Origins

London Theatre Direct was Started by company directors Francis Hellyer and Emmanuel Ciolfi. Francis had a background in theatre and web design and Emmanuel had been working for both the ticketing and hotel industries. It was a perfect match and the two have seen the company grow from strength to strength. Difficulties at the beginning included trying to break into an already competitive and closed market place and the continued problems with tourism in London.

Success Factor

The key factors in the growth of the company include offering good quality, competitively priced products and specialising in discounted items; ensuring the company stayed ahead of the game in a competitive, expanding and ever changing marketplace and taking full advantage of the opportunities presented by EU expansion by setting up an administration centre in the Czech Republic; and embracing fully the marketing and promotional advantages of the Internet as the main point of sale.

The Future

The main strategy for the business in the future is to work with more overseas agents and continue to adapt to the changing marketplace. Most bookings are from individuals booking directly via the website at www.londontheatredirect.com. The firm also works with several overseas sub-agents in Europe and the US. The firm was placed 13th in the Fast Growth 50 in 2004 and are delighted that it has managed to achieve sufficient growth to qualify a second time. Judging by the continued growth over the current period, France Hellyer is confident that London Theatre Direct will achieve a hat-trick next year.