tents are constructed from a range of different weights of canvas, PVC groundsheets, sturdy frames and accessories to individually tailor the tent to your requirements so that it meets its intended purpose and your budget

FlueCube

Hooked on Glamping

A Woodburning stove can be an essential part of the Glamping experience. But a combination of inexperienced users, children, fire and Carbon Monoxide present some worrying hazards. Manage those risks by having your stove installations designed and safely installed by Gloucestershire’s Woodburning stove experts using the revolutionary FlueCube.

Hooked on Glamping develops, manufactures and hand-crafts, unique glamping accessories specifically orientated to the Bell Tent and Glamping market. The Glamp Clamp™ hooks, hangers and self-supporting table fit pole sizes from 25-50mm diameter and can be adjusted to any height. All products are assembled around the pole after the tent is pitched, and are flat packed for ease of transport.

www.farmstay.co.uk

www.fluecube.co.uk

Garden Exteriors

www.gardenexteriors.co.uk Authentic Arctic Structures - Outdoor Living with a difference.

Goodflo

www.goodflo.com Goodflo partner with leisure and hospitality businesses in the management and disposal of fats, oils and grease created in their larger scale food preparation and wash up. Typically their customers have concerns and issues with environmental, legal or landlord compliance resulting from the management of fats, oil, and grease in their business wastewater wash activities. Goodflo have introduced both innovative products and services that effectively manage this problem in both on and off grid leisure environments. Goodflo are ISO 9001 accredited, fully licensed by the Environment Agency and all the waste managed on behalf of our customers is processed in a green energy production partnership.

Green Eco Living

www.greenecoliving.co.uk Green Eco Living are suppliers of Chalet Pods and camping pods with super-insulated walls, floors and roofs. They have a number of different models in their range as well as manufacturing bespoke items.

GTF Event Equipment Finance www.gtf-eef.co.uk

GTF Event Equipment Finance is a "Glamping" specialist Independent Finance Broker. They provide finance options Finance Leases, Hire Purchase or Commercial Loan facilities for new start and existing Glamping businesses to acquire new equipment. Equipment examples - Safari Tents, Tipis, Log Cabins, Shepherd Huts, Portable Shower/Toilets, Catering equipment and much more!

www.leshadetent.com

www.hookedonglamping.co.uk

Horne Engineering

www.horne.co.uk

Since 1909, Horne Engineering has been designing and manufacturing specialist thermostatic valves and showers that deliver safe and comfortable warm water for handwashing, bathing and showering into a variety of specialist markets (healthcare, education, sport and leisure, DDA). Including the growing holiday park and glamping sectors. A selection of shower panels from Horne’s extensive range was on show, including specialist showers for less able users. The Duo is particularly well suited to glamping sites: providing a neat, colourful and quirky design that is also highly robust, easy to use, clean, and maintain. It’s also environmentally economical and cost effective.

Inflate Works

www.inflateworks.com Inflate Works is the exclusive operator of Airclad and Inflate products, providing hire opportunities, management services and crewing. AirClad is the next generation of temporary prefabricated event buildings. Its mobile, modular system is capable of being deployed almost anywhere. It has a range of expo off the shelf structures. The studio has also launched popup, mobile hotel rooms through the brand Snoozy – opening up a whole new world of accommodation Inflate is a progressive brand creating striking, bold, contemporary structures with Air. Supported by its own dedicated design and production team in the UK and Belgium with an expanding network

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Glamping Show Review

Katatipis

Mattressman

Katatipis is a UK manufacturer of Giant Event Tipis. They are not only experts in tipis, but also specialise in permanent tipi venue partnerships. They are looking to expand our venue partnership portfolio and have opportunities for those who have spectacular spaces and wish to diversify their revenue, but require a "turnkey" venue solution. The company offers the full tipi venue set up, website, local and national marketing, as well as all the support you would require to ensure your venue is a success.

Mattressman Trade Division looks after all of the needs for your mattresses, divans and beds frames for holiday parks, glamping sites, holiday lets and any commercial property. All products are in stock ready to send for next

www.katatipis.co.uk

Landpod

www.landpod.co.uk Landpod has designed and patented an all-terrain camping pod which fills a gap in the market. A simple but innovative design that does not rely on ground conditions to provide a comfortable platform for enjoying the great outdoors. A 12-volt dashboard for lighting and charging, themed options for the pod ends to suit different events and even an add-on pet pod so the family pet can enjoy the fun as well.

Littleholme Ltd

www.littleholme.co.uk Littleholme design and manufacture bespoke luxury garden buildings. These include Glamping Pods, Garden Rooms and Stables. Each structure is tailor designed by an architect to meet customers’ individual exact requirements. Following design approval by the customer, construction is undertaken by Litttleholme’s skilled workforce to ensure manufacture of a quality product at a great price. Buildings can be manufactured to include many different internal and external finishes to suit all types of use. Site ground preparation and building installation can also be accommodated

Lotus Belle

ben@lotusbelle.co.uk Lotus Belle boasts all the portability and usability of a standard bell tent whilst affording the roomy luxury of a yurt. Once pitched the 5-metre model has an astonishing 18 square metres of standing space - whilst the entire tent packs into a bag that can fit neatly in the boot of a car. It’s also remarkably easy to pitch, literally a one-man job that can take less than 30 minutes.

Lune Valley Camping Pods

www.mattressman.co.uk/contract

Modern Igloo

www.designpark.or.kr Modern Igloo is a new concept of modular housing that creates a unique and luxurious glamping unit. Being of modular design the Modern Igloo can be extended to any length required. ModernIgloo is very versatile and can be purpose-built for several other uses such as cafeteria, ticket booth, information desk, guard post, smoking shelters etc. the list is endless. Modern Igloo is very easy to install and once erected requires very little maintenance unlike textile structures. Made from ABS Panels ModernIgloo is very sturdy and not affected by wind, fire(fire point over 250C) ,Rain,snow,mold or pine resin.

MooMoo Ponchos

www.moomooponchos.com Children love outdoor fun: camping, beach, park, rock pooling etc.. but sometimes get chilly after swimming or in late afternoon. Something warm, snuggly and FUN is just thething to keep your LITTLE GLAMPERS happy and therefore your big glampers happy too. The perfect accessory, made up in unique fabrics that has a myriad of uses, practical to wear and wash too. An ideal garment for Glampers - or provide with laundry packs. These could be branded with your trade name, providing excellent advertising while out and about!! • 100% Polar Wool • Double sided for extra warmth and snuggleness • Medium weight • Easy care • Hand made in England

Naked Flame Eco-Tubs Ltd www.nakedtubs.com

Lune Valley Camping Pods are makers of bespoke camping pods – ideal for campsites, households with limited space, children's sleepovers, office workspace, playhouses, extending the earning potential on your holiday cottage or simply a relaxation room at the bottom of the garden. The pods can be built to your specification and size with or without fixtures or fittings.

Naked Flame Eco-Tubs Ltd supply beautiful and luxurious handcrafted Scandinavian wood-fired eco Hot Tubs, Saunas, Pods and other solid wooden structures within the Glamping industry and to the public. Total sustainability, low maintenance, extremely low running costs and the ability to remain totally off grid mean that your site can now have the “Wow” factor without costing the earth, not to mention giving you fantastic returns. Finance packages are also available.

Mango Crafts

Netguides

Mango Crafts specialise in designing and crafting unique home and garden creations. All the furniture is made with only the finest materials and timber.

