Business and Tourism student Janos Vegvari turned a conference hosted by the GBS Enterprise Team into a major sales opportunity, generating £6,000 in holiday bookings for his travel agency, Golden Escapes, following the on-campus event.

Thanks to the efforts of the Enterprise Team, promotional banners were created for students to use as valuable marketing collateral. These were on display at the recent Enterprise Conference, where Janos was able to showcase his – and he has since continued to put it to good use.

The result was immediate, securing over 100 competition entries, new customer leads, and a very positive sales response.

“We gave away a free weekend holiday as part of the event and received more than 100 entries,” Janos explained. “That allowed us to collect data, follow up with customers, and, with extra effort from myself and my partner Tatiana, turn interest into bookings.”

 

From Transylvania to Tourism Entrepreneur

Janos is originally from Târgu Mureș, a city in central Transylvania, Romania, and he built a career in sales and account management before moving to the UK in 2008. His passion for travel and geography led him to enrol at GBS, where the combination of location, course content, and student support “ticked all the boxes.”

 

Support Beyond the Classroom

Janos credits two key sources of support from GBS for helping him grow Golden Escapes; GBS’s Enterprise Hub (supporting student business for start-up’s or to grow their existing endeavours), and GBS Mastermind sessions (small groups of 8-10 students working together on each other’s businesses, facilitated by an Enterprise Officer, and featuring ongoing mentorship from the Enterprise Team).

“The Enterprise Hub gives me a space to record offers and practice pitches,” he said. “Through the Mastermind group, I even led a session on how I started my business. And my relationship with Enterprise Officer Mark Crabtree from the Enterprise Team means I can keep coming back for guidance and support.”

Janos first became aware of the Enterprise Team when Mark visited his classroom to talk about what support he was able to offer – from entrepreneurship advice, CV rewrites, help finding work and assistance with interview techniques.

 

A Vision For the Future

Janos’s entrepreneurial inspiration comes from Richard Light, founder of Experience It Now Travel, who helps homeworkers establish their own travel businesses.

Looking ahead, Janos plans to scale Golden Escapes into a full-time venture, opening both a physical store and a dedicated mobile app after graduation.

His advice to prospective students? “Think about where you want to go with your education — and consider GBS. They support you every step of the way.”

 

Feeling Inspired to Start Your Own Business? 

Speak to your campus Enterprise Officer – or you can get in touch at entrepreneurship@globalbanking.ac.uk to find out more.