Why did you launch Highlife Marketing?

After being made redundant from my role as sales and marketing director of Virgin Llmited Edition hotels in 2002, I set up on my own. Highlife works with small, privately-owned properties - hidden gems rather than big brands.

We now have six clients and we work very closely with them, getting involved in strategy and rate­setting, not just making sales calls.

How do you work with travel agents?

Over the past four years agents have become our key partners. Because our clients tend to be small - usually hotels with between 30 and 50 rooms - they are popular with agents who offer their clients a similar personal service.

Many agents we work with are one-man-bands, and together we'll create experiences and bespoke trips for them to suggest to clients. We also offer face-to-face and Zoom training, and organise group fam trips as well as facilitating personal visits.

How have you operated through the pandemic?

In March last year we launched Highlife Homeschooling, where agents could sign up to receive content on different topics, and also offered help updating their websites.

We also had two properties join us in February 2020 - La Reserve Zurich and Macakizi in Bodrum. We also found many new agents keen to work with us, which has been a real positive.

What are your plans for 2022?

We're looking into holding joint events with agents, perhaps creating an evening for their top 10 clients.

We're also hoping to develop events at high-end health or golf clubs and target their customers with information on our hotels in tandem with an agent partner in the area.