Netguides are demonstrated GemaPark, their online booking and management system specifically designed for holiday parks. GemaPark is a service-based system that you just pay to use, no capital cost, no local installation or local security concerns and

lunevalley.co.uk

www.mangocrafts.com

www.glampingbusiness.com

www.gemapark.co.uk

no backup worries. GemaPark also integrates with payment gateways to separate credit card processing from your website. GemaPark is accessible from any location, so it is simple to manage your bookings from home or from the office and it all works off a single database so there is never a risk of double booking. It also works on PCs, Tablets and Smartphones.

Nizam

www.nizamtents.com NIizam is one of the oldest tent manufacturers in the subcontinent. For over a century, they have been manufacturing tents that have tradition and five generations’ worth experience and quality craftsmanship. The wide range of tents includes: Military, Relief, Camping/Hunting, Majlis and Re-enactment.

Outstanding

www.safaritents.co.uk For seven years now, Outstanding. has been supplying an unparalleled experience to various campsites spread across the world. They manufacture in Western-Europe so that they can manage the process and maintain a consistently high level of quality. Outstanding tents are very competitively priced as the company does not work with dealers. Constant development ensures that they always have some distinguishing elements in their products.

Paull’s Matting

www.paullsmatting.co.uk Paull’s Matting showed a wide range of both natural coir and polypropylene half moon and marquee mats at the Glamping Show. The specifically designed half moon mats are prefect for Bell Tents, Yurts, Tipis, Marquees and walkways - adding a little bit more sparkle to any Glamping structure. Various sizes stocked. Pre-cut bound and colour-coded. Good stocks held all year with quick delivery. Available in totally sustainable natural coir or in the new Paull’s Polyprop range – A durable a washable alternative to natural coir. A traditional family run English company trading since 1862.

alternative accommodation. Their special places range from yurts, safari tents, pods, narrow boats, shepherds huts, treehouses, eco houses and more. Quality Unearthed, established 2011, is a family business and part of the Quality Cottages and Quality Villages group.

Riverside Shepherd Huts

www.riversideshepherdhuts.co.uk Bringing a traditional looking hut into the current century with a steel frame and chassis offering a robust hut with a 30-year guarantee. Riverside can make from a 10ft up to 38ft. They can offer advice from planning to interior layouts to maximise your rental income.

RotoSpa Ltd

www.suttonspas.co.uk RotoSpa Limited is the UK’s only manufacturer of hot tubs. As the team at RotoSpa Limited design and manufacture their hot tubs in-house you have the flexibility of choosing a spa that suits you and your budget perfectly. They specialise in producing portable commercial hot tubs. They supply to holiday parks, music festivals and outdoor events. Rotospa Limited showed their British manufactured hot tubs at this year’s Glamping Show, as well as offering the latest spa technology and ecosystem.

SIP Energy

www.sip-pod.com In response to requests by Glamping site operators for a high quality, durable, comfortable and low energy Pod, SIP Energy responded – and without breaking the bank. Manufactured uniquely from structural insulated panels, and available in a variety of finishes, SIP Pods are the professional choice for a yearround Pod. With a 25-year structural guarantee, combined with very low maintenance and very low energy consumption, SIP Pods mean year-round Glamping is both a viable year-round commercial proposition, and the longer rental season means greater income and economy over traditional pods. Available as accommodation-only, with WC or full en-suite layouts.

Sleeping Bag Beauties

www.sleepingbagbeauties.com

Pods by Future Rooms is a family-run business that designs, builds and installs stunning and unique Pods, whether they be for Glamping, extending accommodation or activity space; their use is versatile therefore they can cater for all your needs.

Whether you’re off to a festival, travelling the world or simply want to brighten your sofa, Sleeping Beauties create beautifully printed, on-trend sleeping bags for camping and glamping. These fashionable sleeping bags roll up conveniently with a handle to be carried like a bag. Each sleeping bag has a matching pillowcase and eye mask. There is a concealed inner pocket for camping essentials such as tissues, keys, phone etc. Sleeping bags are pretty enough to be used as a throw, picnic blanket or as guest bedding.

Popaloo

Solar Technology International

Popaloo provides a unique compact, Eco friendly and highly portable toilet system which can provide practical and inexpensive solutions for remote locations.

Established in 2000, Solar Technology International is an awardwinning, UK based company at the forefront of solar engineering and innovation. They are always looking for new and exciting ways to extend the usage of 'off-grid' solar solutions to power our everyday lives. Whether working in the office, field, stable or garden, camping, cruising, climbing a mountain or horse riding, they have a solution for you.

Pods by Future Rooms

www.podsbyfuturerooms.co.uk

www.popaloo.co.uk

QualityUnearthed.co.uk tim@qualityunearthed.co.uk

Quality Unearthed is a holiday letting agency specialising in

www.solartechnology.co.uk

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Giving the Glamping Industry the “Wow” factor… Naked Flame Eco-Tubs are proud suppliers of their totally offgrid, hand-crafted Scandinavian wood-fired Hot Tubs to the ever growing Glamping industry and the general public. Various sizes and models are available to suit any space including the increasingly popular two-person LuvTub. Perfect for the romantic retreat and smaller spaces due to low water consumption, ultra fast heat up times (1hr), low maintenance and stunning beauty. Proven within the Glamping Industry to cure under occupancy whilst providing great returns for owners. Totally off-grid, low maintenance and low running costs make the wood-fired option hard to ignore. Contact: 01484 766233 or email: info@nakedtubs.com See more at www.nakedtubs.com

www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping Show Review

The American BBQ Company

Outdoor Kitchen

The American BBQ Company showed its range of easy-to-use wood and charcoal-burning backyard smokers, barbecues, high heat grills, roasting boxes and rotisseries. They have grown from supplying American-built commercial smokers to the catering sector, to sourcing easy-to-use consumer equipment for people to recreate the restaurant food they love so much at home.

This small company provides exciting, simple equipment for outdoor cooking adventures. Everything is enamel except the two different sized tripods. Their ethos is to promote outdoor fun with food, get children involved and grow your own.

www.americanbbq.co.uk

The Classic Pod Company www.classicpodcompany.co.uk

The Classic Pod Company is a brand new company that takes an innovative approach to providing a unique living space, and offers the opportunity to co-design and create builds. Using local sustainably sourced wood, high quality insulation and state of the art 12v lighting systems, the hexagonal pod is just one of the range of designs to offer an adaptable unit or multiple units that fit together. The modular aspect of the design gives a flexibility of construction, and enables extra pods as required. The structure that can be flat-packed for assembly on site, or delivered in one piece. This allows the possibility for these Pods to be hired for Weddings, Festivals or bought for Hotels, Schools, or an extra living/working space at home.

The Garden Oven Company

www.garden-oven.co.uk

The Garden Oven Company has designed a range of beautiful and efficient wood fired outdoor ovens. Made in Great Britain, the practical and easy to use oven allows creation of dishes limited only by the imagination: from roasts, curries, bread and pizza, to BBQ and smoking.

The Log Pod

www.thelogpod.co.uk www.logpodholidays.co.uk Manufactured by skilled craftsmen with over 30 years’ experience in the cabin and building industry from top quality materials and supplied from their factory in South Wales – Log Pods have been designed to give campsite, holiday park, B&Bs, riding centres and hotel owners a cost effective route into the popular and lucrative Glamping sector. Log Pod showed its new Mobile Grande Max at the show.

www.outdoor-kitchen.biz

The Septic Tank Store

www.theseptictankstore.co.uk The Septic Tank Store Ltd specializes in the supply and install of septic tanks, sewage treatment systems, pumping stations and ancillary products related to the wastewater treatment industry, together with the ability to provide customers with bespoke fabrications, regardless of their use.

