Cashing In On The U.S. Adventure Business

Black Tomato, a prime player in the business of unique and sometimes extreme custom vacations, is making a serious push into the United States. The adventurous company is looking to grow its client base and score deals with other companies to push itself into lifestyle brand status.
Tom Marchant, co-founder and owner of Black Tomato, announced he will be moving from London to New York to oversee the endeavor. Marchant, who contributes to Forbes online about vacationing and travel trends, founded the company in London in 2005 with partners Matt Smith and James Merrett with the goal of bringing high adventure to those that want a bit more than just a lazy day poolside at a hotel  (and are willing to pay a slightly higher price to get it). Last year the company earned $16 million in revenue organizing custom vacations to places like Iceland’s tectonic plates, Costa Rican volcanoes and the Kenyan outback. Its earnings represent a 30% jump over 2012 for the 60-person company.
“What we did at the start of last year, which I think had a big impact, was slim down the amount of product we were offering,” Marchant explained. “Sometimes when you offer people the world – literally, in this case – it can actually be hard to determine where they want to go.” Two years ago the company sent clients to 89 countries, now that figure has been culled to about 40. The list, the tattooed CEO says, can change depending on a client’s insistence.
Black Tomato started getting U.S. customers about five years ago. By latest figures, Americans make up about 40% of the company’s clientele, gaining in popularity largely by word of mouth. “The opportunity to be the first to do things or to really get off the beaten track resonated with a lot of people over here both on the east coast and the west coast,” says Marchant. Now it’s time to leverage that following into opportunistic business deals and relationships.
Marchant and Co. have an idea of what they want their new U.S. branding deals to look like. The company executed several collaborations with Dunhill and Johnny Walker Blue, creating sponsored trips for those companies as part of a product and lifestyle promotion. Dunhill launched the Black Tomato Journey, tracing the path company man Clement Court traveled from Paris to Japan to secure the lacquered goods for the firm, albeit with a more luxurious tinge, complete with Dunhill’s travel products. That trip cost $44,000. “That took us out of just being in the travel space into a lifestyle space.” Johnny Walker got into the game as part of a trek from Dunhill’s London location to the famed whiskey-maker’s castle in Scotland. Fashion brand Mr. Porter collaborated with Black Tomato to create an in-depth tour of Los Angeles.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2014/02/04/cashing-in-on-the-u-s-adventure-business/