All these years you have gifted enough items to your friends and family on every birthday or wedding anniversary, Valentines’ day or diwali, wrapping them with care in those colourful shiny sheets. But most of these regular gifts don’t cut it any longer. The dearth of variety in items and people no longer wanting more stuff in their lives could perhaps be the reasons.
“But say, for instance, somebody is passionate about singing,” says Manoj Agrawal, co-founder of Giftxoxo, “and you gift them the opportunity to record their voice with celebrity singer Raghu Dixit in his state-of-the-art studio in Bangalore, would they say no?.” (For more log on to http://www.giftxoxo.com/company-anthem-with-raghu-dixit-31008).
If you want to show somebody you are genuinely thinking about them, adds Manoj, then more than a gift-wrapped box item, the experience gift is one of the best you can give. “It will never disappoint them!”
It was four years ago that Manoj and his three friends – Sumit Khandelwal, Abhishek Kumar and Kushal Agarwal – set about to make a change. “We felt gifting is such a lucrative sector and yet nothing much innovative was happening even though India as a nation traditionally believes in gifting for any and every occasion”.
Gifting an experience was a concept abroad and the friends working in different companies decided to jointly try their luck. With a core investment of Rs.40 lakhs they started curating experiences that would attract individuals, families, groups of friends and corporate clients.
“The inner adventurer inside each of us came out and we realised there would be many more like us waiting for such opportunities. We knew what exactly to give them,” says Manoj. And so, Giftxoxo was established with the aim of creating memories and moments that users will never forget.
The idea of gifting happy bon voyage and out-of-the-world experiences did not take long to establish because people realised spending quality and fun time always means so much more than another bottle of perfume or dress. Also with the double income families and upwardly mobile people drawing up their bucket list and choosing out-of-the-box ideas over conventional celebrations, Giftxoxo partners found multiple ways to show how to care.
“The combination of thinking about the recipient’s interest and also giving them something to do, like a new hobby to try or skill to improve, with a surprised element packaged, worked well,” notes Manoj. Last year, the company earned Rs.40 crore in global revenue and is confident of touching Rs.100 crore in the current fiscal year. Their business portfolio has widened to experiences, rewards, recognition, enterprise platform and gift vouchers that offer a range of engaging and handpicked activities in adventure, fine dining, wellness, offbeat tours, heritage, hobbies, learning arts and much more. All experiences, according to Manoj are pre-screened for quality, uniqueness and service to ensure the ultimate consumer experience.
Working in tandem with 1,500 service providers across the globe, the four friends and their 150-member young team of employees have curated more than 4,000 unique experiences and diversified activities for its 25 lakh individual customers and 600 companies globally that include Microsoft, Cadbury, Cisco, Samsung, Infosys, Ernst & young and start-ups like Flipkart, Myntra and Paytm.
Next time you are thinking about gifting somebody a present, think about what the person appreciates, a good meal or a DJ class, a sunset sail or parasailing, creating crafts or mingling to chat. For someone you love a lot, you can adjust your budget to customise the splendour that you can’t get or give enough of!
There is a novelty in not only gifting your own but also giving incentives to employees, says Manoj. He is optimistic that Giftxoxo will drive people till hitherto seeking entertainment in malls, movies and pubs to go beyond and explore the hidden. “Life is good, Let us make it better,” he says.
(Learn more about gifting experiences at www.giftxoxo.com)
The Giftxoxo experiences and their partners:
Fly high : Touch the clouds, feel the wind, soak in the exhilarating view of the city below, learn about the aircraft, controls, equipment and flying tenchniques by being a co-pilot on a Micro-Light plane (also called the STOL, Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft) at the Jakkur aerodrome, Bangalore. You can also glide into the skies for inspiration with help from the Aerosport Association Chennai.
Walk on Water: The joy of surfing comes alive on Chennai coastline with trainers from Mumu Surf School helping you to do some nice salsa waves.
The Bluewaters & Marina Beach, Chennai, lead you to the sport of fishing with state-of-the-art equipment that will interest both experienced anglers and amateurs.
Full Throttle: Pep up your life with an array of adventure and sports activities from zipline and paintball to go-karting and roller skating at Lower Parel, Vashi, Wadala, Santa Cruz, Hiranandani Gardens in Mumbai,
Adventurous Escapades: Handi-Gundi Betta in Ramnagaram is a destination for adventurous trekkers. The challenge is made easy with help from Bangalore Mountaineering Club, Indira Nagar.
The Embassy International Riding School, Tarahunise, trains you to gallop on hooves or choose from any of their multiple activities like rock climbing, rappelling, archery, kayaking, hiking, rope and craft courses.
Health and Wellness
Get pampered at prominent spas and beauty salons known for their massage therapies, ambience, customer care and service across the metros.
Gourmet
Take or gift your loved one wonderful culinary journey at Bamey’s Restro Café, Bangalore; The Brick Oven and The Raintree, Chennai; The Cherie One Qutub, Delhi and many more