The Tipi Company

www.thetipicompany.com The Tipi Company manufacture tipis and accessories for the use of outdoor accommodation and events. Durable, reliable and waterproof, the tipis provide an outdoor structure, that has been Made in Britain, and is perfect for the use of 5* glamping accommodation. The tipis are available in four different sizes and can either be erected onto grassed areas or built on hard standing areas such as decking and patios.

Tikspac

www.tikspac.co.uk TiksPac UK LTD is an international company with a marketleading concept within Europe for clean public space. TiksPac is an environmental concept whereby stations for the free distribution of dog waste bags are placed at selected locations. There are two different concepts: CSR is for local authorities, and RENT is for property owners, social landlords, caravan and camping grounds, marinas and hotels.

Timeless Timber

www.timeless-pods.co.uk Manufactured in the UK, the Timeless Timber Glamping Pod range provides a long-term, low-cost, low maintenance investment in your business with full payback on your investment within two years (40 weeks with two nights occupancy at an average £50 per night for Criffel and Dalby pod ranges, Laurieston Pods average a rate of £85 per night). Backed by a ten-year guarantee you can enjoy peace of mind that you will be enjoying a rental revenue for many years to come.

Tiny House UK

www.tinyhousecabins.co.uk Tiny House UK was formed in 2012, initially manufacturing bespoke mobile cabins, which are not only compact with unique space saving ideas but are surprisingly spacious. The Tiny House team uses the same materials as you would expect to see being used to build a loft conversion on a residential house and their lifespan is expected to last the same. The Cozy Cottage Tiny House range are now built as kits, which can be delivered throughout the UK as Glamping Lodges.

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Wish you were here? Thousands of affluent couples and families do. Install Country Cabins on your property and earn up to ÂŁ150 per night! Request our detailed Opportunity Report, with 10 pages of facts to inform your decision.

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0845 163 1754 or visit Country-Cabins.co.uk

www.glampingbusiness.com

Glamping Show Review

representatives from VisitEngland were available throughout the Show to answer questions from visitors and industry suppliers had about how the scheme operates.

Wigwam Holidays

wigwamholiday.com

Wigwam Holidays is the UK brand leader in the provision of glamping holidays in a unique range of heated wooden wigwam. cabins. With over 70 sites throughout the UK, Wigwam offers franchise opportunities with full access to the Wigwam brand and marketing through the website, social media, PR and inclusion in the UKs biggest glamping network.

Wildwood Design Tinywood Homes

www.tinywoodhomes.com Tinywood Homes designs and manufactures unique miniature holiday homes for luxury glamping. Tinywood Homes is a one stop shop for all you will need to set yourself up in the glamping industry. From pods to small houses, hot tubs to gazebos, outdoor BBQs and shared facilities.

Topstak

www.topstak.co.uk Ideas and great products for outdoor living are provided by Topstak, a company specializing in wood burning stoves and related products. Their new wood fired hot tub is easy to move and a great way to relax in comfort as the fire heats the water naturally. Topstak are also leading specialists in wood and charcoal fired BBQs including the Big Green Egg and the Oz Pig that doubles as a cooker and patio heater. They have extended their range of fire pits and also stock the well known Kelly kettles for that quick outdoor brew.

Towergate Insurance

www.towergateinsurance.co.uk Towergate is an award-winning and leading insurance intermediary, created to offer personal and business customers specialist insurance. Towergate offers a broad range of marketleading products and outstanding customer service. Over 4,400 committed staff are based across more than 100 offices in the UK.

VisitEngland

www.visitengland.com VisitEngland, the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national tourist board, is an official supporter of the Glamping Show. VisitEngland has recently updated its quality assessment scheme for Glamping and

www.wildwood-design.org Offering a bespoke range of traditional styled wagons, mounted on purpose-built towable chassis. By combining the traditional and the modern Wildwood gives its products a stunning appearance and functional design.

WooWoo Waterless Toilets www.waterlesstoilets.co.uk

Environmentally friendly toilet solutions for a wide range of applications. Ideal for Glamping, if you're short on space the Air Head is the most compact composting toilet, it uses no chemicals and the waste is 100% environmentally friendly and can easily be disposed of. For larger more permanent solutions there is the Kazuba toilet which dries the waste using only wind and sun and requires very little maintenance. The Envirolet is a low-water toilet that uses a vacuum flush to move the waste to a composting unit.

Yamaha

www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk For forty years, Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in the UK has resulted in establishing a very successful and renowned brand name, providing many customers with products for both work and leisure, which have given extreme enjoyment and fulfilment in their ownership experience.

Yurts 4 Life

www.yurtsforlife.com Yurts for Life was a family business established in 2008. In 2014, under new ownership, the business employs 7 full-time members of staff and produces 30-40 yurts per year. The hire business provides luxury accommodation to Glastonbury and WOMAD festivals, and for events and weddings.

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A FANTASTIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Whether you are an established glamping operator or planning to launch a glamping business; a visit to the Glamping Show will pay dividends! Discover the latest products and services and attend any of over 60 seminars covering every aspect of setting up and running a glamping business - FREE.

DEVELOP YOUR NEXT BUSINESS AT THE GLAMPING SHOW

TO REGISTER visit:www.theglampingshow.com THE GLAMPING SHOW 21st â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23rd September 2017 NAEC, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire

CLA

CLA at The Glamping Show A hunger for success, a thirst for knowledge

There’s always been a market for escapism and there’s always been a demand for luxury accommodation. Often the two have been considered mutually exclusive, but Glamping has changed that forever. Our second Glamping Show proved to be one of our most successful events of any type, and the enthusiasm of the visitors was a refreshing change from the drudge of the average trade show. Perhaps it’s because the industry is relatively young and experts few and far between that people were not afraid to ask for advice – in fact we struggled at times to cope with the demand. It was pleasing to meet so many people with vision, and a genuine desire to succeed. Luckily, our advisers have been helping members with diversification projects for many years, and the basic considerations are the same whether starting a glamping business or a visitor attraction. We’d normally advise people to take a step back and look at their existing resource and location. You will need a site, but the size and aspect will have a bearing on the type and extent of accommodation you can provide. If there are nearby attractions, this can help attract business, if not then it will be the location itself that become the draw. Can you access the necessary utilities such as water and sewage, gas and electricity?

What you have and where you are will influence what you can do, but we cannot stress too highly that it must also be something that suits your lifestyle. Providing bed and breakfast may be fine if you are an early riser, but self-catering accommodation may be more flexible and allow you time for other tasks. Some pods and tipis require more maintenance than others – is this something you can do yourself, or is it another cost you need to factor in? Look at nearby competition, because you will need to differentiate yourself. Once you have narrowed down your choice, consider visiting – and staying – at a similar operation. What you learn first hand for the cost of a weekend away could prove priceless. Most importantly, you need to find out whether planning permission is required. In this respect your Local Plan Policy sets out the strategic priorities for development of an area, and should give clear guidance on what will and won’t be allowed. A key issue is whether a temporary structure constitutes ‘development’, in which case permission is required. A ‘development’ can be either a ‘building or engineering operation’ or a ‘material change in the use of land’. However, in some cases where planning permission is required, it is deemed already to have been granted under a General Permitted Development Order. In these ‘permitted development’ cases no application is needed. This stage can be complex and could make or break your business, so when you have chosen the option you believe is right for you, and costed an outline business plan, it’s time to start taking advice. If you’re a member of the CLA or other trade organisations then you have a head start. Consider the cost of paying separately for advice on planning, change of use, employment, taxation, legal considerations and you will see that a

modest subscription that gives you access to unlimited, independent and impartial advice is a shrewd investment that will pay dividends. At the Glamping show we ran six seminars each day giving a broad outline of these and other relevant issues. Every seminar was packed with visitors wanting to learn. The feedback was that the talks enabled people to identify the areas where they most needed help and many took the opportunity to quiz our advisers in depth at the event. We welcomed many new members to the association and are already proving a range of advice as they develop their businesses. It’s a very satisfying role for our advisers, who gain from the new ideas and innovative plans our members have that adds to our own knowledge bank for the benefit of others. And finally, a connected business is a successful business. Your guests will usually expect wifi and a mobile signal. Even if you believe your paying visitors will come to get away from email, you will need the best possible connection you can access to keep your website (you will need one) up to date, submit plans, answer queries and deal with suppliers. Ignore connectivity at your peril! The CLA is the membership organisation for landowners, farmers and rural businesses. We have a team of experts in London and a regional structure able to give local support. We have been looking after the interests of our members, as well as promoting the positive aspects of land ownership and land management, for the past 100 years. For further information see www.cla.org.uk or call 01785 337005.

