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.

  

Last year’s winner, Helen Doyle

Last year’s winner, Danny Waine

Last year’s Big Idea winner was announced on stage at the TTG Travel Awards, and Danny and Helen (centre) discovered they’d won the £100,000 business investment
 
The Perfect Weddings Abroad website

TTG Big Idea 2008

Helen Doyle and Danny Waine scooped the £100,000 investment by winning TTG’s Big Idea in 2008.
Their weddings and honeymoon operator idea impressed the ‘dragons’ so much they were each prepared to part with £25,000 of their own money to invest.
The duo had been about to apply for the BBC’s Dragons’ Den when the Big Idea launched.
Almost 10 months on and Danny is more convinced than ever that the victory has been life changing.
He added: “It has been madness since we won and have learned so much.
“Even the experience of entering, regardless of whether or not we won, was enough to make is look at the business from an entirely new angle – a beneficial exercise on its own.”
The pair spent an entire weekend practicing their pitch for Perfect Weddings Abroad to ensure it was perfect by the time they entered the den and all four investors wanted to back them.
The money has paid for website builds, new staff, wedding shows, glossy brochures and much more but Waine said the prize is worth far more than the money.
He added: “Having access to four such successful people has been incredibly useful. “And they in turn have introduced us to other useful people who we would not have been able to meet without their help.”

» Read an interview with Helen and Danny here

Other Big Idea finalists:

Adam Lilley: A former Going Places travel agent and product assistant for an independent tour operator, Adam wanted to set up a social networking specialist tour operation to Turkey for the singles market.
The investors loved Adam’s pitch and drive, were impressed by the research he had done into his target market and felt there was scope to use social networking to sell holidays.

Barrie Gotch: A former regional manager for a chain of nightclubs in Leeds, Barrie is now business development manager for his father’s Uniglobe franchise agency. He wanted to set up a niche tour operation called Disability Travel.
Barrie had also made a major investment in a lodge in Africa, Munyanga Developments, which he also offered the investors equity in as part of the deal.
The investors felt Barrie’s multiple interests across Uniglobe, disability travel and the lodge would dilute his focus.

Philip Scott: A former accountant wanted to continue the work his late wife had achieved by growing her company for disabled travellers, Canbedone. Investors were impressed by Philip and his daughter Helen’s indepth knowledge, range of properties, destinations and client database, but were concerned the business had been making a loss for 18 years.
Philip wanted the money to exploit the right marketing opportunities for the company. The investors could not make the figures add up.

Kerry Robins: An adventure travel expert who has worked as a tour leader wanted funding for her website In Earth’s Image, to make it the world’s number one adventure travel booking agent and information provider.
Investors thought the site was beautiful and functional but felt her profit predictions were way off beam.

Toby Marsden: An ex-golf pro wanted to develop the “Expedia of golf” - an online golf travel shop, where customers can dynamically package accommodation, golf and transport together.
He wanted a technology expert to help him take the business forward, but the investors were concerned Toby’s company name did not have the .com domain and were also worried that he had other business interests.