A local experiences marketplace, Yuup, has launched. It promises to help Brighton & Hove-based makers, producers, creatives, and businesses sell their experiences more easily. Working solely with indie hosts, the platform connects local people to original, unique, and interesting things to do in person that are typically difficult to find.
First launched in Bristol in April 2021, Yuup has grown into a vibrant community of nearly 600 experience hosts and is now also operating across Bath, West Midlands, Cardiff and Nottingham. Built around a community-led ethos of driving social impact through simplifying the routes to market for local experiences, the business is thriving and has generated over £6 million in total income earned by hosts via the Yuup platform since its launch.
Brighton & Hove feels like a natural next step in continuing this success. It will bring a new tool to help consumers easily access the wide variety of experiences on offer while providing independent hosts with the technology, business support, and audience exposure usually reserved for bigger players.
Dominic Mills, Founder and CEO of Yuup, comments: "We exist to connect local people to awesome experiences happening in their community. From goat yoga to coastal foraging, there will be something for everyone. We have a clear purpose in mind - to create a positive social impact by providing experience hosts with a way to reach new audiences and enhance their income.
“Our belief that experiences offer a fantastic opportunity for local enterprises to grow and diversify has helped build a significant host community across Bristol, Bath, West Midlands, Cardiff and Nottingham. We’re hugely excited and committed to offer that same opportunity to passionate individuals based in Brighton & Hove.”
So, what does Yuup do?
From bread-making workshops and pottery classes to tea tasting and street art tours, Yuup empowers individuals to step out of the ordinary and experience the best their city has to offer while supporting the local community. It's not merely about creating memorable experiences; it's about building connections between local businesses and their audience. For some hosts, Yuup experiences serve as their primary source of income, while for others, they provide an extra stream of revenue.
Get involved
For those interested in finding new and interesting things to do in and around town, sign up to be a part of the Yuup community here: yuup.co/brighton-hove
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Notes for the editor
Experience all Yuup has to offer!
Brighton & Hove is bursting with creativity, culture, and unforgettable experiences.
We’re inviting you to an exclusive journalist opportunity to immerse yourself in the city’s most exciting independent experiences - from hands-on workshops to cultural adventures, foodie delights, and beyond. Carefully curated by Yuup, this deep dive will showcase the incredible range of things to do, all designed and run by local hosts.
Throughout the challenge, you’ll have the chance to meet the talented hosts behind Brighton & Hove’s thriving experience scene, test out some of the most in-demand activities for 2025, and chat with Yuup’s Founder & CEO, Dominic Mills, about how the platform is transforming the way people discover and book local experiences.
Feature article and interview opportunities offered by Yuup
Enhancing community wellbeing and connection through experiences
In an age of digital overload and social isolation, experiences are becoming a powerful tool for improving wellbeing. From creative workshops to nature-based activities, engaging in shared, immersive experiences has been proven to reduce stress, foster social connections, and boost overall happiness. Dominic Mills, Founder & CEO of Yuup, has seen firsthand how local experiences not only support independent experience hosts, but also enhance individual and community wellbeing. He can offer insight into the benefits behind the growing trend of ‘experience therapy’ and how making time for new activities can have a tangible impact on both mental and physical wellbeing.
Brighton & Hove experience trends 2025: what people want and why it’s changing
Brighton & Hove has long been a hub for creativity, and 2025 is set to bring a shift in the types of experiences people seek. Based on emerging booking trends and Yuup’s exclusive consumer data from across the UK, Dominic Mills, Founder & CEO of Yuup, can provide insight into what’s driving demand—from hands-on craft workshops and mindful experiences to adrenaline-fueled adventures. With a unique perspective on which creative hosts are shaping the future of leisure and tourism, Dominic is available to predict the key trends likely to define the city's experience economy in the year ahead.
Experiences vs. material gifts: the hidden value of memories over purchasing more stuff
The experience economy is booming as consumers move away from material possessions in favour of unique, memorable moments. With demand for experience-based gifting on the rise, Dominic Mills, Founder & CEO of Yuup, can share insights into why people are prioritising meaningful activities over ‘stuff,’ how this shift is reshaping the way we celebrate special occasions, and the growing appetite for personalised, immersive experiences. With Yuup at the forefront of this movement, Dominic can offer data-driven perspectives on why experiential gifting is here to stay and the personal benefits to those leaning into this trend.
The role of experiences in boosting employee wellbeing and creativity
As businesses navigate hybrid work and employee burnout, many are turning to experiences as a powerful tool to enhance engagement, boost creativity, and support mental wellbeing. Research shows that stepping away from screens and into hands-on, immersive activities - whether it’s a creative workshop, a nature-based experience, or a team challenge - can improve problem-solving, reduce stress, and foster stronger connections between colleagues. Dominic Mills, Founder & CEO of Yuup, has worked closely with businesses using experiences to re-energise their teams and can share insights into how companies are shifting their approach to employee engagement in 2025. He’s available for interview regarding the rising demand for experience-led wellbeing initiatives and the impact they’re having on workplace culture.
Dominic Mills’ journey to saying Yuup
After years in digital innovation, Dominic Mills saw a major gap in the way people discover and book local experiences. Too often, independent creatives - artists, chefs, makers, and experience hosts - struggled to reach new audiences, while consumers found it difficult to uncover unique, high-quality experiences in their own cities. That insight led him to create Yuup, a marketplace dedicated to connecting people with the best independent experiences, supporting small businesses, and fostering community connections. Since launching in Bristol, Yuup has expanded across multiple UK cities and is now launching in Brighton & Hove. Dominic is available to share his journey, from identifying this market need to scaling a purpose-driven platform that’s shaping the future of the experience economy.
Business profile
About Yuup
Yuup’s founder had a big idea. In a world where you could book a taxi or a cinema ticket at the tap of a button, Dominic wanted to make it just as simple for local businesses to sell experiences – and for people to discover thousands of original, unique and inspiring things to do and gift.
At the heart of Yuup is an ambition to create positive social impact both through connecting people with their communities and providing experience hosts with additional ways to reach new audiences.
Founder profile
Dominic Mills, Founder & CEO, Yuup
Dominic founded Yuup driven by a desire to help local people and enterprises identify new opportunities to thrive. Inspiring new experiences on our doorsteps should be easy to find and book, benefiting both the participants and the hosts.
As Yuup’s CEO, Dominic is responsible for the strategic direction of the business and leading on the scale-up ambitions of the company to deliver positive social impact across the UK and beyond.
Before Yuup, Dominic was a consultant with global tech consulting firm, Unisys, and founded, grew and sold tech agency, Auros. The acquisition of Auros by Zone led Dominic to join the Zone board and, as CTO, he played a key role in the team that led the combined business through a period of significant growth, following a minority investment from BGF in 2015 to fund further acquisition. Zone was acquired by NASDAQ listed Cognizant in 2017.