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BUSINESS

Dome Garden

Dome Sweet Dome

Posting a few images of my trip on social media, prompted a number of friends to comment that they too had visited. “Did you do the pizza night?” they asked. “Did you meet Jonny?” Jonny Clothier is the man behind The Dome Garden, a BAFTA-award winning documentary maker who enjoys camping. When the family came along (children Quito, Carter and India with wife Helen) the tent got too small and the Clothiers acquired a teepee. “There must be a business in this..” pondered Jonny 15 years ago. After getting his fingers burned in a venture with the Forestry Commission in Farnham, where the latter pulled out at the last minute, Jonny found himself with 20 teepees and 20 yurts and felt he had been too long away from his job to go back to documentary making. So, he started a rental business – Simply Yurts – he hired them out for events, weddings and smart parties. Lord March rented some for The Goodwood Revival and Clive Beharrell, a director of Fat Face, created a glamping encampment for his

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The Dome Garden is a glamping site with a difference. Not only because it features 11 insulated geodesic domes proper en-suite bathrooms, but also because it has pioneered a type of glamping, which focuses not just on the accommodation, but also on the guests themselves. Steph Curtis-Raleigh investigates.

son’s 21st birthday party. It was he who pressed Jonny to create a permanent camp. “Clive said to me that it was crazy to keep on putting up the yurts and taking them down again, especially when it can take up to 5 days for them to go up and 3 for us to dismantle them,” says Jonny. “He urged me to find an existing site with planning in place to avoid the problems I had encountered at Farnham. We went onto the internet and there was this site in the Forest of Dean.” In a strange twist of fate, the couple who had purchased the site at Mile End in Gloucestershire on the edge of the Forest of Dean had been inspired by one of Jonny’s documentaries, featuring a young George Clarke (of Amazing Spaces fame) as presenter, about people who had left their jobs and moved to the country to follow their dreams. Unfortunately for them, the dream was turning into a nightmare. “They soon realised that they didn’t have a tenth of the money they needed to get their

glamping venture up and running,” says Jonny. “Their £40k seed money wasn’t even enough to build the toilet block they needed.” So they sold to Jonny but remain in the area with a business making wooden tipi poles in the Forest of Dean. The Clothier family found themselves with a site in need of a lot of work and a long way from their home in Hampshire. It was 2009 and Jonny was starting to have second thoughts about yurts. “It was still early days for the glamping industry and it was the year Go Glamping (www.goglamping.net) started. Even though there was really only one five-yurt glampsite in Exmouth I had a feeling that they would soon be found all over the country,” says Jonny. “I thought the concept would get devalued.” The moment Jonny first spotted geodesic domes in a Howies brochure he knew they were what he was looking for. “I was struck immediately by the fact that they followed a European philosophy,” he says. “Yurts belong to the Mongolian tradition, Teepees belong to the great plains and

Dome Garden

prairies of North America. The Dome signifies a far more intellectual approach to building structures and relating them to the intricate patterns of natural forms. I saw the fanaticism of the European story and thought – these belong here!" Jonny tried to buy domes in Germany but they were ‘insanely expensive’ – he tried again in the US but found the supplier to be disorganised. “How difficult can it be?” Jonny asked himself and so set about designing his own version using different companies to produce individual parts. The first dome – Monkey Puzzle – went up seven years ago and is just about to be replaced. The cover is the most difficult part and Jonny eventually found a company in nearby Chepstow to build them. They manufactured gas balloons and between them and Jonny, they have moved the designs on, incorporating as many as 52 changes over the years. “Along the way we found some amazing insulation which is used in fridge curtains – apparently it is a military secret how it is made,” says Jonny with glee. Jonny added Astroturf inside the domes as carpeting and beds with lovely linen and hanging beds, which the kids just love. Each dome has proper en-suite facilities, flushing loos, wood-fired showers and two have a bath. The domes sit in a figure of eight within a landscaped garden, which is fenced for security. Hens peck freely around the outdoor kitchens and no two domes overlook each other. In the centre of the site is the newly built fire pit with children’s swings and a zip wire near by. Overlooking it all is the main house, which is now a B&B, reception area and restaurant with decking outside. This serves breakfast and dinner, has an honesty bar and is the home to the legendary pizza nights mentioned earlier. “The pizza nights are the glue that holds it all together,” says Jonny. “People meet and talk and make their own pizzas together and swap email addresses and then the next year they turn up again with the families they met here and they are now best mates. We have had people come back year after year for the last seven years; it’s a great thing. They have children of the same age and they get chatting and then the parents get chatting – that’s the way it works.”

It is easy to see how this could happen. Everyone is given a ball of dough and a lesson in how to stretch it into a pizza shape (it’s all in the piano fingers). Then toppings are added and in our case second son Carter slides the pizzas into the oven – 90 seconds later they are ready to eat. There is much hilarity in the process, which breaks the ice between families and sure enough a huge group forms to drink prosecco while their toddlers play together. The idea behind The Dome Garden is not to get away from everyone and exist in splendid isolation – more to enjoy some quality time with the family which will hopefully include the kids going off to play safely with new friends while they are there. “While I am not an eco-warrior as such, I do think it is a great thing to show children how to be more reliant on themselves. For them to understand how much wood it takes to heat a shower for example,” says Jonny. “You could almost say that part of the luxury of this form of glamping is in the slowing of time. We had a Dutch family stay with us and the father complained to me that it was not glamping if he had to chop his own wood and heat his own water. He said he spent half and hour chopping wood with his son and 40 minutes talking to his wife while the water heated. I simply asked him when he had last spent that much time talking to his wife and son. It’s about sitting there, spending time like you have it to waste!”

we weren’t going to survive,” admits Jonny. “We just kept on working and then we got to a point where I thought, there is a very small chance we’ll get through this.” There were some miserable times when the family was on site in the cold and damp and had to use friends’ houses for warm baths and cheer. Marketing in the early days was tough, sending mail shots to schools to drum up business, for example. A lot has changed with online booking and The Dome Garden has an inspiring website written in a humorous tone, very much in character with the site and Jonny himself. Before I let him get back to work, I ask him what advice he would give to people just starting out on the journey of setting up a glampsite. “Triple the money you think you are going to need – you are going to require depths of resources that you wouldn’t imagine,” he says right away. Then – “Make sure there is plenty to do nearby.” This is an important point – The Dome Garden is close to a number of celebrated mountain bike trails, has kayaking, llama walking, mazes, butterfly zoos and more nearby. Then he laughs – “Mind you people don’t realize, they will only have time to do one activity a day – the rest of the time they will be building fires!”

