Company Name: The Stag and Hen Experience
Interview with: Michael Braunton
Location: Bournemouth, Dorset
What does The Stag and Hen Experience do?
We organise the activities, accommodation, nightlife and more for the best party of your life — whether it’s one day, a weekend or longer, we can arrange the best experience possible!
How did the business start and how long has it been going?
After working in the stag and hen industry for several years, Steve decided that no one company was offering customers the best deal and the freedom to tailor their weekends as much as possible, and decided that if no-one else was going to offer it, then he’d have to do it himself! Teaming up with sales supremo Ross in 2009, the two of them set up the company, and within forty-eight hours the bookings had started rolling in, and haven’t stopped since!
Who works at The Hen and Stag Experience and what are your roles?
Steve: Director of Sales
Ross: Director of Finance and Marketing
Naomi: Senior Account Manager
Mike: Account Manager and Website/Technical Support
Joanna: Account Manager
Rebecca: Account Manager
Steve P: Marketing Assistant
What type of stag and hen parties does The Stag and Hen Experience offer?
You name it, we can arrange it! The majority of our bookings are two-night stays in the UK or Europe, with activities, accommodation and nightlife included — but in the last year we’ve also arranged Bobsleigh with a member of the Latvian Olympic bobsleigh team, a recording session with a producer famous for his work with Diversity, and organised a group of ten girls to travel across three countries in four days!
What destinations do you cover?
Our website advertises packages and options for sixty-five different towns and cities in the UK and Europe — from Blackpool to Budapest, Manchester to Magaluf. And if you want to go somewhere that we don’t advertise — just ask!
What types of activities are available for hen and stag parties?
What don’t we have available? We have everything you can think of — whether you want to take part in a Cocktail Making workshop, compete against your friends with some Go-Karting, or simply relax in a spa, we’ve got you covered. And for those of you who want something a bit different, how about releasing your inner action hero by trying to survive a zombie apocalypse? Or chartering a pirate ship and heading out onto the high seas? Or maybe you fancy learning a dance routine to surprise your guests at the wedding itself? We can arrange all this and more…
Do you have set packages available or can a bride or groom have a tailored package?
We have some set packages available on the website, however, most people tend to use these as a jumping off point to tailor their own package, which is an approach we highly encourage!
Are there payment options available to help people with the cost?
We believe in making things as easy as possible for the guests, so we only require a small group deposit to get an experience booked, and then we arrange the payment dates around the group, to make sure there’s no problem. Also, the days of the maid of honour/best man having to collect everyone’s cash has long passed — everyone can pay us individually and you can track the payments on your own secure website.
How long in advance should brides and grooms (or bridesmaids and best men) start thinking about their hen and stag parties?
There’s no hard and fast rule for this, but the office recommendation is to get your plans in place around six months prior to travel; that gives everyone time to make their payments without any stress, and means there are no problems with availability! However, we can do last minute bookings as well — we had a group of girls call us in a panic a couple of years ago, as their flights were grounded by the Icelandic ash cloud! Everyone in the office jumped on the phones, and after a few minutes the girls started driving to Nottingham with nothing booked, and by the time they got there they had a full five star experience all set up for them — and they loved every minute of it!
What sets The Stag and Hen Experience apart from other hen and stag companies?
We believe that the customer is always right, and we pull out all the stops to ensure you have the best experience possible. We tailor our packages and do not charge any fees for changes made before the final balance date — so if the weekend needs to change for any reason, you don’t get hit with a painful bill! Also, each booking is managed by the same person from start to finish, so if you spoke to Joanna when you first enquired, Joanna will look after you right up to and including the travel date. We believe in value for money, and will always give you the best price, first time.
What are your top tips for arranging hen and stag parties?
Firstly, don’t ask for everyone’s opinion! It should be all about what the hen or stag want to do — if you ask everyone’s opinion, then it’ll take you forever to reach any kind of consensus. Speak to a couple of bridesmaids/groomsmen, and then make a decision — the rest of them will be perfectly happy with it! Other than that, it’s just common sense really — make sure you’re getting what you want and you’re happy with the company you are using — they are there to help you, so feel free to ask any questions that you have.
Finally, don’t let it get on top of you! It shouldn’t be a stressful thing to do, and once you’ve made the initial decisions then you can hand it over to us, and we’ll deal with all the boring/stressful bits for you!
Do you have a favourite choice of event for hen or stag parties?
Being asked to pick a favourite event is tough — we all like different things! A quick survey of the office today states that the favourite event for hens is Cocktail Making, and for Stags is Zorb Football — but when you offer as many great activities as we do, that can change from day to day!
Where are the top 5 locations for hen and stag parties in 2014/2015?
Our most popular locations for 2014/2015 at the moment are Newcastle, Newquay, Barcelona, Dublin and Bournemouth.
What are the top 5 activities for hen and stag parties in 2014/2015?
Activity-wise, we do offer a lot, so there’s a vast selection! Our top five for hens would be Cocktail Making, Dance Workshops, Spa Days, Cabaret Nights and Horse Racing. For Stags our most popular activities at the moment are Go-Karting, Quad Biking, Tank Paintball, Greyhound Racing and Zorb Football.
Does The Stag and Hen Experience only offer hen and stag parties or do you provide other event packages too?
Most of the events we organise are Stag and Hen parties, but we will organise an experience for any reason! We have recently done birthday trips, corporate bookings, football team tours and many more.
Random question… What was the last thing you ate?
A doughnut, bought by Ross to make sure I said nice things about him in this article!
Where can I find out more about The Stag and Hen Experience?
As well as our comprehensive website www.thestagandhenexperience.com, we also have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/stagandhenexperience.
And, if you want to see what our customers think of us as well, we have nearly fifty reviews spread across two review sites:
Trustpilot and Review Centre
