1 Please provide us with a brief bio of yourself.

I was born in Naples (Italy) and started my career as a Naval Engineer in Amsterdam, where I worked for an elite group of ultra-luxury superyacht builders. I enjoyed those years, although I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I gained expertise in the luxury industry and decided to give a deeper meaning to the word “luxury”. I have an international background thanks to having lived in many different cities such as Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Milan. I always loved travelling and I'm also a passionate horseback rider and show jumper.

2 What is your role in the company?

I'm the founder and CEO of Black Platinum Gold B.V and I own 100% of the company. Although many great resources are part of the team, I'm the only central figure of the company and manage every single aspect of the business and operations.

3 Please tell us more about your organization.

Black Platinum Gold B.V. is an online auction platform entirely dedicated to luxury travel, offering destinations all around the world, and an online editorial resource providing travel articles, insights, guides and inspiration for passionate international travellers. It's a global platform available worldwide and open to everyone, and it accepts all payments methods including cryptocurrency. Hospitality businesses achieve digital exposure and a new target of extremely motivated consumers ready to “fight” with bids to turn their dreams into reality, while travellers have the chance to win awesome experiences all around the world. The playful context represents an integral part of the project, a great motivational driver towards personal wellbeing. Over the past few years, Black Platinum Gold has worked and partnered together with many high-end luxury hospitality and lifestyle brands as a travel partner, marketing consultant, communication strategy expert and digital content producer.

4 Describe the industry your organization is specialized in, as well as its main characteristics.

Black Platinum Gold B.V. is specialized in Luxury Travel, operating on both B2B and B2C sides. The business model is based on a virtuous cycle, which generates value for all the involved parties (travellers, hotels, destinations, sustainability) and goes beyond a simple "services in exchange of a fee" model. Moreover, Black Platinum Gold supports selected local initiatives, focusing on environmental sustainability and animal rights as beneficiaries of part of the auctions’ revenue. I plan to grow this aspect.

5 Congratulations! As the winner of the TITAN Business Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?

Beyond the happiness and satisfaction that winning a prestigious award brings, there's the priceless pride of having created a successful company starting from just an ambitious vision and a lot of perseverance.

6 How has winning an international award help promote your organization?

Black Platinum Gold is a global platform, available worldwide and open to anyone: winning an international awards helps in creating awareness and conversation wit no boundaries.

7 What are the challenges of developing / marketing your winning entry(ies)?

Black Platinum Gold's entry (the only one we made) focused on its innovative and unique business model. It explained how Black Platinum Gold operates through a virtuous cycle and how it brings real long-term added value to each business relationship as well as how it empowers dreamers to be go-getters.

8 As a business owner, please tell us more about your ideation process.

My vision revolves around the difference between price and value: given a certain trip or experience, you are the one who knows how much that is worth to you, and you're the only one that can make it truly priceless. That's why entering an auction is a smart move: it's your chance to add value to your budget. My main objective was to create a business model based on a virtuous cycle, not just a simple "services in exchange of a fee". I wanted to create something unique maximising all the involved parties' assets, based on awareness, consideration, conversion and retention.

9 What is your own definition of a successful team / organization / business?

I don't think that success is some kind of a finishing line, nor that it's something you can only measure with money. For me the most authentic success is to do something you truly love, that makes you jump out of bed in the morning, that is constantly on you mind because you can't get enough if it.

10 What led you / your organization to become successful within the industry you are currently in?

Creating something that was never done before, and focusing on real value for all the involved parties rather than just on sales.

11 How has the country, you are based in, helped move your industry forward?

The Netherlands is an awesome country to start a business, there are so many excellent resources and a very open and international mentality.

12 What have you found to be a hindering factor, for your business, during the entire course of the pandemic, and how did you overcome that hinderance?

The whole travel industry was hardly hit by the pandemic, however Black Platinum Gold is not a "simple" travel agency: once you win an auction, you have plenty of time to book your trip. When people were on lockdown at home, they really wanted to have something to be looking forward to, and, in addition to this, bidding at auction can be very rewarding.

13 What are the current trends in the business industry that you are most excited about?

For sure the NFTs market, which Black Platinum Gold is now entering with ultra-exclusive unique experiences across the globe sold a NFTs, together with digital collectibles and BPG points of its loyalty program.

14 What resources would you recommend to someone who is searching to improve their business prospects and organizational success?

Never stop learning new things, be curious, stay up to date with any news or trends that could have an impact on your business.

15 Where do you see the evolution of the overall business industry in the next 5-10 years?

Luxury travel is undoubtedly heading towards always more transformative journeys and unique experiences in remote and undiscovered locations, with a special focus on wellness and mental wellbeing. We'll see a lot of development in space tourism and the Metaverse.

16 Who inspired you in your life, and why?

Although I'm very focused on business, I think that my main models are sport champions: I'm very inspired by their full commitment, that mental strength that allows you not to crack under pressure, the humbleness, the constant pushing beyond limits.

17 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?

Start with "why" you want to build your company for, not with "what" you want to do or "how much" money you want to make. Believe in you vision, create your own path. Don't expect people to immediately understand what you're doing, don't rely on approval, don't wait for encouragement: you don't need that. Learn how to solve problems without delegating every single thing. Be kind, but determined. Be humble, but confident. Believe in what you're doing like there's no plan B.

Winning Entry

 
2022
Company & Organization

Entrant Company

Black Platinum Gold B.V.

Category

Company & Organization - Travel