It certainly appears to be a formula for success The Sunday Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, Cool Camping, and even Mumsnet, all agree, naming The Dome Garden ‘The Best UK Glamping site’ and one of the ‘Top 5 Luxury Camping Sites in the UK’. Although it is wonderful to feel that the business is now a success, it wasn’t always this way. “I felt very strongly in the first year that

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BUSINESS

Green Tourism

Why you need to be energy wise by Jon Proctor - Chief Executive of Green Tourism

In our latest story we would like to share with you our green tourism journey and the work we have done with the leading Glamping sites in the UK. Our membership is relatively small but it is significant. We have some wonderful memberships and partnerships and love our members. What you may not realise is that we have raised a challenge with all our members to achieve a million tonnes carbon saving in just 3 years. So far we have saved 100,000 tonnes 10% of our target. Our glamping sites form an excellent subgroup and one which takes being a low impact low carbon business to a new level. From our research, glamping sites consume much less carbon than hotels and so we would love you to join with us and use the carbon calculator we have so you can identify if you are as low-carbon as our other glamping sites and celebrate this achievement with your customers. Our member glamping sites can even reach zero carbon if they generate and export energy to the grid and we have a few members who do that very well indeed. Saving the planet is not a one man or one woman job it is a shared objective and a shared dream and let me remind you where that dream arises. We have America to thank for the world’s most expensive tourism trip, no not John

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F Kennedy’s Christmas holiday but JF Kennedys objective to put a man on the moon. Through that experience the 12 men who have been there have all experienced Earthrise - a moment when the living planet rises from the dead moon. It is profound and the journey that started the environmental movement. It is time for you to join your stories with our own in green tourism and energy saving is our first and most important campaign. In a few short years we will see if we can really save this wonderful planet and work together. If you are not a member of green tourism ask yourself why not.

Here are our top tips for energy saving:

You cannot manage what you do not measure. Any business reading this article can use our carbon calculator which requires only 5 pieces of data to figure out how good you are. If you are interested we can register you to use it on www.green-business.co.uk Invest in LED: there are some great LED units on the market and they minimise your electricity needs, they also work very well with solar PV systems to reduce your carbon to zero. We have some great suppliers for green tourism businesses offering excellent discounts on their products. Solar energy systems are really complimentary and even relatively small units can cover important elements like lighting and small appliances. We have some great suppliers and there were some excellent solar suppliers at The Glamping Show in the autumn. For further help go to The Glamping Show show report. Saving water is saving energy. Often this can be forgotten. Mains water has a carbon footprint for pumps and treatment but also hot water for showers can be extremely wasteful. Solar hot

water can mirror the tourism year but as more visitors are interested in autumn and spring some additional heating may be required. If so look for the most efficient shower heads and don’t forget taps. In our audits often a running tap uses more water than a shower and as people are encouraged to brush their teeth for 2 minutes it can be very wasteful. Be good with wood. You may have a lot of it but it represents a lot of energy and should be conserved. Use solid fuel stoves and if you have a hot tub use sustainable timber to heat it. There is more to a good hot tub than energy and we may cover that in future articles. We would love you to become part of green tourism and we would like you to be part of our future promotions on green tourism and our achievements. Results from our carbon calculator show that a glamping venue is typically only 20% of the energy of a hotel stay. That is based on our excellent members and you can find them on our website. The only thing missing is you and we hope that this article has helped inspire you to join us.

! Glamping is an average of 3.5kg CO2 per pitch ! Budget hotels average 15kg CO2 per overnight ! Resort hotels average 23kg CO2 per overnight ! Glamping is 1/5 the carbon impact of a typical hotel ! Comparing glamping and hotels, glamping tends to represent an 80% saving of carbon Finally enjoy these words and let us see a future our children and grandchildren can be proud of. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Product News

l mping G BUSINESS

PRODUCT NEWS Relaxing adventure from Outstanding Glamping is booming and the market is growing. This development will continue. According to Robin van Kooten, owner of Outstanding, the key word to keep up with this trend is innovation. The company is constantly striving for excellent materials, service and innovative tents. "We want to exceed the expectations of our customers. We listen, understand the needs, and constantly innovate," says Van Kooten. The recent introduction of a new model underlines his ambition. In 2009, Outstanding perceived a demand for luxury safari tent vacations, and noticed it wasn’t easy for campsite owners to meet this demand. Now, seven years later, the Outstanding Safari tents are sited in 25 countries worldwide: from England to Mexico, from Canada to Iran. "It's an ongoing adventure which resulted in the unique Outstanding safari tent,”says Van Kooten. Outstanding can provide what they call, 'a relaxing adventure', meaning they can deliver the tents including transport, complete assembly and installation. Their goal is helping campsite owners to profit from the growing demand for glamping. Continues Van Kooten: “They have to be able to focus on taking bookings and their role as a host. We make sure they don’t have to worry about the tents.” His enthusiasm and passion is infectious and makes it easy to understand why his business shows an enormous growth over the last couple of years. Outstanding attended the Glamping Show this year, one of Van Kootens' favorite places to exhibit. “The organization is great and the vibe is unique. The UK is without doubt the forerunner of glamping. You can feel the energy and enthusiasm all over the fair. It’s the place to be for people sharing the same passion for camping. We have met interested people and gained a lot of inspiration.” For more information: www.safaritents.co.uk

TiksPac – Creating A Better Environment for All For those glamping sites that allow dogs, there can be issues with people picking up after their pets. One UK company has addressed this with a new concept which makes life easier for pet owners and site owners to keep the land clean. “This is a win-win concept for all property owners, glamp and camp sites, hotels and housing associations,” says Pamela Cunningham. “They simply lease the TiksPac stations and they are placed in an area of convenience for dog owners – while at the same time being branded to your business.” TiksPac stations are supplied fully assembled, including brackets for mounting on existing poles or walls. 2,500 biodegradable dog waste bags per year are included for each of your stations. A TiksPac station with free dog waste bags encourages dog owners to pick up after their dogs. You install the stations and are responsible for making sure that bags are available. The stations result in cleaner green areas, playgrounds, sandboxes and paths. A cleaner environment and the benefits of the stations are appreciated by all. Cleaning and maintenance costs can represent a large portion of any organisation’s operating budget. With TiksPac stations, these costs are reduced. Accompanying the TiksPac stations is an information sheet that can be posted in stairwells or on bulletin boards. These are used to increase understanding of why it is important for people to pick up after their dogs. With TiksPac stations in your area, you provide a service that is appreciated, and at the same time, attracts new tenants and visitors. For more information on zero cost options please contact pamela.cunningham@tikspac.co.uk

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Product News

Monkey House Barcelona Still in prototype form, this barrel-like wood and steel structure has gone on site in Spain in small numbers. The accommodation is on stilts and can be positioned over water or in virtually any location and provides amazing views as well as spacious living areas. Or do away with the stilts and the cylinder can be sited on the ground. Available in a number of formats – all boasting wit and charm. http://www.monkeyhousebarcelona.com

Sykes broaden their horizon Sykes Cottages has been letting holiday accommodation for over 25 years and in that time, their business has moved from the kitchen table to become the UK’s leading independent agency. Their journey began in the Yorkshire Dales, where Clive Sykes’ mother ran a small lettings agency for her own holiday cottages and those of friends. Clive soon saw that there was a demand for a top quality service to holidaymakers and owners, so this dedicated ‘mother and son’ team decided to create Sykes Cottages. The rest, as they say, is history. Sykes is keen to talk to glampsite owners and already features a number of among the 7,000 properties accessed by their loyal customers. “We are a little defined by our name Sykes Cottages – but we are keen to let people know that we do include glamping in our remit and we want to become better known as a booking site for this kind of product,” the company’s Charlotte Stamper told Glamping Business. For more details contact: info@sykescottages.co.uk

