Entrants had until August 3 to come up with an idea, formulate a business plan and complete the online form on this site.

Now the Investors will shortlist the entrants into those finalists they wish to see pitch their ideas in the TTG boardroom overlooking the River Thames.

Finalists will come to London on September 4 to pitch their ideas to the Investors and to negotiate the level of equity in their company they are prepared to sell in return for the £100,000.

All finalists will be invited to the Grosvenor House in London on September 22 for the TTG Travel Awards, where the winner of the TTG Big Idea will be announced.

TTG will feature the winner in TTG and will follow their fortunes thereafter.

  
 
 

The deadline for entering The Big Idea has now passed.

For the last couple of months we have received scores of entries from keen entrepreneurs desperate to get their hands on travel’s biggest prize - £100,000 from four investors.

The TTG Big Idea 2009, in association with Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, has attracted an even higher calibre of entrant than last year giving the dragons the toughest of tasks to create a short list

Last year’s winners Helen Doyle and Danny Waine have described the victory as life changing and for those who make the 2009 shortlist, their time in the TTG den could be a life-changing moment.

At a time when banks aren’t lending, most investors are hording their cash and the economy is suffering, this opportunity to walk away with £100,000 and four of the industry’s top business leaders as backers and advisors is an even more mouth watering prospect for ambitious entrepreneurs.

Paul Stanyer, founder of Holiday Taxis, Jane Dyson, who set up The Network, Attraction Tickets Direct founder Oliver Brendon and White Hart Associates LLP’s Christopher Photi, are each putting up £25,000 of their own money to invest in what they believe will be the next Big Idea in travel.

Our finalists, who will be announced later this month must convince them that their idea will make the biggest impact on the sector – and more importantly, the biggest returns - and they will have £100,000 to follow their dreams. The investors will want equity in the company of course, but in return our winner willl have the advice and guidance of four of the industry’s most experienced businessmen at your fingertips. What an opportunity!

Ian Scott, director of the UK and Ireland representative office of our sponsors for the second year running, Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing said: “In 2008, Dubai Tourism sponsored the big idea in its inaugural year.  The initiative from TTG was amazing, with months of proposals and pitches, the highlight of the TTG awards. The Big Idea remains about innovation, creativity, talent, fulfilling potential, pushing boundaries and finding the next big idea in the travel industry. And for all of those reasons, the fit with Dubai is clear. If it weren't for these very values, Dubai wouldn't be the phenomena that it continues to be, welcoming over 900,000 British and Irish guests into its hotels in 2008, and still experiencing double digit growth even in the current economic context.  I am therefore personally thrilled to be involved again in 2009.”

So those of you who have entered watch this space to find out if you will be invited to pitch your idea at TTG Towers. Brush up your pitching skills and prepare for a grilling – they won’t invest their money lightly!

To find out more about the investors and what our winner will gain if they emerge victorious, click on the buttons on the left...