Glamping team pitches up in style
Ten years ago, husband-and-wife Anita and Hayden pioneered mobile glamping in New Zealand’s great outdoors.
From this innovation, Wildernest was born.
Its first event, providing glamorous camping accommodation at a 2012 music festival, proved wildly successful.
But that was just the start.
Now, Dawn Engelbrecht of Link Business Brokers is bringing the niche glamping business to the market.
Recognising the potential to tap into markets beyond music festivals, Wildernest began supplying glamping experiences to the corporate sector, weddings, pop-up hotels, bespoke getaways and private holidays to a range of affluent clientele.
“We didn’t have any experience in the field,” Anita says.
“We found a gap in the market and sought out opportunities to make it grow, and it certainly did.”
Wildernest has become New Zealand’s largest mobile glamping company. It has earned a reputation for providing memorable, serene and elegant experiences in stunning locations.
“Wildernest impressively emerged very quickly as leaders in the field,” Engelbrecht says.
With pandemic restrictions ended and large events back on the calendar, the business is trending back towards its pre-Covid turnover.
Committed to customer comfort and convenience, Wildernest maintains excellent relationships with key suppliers. These collaborations ensure every aspect of an event is covered including transport, labour, portable toilets and showers, electricity supply, party hire, AV equipment, food and beverage catering.
Additionally, sound relationships exist with the owners of private, commercial and Government land used for events.
“Given the logistics involved with the coordination of the Wildernest glamping experiences, reliable and strategic relationships are imperative to the smooth running of the business, which will provide a new owner with confidence that they’re stepping into a turnkey operation with everything in place, enabling them to start earning from day one,” says Engelbrecht.
Most of Wildernest’s events take place in the North Island due to the population. However, demand is increasing in the South Island.
Operating out of Auckland, it is feasible the business could have both North and South Island stockholdings and be operated from the new owner’s chosen location.
Streamlined processes mean a new owner or management team can take care of the day-to-day business with seasonal staff engaged to roll out events.
With years of experience producing events in often remote locations and in every weather condition imaginable, the Wildernest team perfected the durability of bell tents and have even manufactured their own.
After 10 years of building the business, the vendors are seeking a lifestyle change and are ready to move on.
“It’s bittersweet, but we’re confident that a new owner will have everything they need to excel in continuing Wildernest’s legacy,” says Hayden.
Engelbrecht says: “The current owners’ high standards, attention to detail, robust systems and processes have paved the way for a new owner to step in and build upon strong foundations in a time where glamping is becoming increasingly popular.”
This is an opportunity fit for a new, motivated and savvy owner who loves New Zealand’s outdoors. Offered for sale at $850,000, the business is returning profits of around $300,000 a year to an owneroperator.
Tangible assets include extensive plant and equipment with a professional valuation of around $500,000.
“There’s security in knowing Wildernest has revolving contracts with three festival organisers, an impressive list of repeat corporate clients with a strong pipeline of committed events, as well as growing demand in various lucrative sectors,” Engelbrecht says.
Contact: Dawn Engelbrecht, ph 027 291 9904, email dawn.engelbrecht@linkbusiness.co.nz