Have a go at archery Silver Arrow Archery can tailor make a course to suit you and your guests. Why not offer something different in the rustic setting of your glampsite? Archery is wonderfully inclusive and the minimum age to take part is just 10 years. . Archery is great for all kinds of events and settings – and everyone can hit the target with the minimum of tuition. Coaches will be on hand to supervise all involved and help develop archery skills throughout. Games and competitions will keep all guests entertained and motivated. Silver Arrow provides all the equipment, run the competitions - and keeps your guests entertained for one and a half hours. silverarrowarchery.co.uk

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Karsten add to their range The Karsten Opera 2400 is the latest model of tunnel tent from the Dutch manufacturer and it doesn’t disappoint. Made from a 280g/m2 100% Tencate Cotton Canvas, this tent comes in at a total weight of 30kg which is separated into three bags for easy handling and packing. The sewn in bisynol heavy-duty groundsheet helps this tent pitch as one, and with the four easy assemble poles that simply zip into outer sleeves, this tent is rock solid and pitched within 15 minutes. The Opera is a luxurious ‘couples’ tent, and will comfortably sleep three. The full height living area throughout and large windows makes this tent feel light, airy and very spacious. There is a half moon vent to the rear of tent allowing for a great air movement. This coupled with the superior cotton canvas material virtually eliminates condensation and feels so cosy. The single entrance door has a dual zip, the first we have seen from Karsten, allowing the canvas door to be zipped completely shut or if rolled-up allowing an integral mosquito net (screen door) to be zipped down, ensuring bugs are kept out. The doorway also benefits from a height adjustable modification to the groundsheet. In its up position the bathtub is retained, but releasing the clips allows this section to ‘lay-flat’ allowing easier access for prams and wheelchairs. The curvaceous detachable awning just refines this tunnel tent as well as providing great shade and shelter from the elements. Available from www.karstentravelstore.nl

Product News

ting it right first time The Septic Tank Store – Get Whether you need an Elsan tank for five caravans or a 1000 person drainage system for a Glamping village, The Septic Tank Store (TSTS) can provide the Expertise and the Equipment to provide you with the most practical solution for your project. The UK-based family firm has over 5 decades of experience in the drainage industry and is proud to be considered one of the leading, septic solution providers. The family group works hard at ensuring they can provide the best technology available coupled with the most robust components to ensure the systems they provide always exceed expectations. “We always plan an installation with detailed information of the site to ensure we provide the right solution for the job,” explains MD Wayne Clark. “Every job is different, with landscape variations that will determine where the best place for each aspect of the design is positioned. It is important to get it right! When you are dealing with drainage, mistakes are very,

very expensive. You can’t afford to get this wrong, if the drainage isn’t right then it will never, ever work the way it should!” TSTS can design, supply and fit the whole solution for you. The team is professional, practical and dedicated to making the whole installation run as smoothly as can be physically possible. With a large choice of units including eco-friendly systems manufactured by the most reliable firms in the world, TSTS will be happy to discuss your requirements with you so that you can make an informed decision about the installation and design. theseptictankstore.co.uk

Stoves with a Conscience Anevay, originally known as Camping Solutions, was founded in 2003. The director, John Henderson, has years of experience with humanitarian aid agencies and started developing much-needed products to be sent out to disaster zones. These products needed to be of a high quality as they were being tested to the limits in a variety of disaster situations, and were essentially life-saving devices for the people receiving them. Word of their products got out and Anevay was overwhelmed by the public demand for them. So they opened up our online store and the orders came flooding in. The first product to be retailed, the Frontier stove, developed a life of its own including its own cult following. Anevay still has the passion for designing and developing exciting yet useful products. Now they are working on items designed specifically for the public, and not just to be used as aid. “We are passionate about the Scandinavian way of life, being close to nature and having quality products that last and get passed down the family. We don’t want to be part of the throw away consumerism that is rife nowadays,” says Anevay’s Holly Carberry. “We make products that can stand up to life and our high expectations, If you are looking for something cheap just to get you by you have come to the wrong place!” The company is true to its ethos – it plants a tree for every stove it sells (and has planted one for every stove it has sold historically – or provided as aid). Anevay just enjoyed its first successful trade fair at Farm Business Innovations and is expanding further into the glamping market. “We have a few new products in the pipeline, including another glamping specific stove designed for bigger tents, like safari tents,” adds Holly. “We love designing and making stoves, UK manufacture is really important to us and we love working with the glamping industry! We want people to get outdoors all year round – not just in summer.”

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BUSINESS

Trop Advisor

How to make TripAdvisor work for your business part one

by Claire Boyles of Success Matters: Start Up Business Coach, Marketing Strategist, Professional Speaker claireboylescoach@gmail.com

The first question to ask yourself is as a business owner of a glamping business is: Do you really need to be on TripAdvisor? Will it really be of benefit to your business and is it worth the obvious risks? We will cover â&#x20AC;&#x153;When things go wrong on TripAdvisorâ&#x20AC;? (the reason why you might not want to be on it!), and how to handle negative reviews in part two of this article. The short answer is yes, it will benefit your glamping business to be on Tripadvisor; it helps more people find your business, to trust your business, and to book their holidays with you.

Being on Tripadvisor creates trust...

Holidays are precious things, most people only go on their holidays once, or twice a year if they are lucky. It can be difficult for them to save up, or to get the time off work, and if the holiday isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t great, then it has an impact on their whole quality of life. There is a lot of pressure on that single holiday to deliver so much for them. In order for people to book with you as a holiday provider they need to be able to trust you.

These images illustrate the power and influence of a third party review, It's much more believable when somebody else says about how great your glamping site is. People feel an element of mistrust when businesses write about themselves, particularly so in British culture because it's not socially acceptable to say great things about ourselves. Those who are humble, or self-deprecating about themselves are held in much higher esteem generally. A third party independent review of your business is invaluable as a marketing tool. Prospective customers can read other people's direct first-hand experience of what it is like to have their holiday at your glamping site, so it builds a lot of trust. Another valuable reason to be on Tripadvisor is that it is now a trusted brand in its own right. As a small business, it would be impossible to have a budget to be able to create this level of brand recognition, but by being on Tripadvisor, your business gains the benefit of the known brand.

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A picture paints a thousand words...

Giving prospective customers a clear image of what to expect by glamping with you is critical, and what better way to do that than through photos? The challenge on Tripadvisor is that the photos people see first are those of your customers. So how can you encourage more, and better photos of your glamping business? Have a photo competition running over the summer! You can offer prizes and also (if you write the terms and conditions of the competition correctly) be able to use these photos in your marketing, on your website, in your social media and in printed press. The best photos to influence prospective customers are from your existing customers enjoying themselves at your glamping site. However that doesn't mean to say that you shouldn't have your own professionally taken photographs, some people will want to see more pictures about your business than what they initially come across in Tripadvisor.

Trip Advisor

How can you influence reviews without breaking TripAdvisor’s Ts & Cs?

The easiest way to get more reviews is to ask every customer for reviews! After people have gone home, or at the end of their trip thank them so much for their custom, and ask them if they enjoyed themselves. You’re asking them to help others have a nice holiday, which most people are happy to do. Images of things like marshmallows being toasted over an open fire create a very nostalgic emotional connection. These are the experiences your customers want for their children, and a big part of the motivation of going glamping. When people are reviewing possible holiday sites online their attention span is short, if they see a nice positive picture of something they want to experience then they are far more likely to stay and read more about your business and more likely to book with you. Photos build trust.

Show a wider view...

