A travel agent who specialises in wine tours has revealed sponsoring her local golf club is her most successful way of reaching high-value clients.
Helen McEvoy, founder of Wine Travel Experts based in Shirley, Solihull and South Africa, designed a bespoke sponsorship package with Shirley Golf Club, costing £100 a month.
“We quickly realised we needed to meet people in person to standout and tailor our events to target our typical customer profile: semi-retired and retired professionals aged between 50 and 65, who may have worked as company directors or in senior positions in the public sector,” she told Travel Gossip.
Helen, a former wine buyer for companies including Sainsbury’s and Laithwaites, works from the golf club around twice a month to network with members, in addition to holding monthly wine-tasting events.
Helen is co-hosting her next event with Scenic Sales Manager for Central and North Leiza Sullivan, who will talk guests through the 11-night ‘Spectacular South of France’ sailing, with ports of call in the Côtes du Rhône wine region.
In-person events now account for nearer 60% of Wine Travel Experts’ customers, up from around 30% at the start of the year.
The agency also hit 60% repeat bookings in October, with ‘a lot of’ £15,000 bookings for two people, Helen said.
Its highest-value sale was around £23,000, for a couple celebrating a 70th birthday for two weeks in Cape Town with Africa Collection.
Helen founded the business in July 2025 after a chance meeting at the gym with The Holiday Franchise Company founder Charles Duncombe, which led to Wine Travel Experts becoming a franchise.
“Within three or four months we had a credible business set up. It was that fast and I’ve not looked back. It’s been a wonderful whirlwind,” she said.
