Last Autumn while taking a break after Zone, the digital agency that acquired my first Bristol-based business in 2013, I started to plan a new adventure. I am super excited that today we (Jonathan Simmons, Anna Kissin, James Freedman, Marc Parnell and Jon Davie) are announcing the launch of yuup.co.
Yuup is a marketplace for experiences. It's designed to help curious people discover, book and gift brilliant things to do and ambitious individuals and enterprises create and market experiences.
We all love to discover and share experiences, but my vision for Yuup came from a passionate belief in local communities and the role that local people and enterprises have in helping them thrive. The diverse and varied communities that make up Bristol are what I love about the city I call home.
As we’ve prepared to launch Yuup I’ve talked with many people and businesses across the city - families and sole traders, independent businesses and larger firms - passionate about what they do and keen to share it with others. At a time when they're most challenged, these people and enterprises are at their most creative - exploring new ways to diversify their income and in the process celebrate what makes Bristol great.
I am convinced that every enterprise can offer an experience, enabling additional revenue and introducing new customers. A lot has been written about the decline of the high street, and with Yuup we are doing something about it. In a testament to our vision, more than 50 businesses have already signed up.
We are launching Yuup in Bristol, with our Say Yuup to Bristol campaign and over 100 brilliant, diverse experiences and some incredible special editions only bookable through Yuup.co. From foraging and feasting, to drone flying and upcycled barbecue making, yarn dyeing and bespoke silver bangle crafting, to tank driving and weaving, we believe there is something for everyone. And this is just the start.
We have partnered with some inspiring, independent Bristol businesses to realise our vision: Origin who provide our workspace, Ambitious and Plaster our PR agencies and CookiesHQ who have done an exceptional job building our technology.
I would also like to say a personal thank you to our starting line-up of experience hosts - we are proud and excited to be working with you and together we will help our local communities thrive.
This is just the beginning and we would love to hear what you think. What could we do better? Who else should we feature as experience hosts? I would also very much appreciate you sharing yuup.co with friends and family.
Are you ready to say Yuup to Bristol?
Dominic Mills
Co-founder & CEO, Yuup