If you do have your own photos make sure that there is wide angle of possible so people can get a true sense of what it's like to be in your business. Google Street View have a facility where you can have street view of the inside of your business onto your own website which is excellent. www.strikingplaces.com is one business which professionally shoots these at a very reasonable rate and I would highly recommend all location-based businesses have these virtual tours online. The statistics show that people who have experienced an online virtual tour of a business are twice as likely to visit that business “in real life”. Unfortunately it is not possible to add these on TripAdvisor at this time but as with anything and especially technology, it's only a matter of time. Have pictures of the surrounding area while they are staying with you, customers won't stay at the campsite the whole time. Show off the day trips, places they can go for walks, nearby activities where they can have fun with their children, such as petting zoos, activity centres, horse riding stables, museums, beaches, parks, anything they can do while they enjoy their stay with you.

One of the best ways is to make sure customers leave positive reviews is to ensure your businesses matches their expectations when they booked. Don’t say things about your business (to make them book) which aren’t true. Likewise, make things clear before they arrive, if your site is pet friendly and dogs are allowed, make sure that they know this before they book. Some families adore dogs, others will think they’re in hell having to be around them! Prompt more positive reviews by printing previous positive reviews, frame them and place them on the wall of your reception area. Guests seeing these as they first arrive will be reassured they’re in a good place, and if they do have a complaint they are more likely to assume that it’s a one off mistake, rather than an indication of a badly run business. The most important way that you can influence reviews so that they are more positive than negative is to resolve any issues as they arise! Business owners often ask our customers is everything ok? They often respond saying everything is fine, thank you. Then when they are back in the safety of their own home and they're on their keyboard they will let the world know in no uncertain terms just how awful the experience was. This is because they have the safety and security being behind a screen, they don’t have to directly experience, to see first hand the impact their words have on you as a business owner. A great way to influence reviews is to make friends with your customers, allow them to get to know you. When they arrive on-site make sure that you are there to welcome them and if you are not there to welcome them make sure that the member of your team who loves speaking to people and who loves talking to new

people greets them. Making them feel genuinely welcomed as they arrive will make a massively positive impact on the emotional experience that people have of your business. The first impression a customer has of your business will influence their whole experience, if they have a positive impression of your business when they arrive they’re much more likely to find other positive things about your business which reinforces their first impressions (Psychologists call this confirmation bias). If they have a negative impression of The Business when they arrive on-site they are much more likely to have a negative impression of your business. Get to know who your customers are, if they have children with them build rapport with the children, if they are bringing pets make sure that you are friendly and nice to the pets. Make sure that they see the person behind the business, there are a lot of prejudices and expectations around businesses because there is so much manipulation by business in marketing and in sales techniques. Let them know your story, what you care about, if they think and feel that they know you and they are making friends with you they are much less likely to leave a negative review after they've left. They’re much more likely to tell their friends about the lovely glamping host they met on their holidays. They are also much more likely to give you constructive feedback, mentioning things that they wish might be improved in a helpful and friendly manner. This gives you the opportunity to respond in a positive manner, and you can take on board the feedback which will help you improve the quality of your customers’ experience. You only need to be on Tripadvisor if you want more customers and lower marketing costs. Spending time developing positive relationships with your customers, is worth it, because it delivers business results. Happy customers will do your marketing for you, because they like you, trust your business and want to help other people have a great glamping holiday!

mping

BUSINESS

Operator Focus

Desperately Seeking Seclusion An indecent proposal By Philip Wright

By the end of August 2016 having got through eighteen months of planning and building and a further three months finishing and furnishing we were ready to open our doors.

We started by inviting family and friends to stay at Offa’s Pitch overnight to give us feedback about what worked and what didn’t, ironing out any problems as they arose. We quickly realised however that most were all too familiar with our project and really we needed someone who had never actually been here for us to get a comprehensive and authentic response.

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Long before we could see the completion of Offa’s Pitch in sight we’d turned our attention to marketing but now we needed to get serious about it. Living as we do in the Shropshire foothills, a glamping or B&B owner was never going to be very far away and we received good advice and tips from those we knew. Among all of the matters you’ll have to consider - make sure that you place marketing very high on the list and think well ahead about how you’re going to attract the people you want to share your dream. As we discovered, there are lots of ways to do this and we certainly started way too late. Even if you’re only just thinking about starting up a glamping business you might consider writing a blog about it beginning tomorrow. I certainly wish we had. It’s evident that virtually everything today is driven by the media. You’ve got this fabulous yurt or shepherd’s hut but noone except your neighbours know about it and you need to tell people. Perhaps it’s

my age but it seems to me that the social media landscape is a rapidly expanding virtual universe in which we can easily get lost in the space. Before we press on we should touch upon the other types of media available such as newspapers, magazine, radio and television. No seriously, unless you’re a building a major holiday park we found that of these only magazines are worth the effort and if you find one (like Glamping Business) that is interesting and can reach your target audience - the cost of advertising in them can be very reasonable with a good return on your investment. For most of us then having a website is mandatory and a professionally set up site should be worth the cost; providing that the photographs are as good as they can be. Poor photos will vastly reduce the appeal and effectiveness of any website and unless you budding photographic genius it’s definitely worth paying a photographer to get the right shots for you. Having done that however, how do you drive traffic there?

Operator Focus

If you’re reasonably IT literate that’s great, if you're not you’d better get learning fast or have someone on board who is. While your website can (for the most part) be static, that is have information stored on it that remains constant, other forms of media social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are designed more for their immediacy that requires you to update them regularly even daily to maintain their effectiveness. Photo-based networking groups such as Instagram can be used almost as comment rather than commentary, after all every picture tells a story. So providing that you have the time to dedicate to it, it’s perfectly possible to raise your profile by aiming to get ‘liked’ as often as you can. That’s all DIY communicating but you could just as easily employ a PR company to set up all the above accounts and run them for you, at a cost of course. You just have to decide how much involvement you want. In our own case, we soon recognised that even with a spanking new website together with FB, Instagram and Twitter accounts we still needed a great deal of help. So we turned our attention back to the booking sites we’d investigated earlier in the year. There are hundreds of them. From website agents that will simply list your pod, yurt or whatever at little or no cost - to top managing sites that will present your dream place in the manner which you like, along with taking bookings for you and generally looking after your guests even before they set foot on your property, all for a fairly hefty chunk of your hard earned profit of course. I’m sure that you know the names, and one, or more of them is going to be right for you. Having missed the summer of 2016, we knew that we had to somehow kick-start our bookings so it was really a no-brainer

for us, we needed a company that could handle everything for us and give us the best chance of obtaining some autumn and early spring bookings. Looking deeper into it we were torn between a choice of two glamping marketing companies both of which we felt would be able to help establish Offa’s Pitch. After some soul-searching we opted for Canopy and Stars as our agents and signed on the dotted line for our first year. This happened to coincide with our intended visit to the second Glamping Show at Stoneleigh Park and we were able to meet some of C&S staff who were delivering a seminar there and put names to faces. It’s early days yet but, having C&S acting for us has proven to give us just the start we needed and generally working with them to get things right is a pleasure. We’re getting regular bookings from couples looking for a special place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and even honeymoons which we regard as a massive responsibility. Looking ahead we’re now taking bookings for next year and beyond so to date, our marketing strategy is proving a very good experience. One of the truly great things about providing hospitality and glamping in particular is the lovely people that you get to meet, sometimes in the most unexpected way. Back in late summer we were shopping in the store that is never knowingly undersold for bathroom items to go into Offa’s Pitch and we came across a lovely young twenty-something couple creating their wedding list. We politely passed the time of day with them, and after introducing ourselves to each other and enquiring about their ‘Big Day’ we left Ollie and Elisha as we now knew them to get on with their delightful task.

