gapyear.com chronology

1998

February
Introduced through a mutual friend Tom Griffiths [backpacker, travel preparation author] and Peter Pedrick [IT Consultant] meet and discuss a need for an online community and travel resource for backpackers on a gap year.

They discussed the potential growth of the market, having both witnessed the more people aged 25-35 and those aged 55-65 taking extended long haul trips, travelling ‘independently’ around the world. They decided there and then that these people were taking ‘gap years’ - a gap in between ‘one thing and another’ - school and university, university and first job, first job and second job and/or career change, before and after having a first child and around retirement age. ‘Life is a series of gaps’ was born.

April
Launched first website, "The Gap Year" (.co.uk)

May
Invented the word ‘Gapper’ [initially used as fill in text, it stuck!]

13 July
Founded The Gapyear Company Ltd

1999

Joined a legal debate that helped to ensure that the term ‘gap year’ was public domain, rather than a trade-markable term by any company. This follows the Founders’ belief of 'one name, one free market, freely accessed by all'.

May
Changed the key domain from "The Gap Year" to "Gap Year" (.co.uk)

June
'The Virgin Travellers Handbook' published

September
‘Gap Year’ Magazine pilot out to independent schools

October
Developed a business model around the ‘Life is a series of gaps’ concepts with Dr Paul Fifield, Phil Mochan and Matthew Griffiths.

'A life transitions business, helping people move between life stages'

2000

May
£1.65m Venture Capital investment into the company by EDP
[part funded by Halogen and KKR]

June
Launched the logo/brand ‘gapyear.com’.

August
Produced the first ever ‘Gap Year Report’ that ‘dispelled myths’.

September
Launched ‘Gap Year’ magazine to every school in the UK. Previously gap years had never been promoted on such a scale in the state schools. This magazine and the increasing popularity of gapyear.com as a 'cool website' during this year caused a boom in interest in Gap Years in the UK as the mass numbers of state schools started to consider them.

2001

Early 2001, Prince William’s decision to take a gap year hit the media.
Good news - it broadcast the term ‘gap year’ around the world
Bad news - state school students thought "gap years for rich kids"

Tom worked with the media to elevate the gap year industry in the public eye using state school case studies and stats from the Gap Year Report to show it was no longer an activity for the wealthy few.

As a young, passionate, spokesperson Tom started to take the gap year industry out to the world through the media. He worked with high readership youth magazines and the National press around A Level Results who traditionally gave gap years little or no mention. He assisted producers and editors to produce vibrant, inspiring pieces, ensuring where possible that the term ‘gap year’ appeared on front pages with exciting images [and not just Prince William].

June
more! Magazine, first ever gap year piece with Tom as the expert

August: A Level Results Day
- ALL the national newspapers covered gap years for the first time
- Tom co-authored the Guardian’s first full gap year spread
'Jumping off points. What to do on a year off' Guardian: August 4 2001
- Tom appeared on TV and radio shows, again, the first time gap years were given air-time on Results Day.

Two significant events...

1. Hannah Betts piece 'Why the gap year is a waste of time' in The Times incensed the gapyear.com community who wrote en masse to the editorial team. As a result the following Wednesday The Times ran a double page spread full of positive stories from gapyear.com users.

2. Vannessa Feltz’ damning (unfounded) article against gap years in The Expresscaused a confrontation on BBC Breakfast between Tom Griffiths and Ms Feltz. Tom publicly defended the industry and called her a ‘dinosaur’ live on air. Twice.

October
Second more! Magazine piece

November
- Independent ran first ever career gap piece for 25-35 year olds
- Other editors liked the piece and worked with Tom to produce more

2002

January
Pitched the ‘Gap Year’ Bank Account concept to all UK high street banks

February
Persuaded Red Magazine to run first female careergap piece

March
Tom worked with The Times on ‘Hit the Road - the gap year grows up’
This is where the term ‘grown up gap year’ stems from.

August
Persuaded The Sunday Times to run 'Gap years for grown-ups'

Tom and Peter needed some amusing media terms to captivate the imagination in the older gap year market - ‘gap years for grown ups’ would always leave the term gap year as an occupation for ‘youngsters’. The pre-retirement gap year market (55-65 year olds) needed an identity.

Their research identified a mindset more in their 30’s than that of a pensioner, a ‘loveable rogue’ element to their need to break the rules and a hunger to live life to the full and not slip quietly into a care home. The common theme, at a time that SAGA was really starting to accelerate away, was their horror at being marketed to by SAGA - a brand associated with being old and ‘dependent’, not independent. Loveable, rule-breaking pensioners who wanted to grow old disgracefully.

Over a few beers ‘Skiers’ [Spending my Kids Inheritance] & SAGA’Louts [baby boomers rebelling against being marketed to by SAGA] appeared.

2003

Prince Harry's announced gap year to Australia presented an opportunity to open up the Australian market. Working with the Australian Associated Press in London Tom endured late nights and early mornings assisting the Australian media to report on the events. As a result the term ‘gap year’ became a recognised in Australia and New Zealand. If only the ABC Breakfast viewers knew that Tom got the hours wrong and was being interviewed live, dripping wet, dressed only in a towel having exited the shower at speed seconds earlier!

January
Signed deal with Barclays to launch UK’s first 'Gap Year' bank account

April
Persuaded SAGA Magazine to run piece 'Why baby boomers need backpacks. Gap years for grown ups'. Appeared on the front cover.

November
EDP exit. Equity stake purchased back by the two founders.

2004

August
3 day promotion with The Times: ‘Win ‘Round the world’ trip of a lifetime’

2005

April
Persuaded Easyjet magazine to run first mass market gap year piece

May
Launched gap year concept in the US with Cosmogirl

June
Itchy Feet take over fulfilment of gapyearshop.com
[gapyear.com’s online travel kit store]

July
Worked with Mintel on their first Gap Year Report. Market given valuation of £2.2bn (UK outbound) and £5bn (globally)

August
SAGA magazine front page: 'Harrison Ford on his Gap Year'

September
Assisted the first Responsible Tourism look at this industry
[Independence Education Publishers]

October
Global Village take over fulfilment of gapyear.com travel product

November
Assisted Tourism New Zealand to recognise the value of a ‘Gap Year’ Strategy, the first tourist board to do so

2006

June
BREAKTHROUGH: Canadian market >>

August
New placement database launched on gapyear.com

September
New site launched with blogs, photo library & free member offerings

October
STA Travel take over fulfilment of gapyear.com travel product

2007

January
Hotonline start to feed jobs through gapyear.com

March
New site template launched on gapyear.com

May
Sign with Global Travel Market, Flights engine supplied to Gapyear.com

June
Soft launch UK’s first pre-paid Mastercard for the backpacker market

August
Isango tours database integrated into gapyear.com