However, as we walked away Avril and I had one of those spooky moments when we looked at each other and both knew what we were each thinking. Wouldn’t they make a great couple to test Offa’s Pitch! I said to Avril, dare we ask? She nodded and gave me a prod in the ribs to go and speak to them. I started out by acknowledging that what I was about to say was going to sound a bit crazy and went on to explain what we would like to offer them. To our relief they were thrilled, and so we got talking about dates they might be able to take up our offer and exchanged phone numbers. It was just as we were about to part company when Avril jokingly remarked that this was going to be great as long as they didn’t mind sharing the king sized bed! At which point Ollie’s face suddenly changed, as he told us that they’d decided to remain celibate until they married. So, having just offered a night of potential passion to possibly the only couple in Britain who might be royally insulted - you can imaging the conversation we had going home! Incredibly, a couple of weeks later Ollie texted me to invite us to their wedding! Well, after I picked myself up off of the floor I told Avril who was just as amazed. What should we do? We gave the matter some thought over the next week, consulted our family and close friends those who would not think us completely barmy and eventually decided that it would be churlish not to accept. We went to Ollie and Elisha’s wedding and it really was such a joyous occasion. We’re now great friends and are looking forward to seeing them again soon. Glamping after all really is about people.

mping

BUSINESS

Kate Morel in Ecuador

A Saving Space

In April of this year the coast of Ecuador was hit by a high intensity earthquake destroying 80% of the coastal region’s buildings and tourist accommodation. Many people lost loved ones and homes as well as their means to earn a living, it was nothing short of devastating. However very often from tragic events inspiration can be born and the Ecuador Minister of Tourism had an idea – maybe glamping could provide a quick regeneration option and reshape the country’s tourism offer? We might assume that creating glamping developments for South America has little in common with such a project here in Europe, however regardless of size or location all glamping developments should have one thing in common – to fulfil guests’ needs and expectations. And this project was no different although even during the initial phone call I felt that showcasing Ecuadorian culture was important. On my arrival, I was therefore delighted to find that I was to visit to two museums in Quito and the Midad del Mundo centre. I gained such a fantastic insight into Ecuador’s history and culture during those three days, which provided much inspiration. I was initially asked to provide a feasibility study but during my meetings with the Ministry of Tourism we concluded that it was a superfluous exercise. Looking at the success of glamping in neighbouring countries, the potential was certainly there, we just had

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to decide ‘what and where’. We all agreed that this situation, as awful as it was, might provide an opportunity to reform the country’s tourism accommodation offer into something more sympathetic to the culture. The brief was revised to suggest three locations and glamping development projects, providing three levels of accommodation – budget domestic, mid-price domestic, and international. The next step was to take a tour of the affected regions on the coast so I was to fly from Quito to Esmeraldas on the northern coast, with my driver travelling overland in advance to meet me. I chose instead to travel with him because I thought that the drive through mountain cloud forests, farmlands and villages would help me get to know Ecuador better, and it certainly did. It also turned out to be a subtle introduction to the effects of the earthquake, as rips in the road filled with hardcore started to appear. Although some inland villages had suffered, it wasn’t until we got to the coast that the full impact of the earthquake became clear. Pedernales – where the earthquake hit hardest was mostly rubble, only the bamboo structures remained intact. As we made our way along the coast, thoughts of design and build materials started to give way to the issue of resilience. The glamping structures had to be earthquake safe and it was obvious that historically the local people knew what they were doing because their traditional huts, up on bamboo stilts, were unaffected. You might think ‘job done, give one a glamping make-over - et voila’… and so did I until I discovered that some of the domestic tourists aspire to ‘better’ types of buildings. The only problem was, most of the ‘better’ buildings were now rubble. Design and materials aside,

by Kate Morel from Quality Unearthed

there were other practical issues to consider as well, not least of all pesky insects with an appetite for bamboo. Overall, the projects needed creative solutions that married safety, design, appeal and a fusion of materials with a contemporary glamping twist. During my visit I met with eco builders, materials experts, hotel owners and tourism representatives, and along with a few eco build ideas of my own, shaped the three suggested sites. In the end I suggested at least two options for the structures and facilities for each site, at the time of writing it looks likely that the budget development will an adaptation of the local bamboo framed huts; the midprice development will be a fusion of bamboo and safari tent, and the luxury site will be a resort style waterside development with stylish glamping cabins on the water. It was a fascinating project, Ecuador and its people are beautiful and fascinating – if you haven’t visited do put it on your bucket list, they need visitors more than ever. Better still – if they go ahead and build these new sites - go glamping. Kate can be contacted at kate@qualityunearthed.co.uk

SETT Montpellier

OBRD Concept’s wooden yurt

SETT Montpellier

SETT is a tourism show covering Southern France, with its influence spreading over into neighbouring Spain. The first thing that visitors will notice is the huge exhibition centre, just moments away from the airport, which is well served by Easyjet and British Airways from the UK. Braver souls may want to drive – that will take around 12 hours from Calais, or take a high-speed rail link – connecting via Lille. The show is spread over 8 halls and covers all aspects of mainly outdoor tourism, including: swimming pools and water attractions, outdoor play, booking services, mobile homes and of course glamping. Glamping is on the rise in France, however, it is not as advanced as it is in the UK. Leading suppliers and exhibitors at The Glamping Show, Adria and Outstanding were present. “France has a traditional camping sector but it is beginning to wake up to the opportunities of glamping,” said Robin van Kooten of Outstanding. That said, there were plenty of interesting glamping structures on display. The majority of the mobile home/lodge suppliers also showed some kind of glamping offer. “We are attracting a new kind of customer with glamping,” said

Benoit Cerqueus, Director General of Mobil-Home Rideau, who showed the Maori glamping tent. “These are the young professionals with their families who might never normally consider a holiday on a holiday park.”

without special convoy. This is done effortlessly by 2 people in less than 30 minutes. It features solar panels and a wind energy turbine on the roof, which turns automatically to make the most of the weather to create up to 500w of power and heat water. A large terrace and awning makes the most of the great outdoors, but sCarabane also has two bedrooms, one bathroom a separate bath and toilet plus a dining area that can be converted into a further bed.

There were a number of interesting products, which straddled the divide between regular We also loved the wooden tent and glamping yurt structure from structure – perhaps OBRD Concept. From offering a more the outside, it looks low-cost option much like a canvas for those looking yurt with a for a safari style polycarbonate structure. dome, available in a Among these number of colours were Les Toiles and with an David Gidet and Frederic de Savels whose aesthetic that would Avandetto of Les Toiles de Kibo is a canvas suit almost any Savels with Kibo structure with hipenvironment. It is on height wooden panels the inside that you that slot together to appreciate the originality – provide a more solid base. It is despite the fact that the yurt is a 5m by 6m overall offering 20m2 of temporary structure, it is cleverly liveable space and 7.5m2 of terrace. It insulated and has all the characteristics of can sleep up to 6 people and offers two a wood-framed home. The version at the bedrooms, a kitchen and living room show had a mezzanine and featured two area. Kitchen equipment and gas cooker bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen area are integrated and the Kibo can be was remarkably bright, warm and connected to electricity and can be spacious. Prices start from around £15k. bought with further furniture options. Retailing at around the Euros6k mark, Kibo is easily constructed, as well as being lightweight and easy to store. The sCarabane was a funky totally off-grid nomadic home, where the rooms and the terrace fold to allow to reach a width of 2.5m, which allows it to be transported on the road network

The sCarabane off-grid caravan