Northern entrepreneur Nick Steiert is stepping down as managing director of the online travel and events specialist he founded to focus full-time on his next entrepreneurial dream, Wellnergy.
Wellnergy promises to be an “all-new life, soul, and mind-enriching wellness festival” and will debut on June 17.
Steiert will step away from Intravelr, which launched in Leeds in 2008 (then called Invasion – the rebrand came last year following takeover by US firm Intrax) before relocating to Manchester in the mid-teens. Perhaps disappointingly, given Steiert’s undisputed Northern business credentials, Wellnergy will make its debut down South, at Barn Elms in South London.
Although his next chapter will be taking him to London, Manchester-based Steiert will be taking plenty of Northern grit with him. He graduated as president of the Leeds University Law Society in 2008, but decided to set up Invasion in his bedroom instead of pursuing a career in Law as he “wanted to make a positive difference to the world.” He successfully transformed the company into a leading travel company, providing unforgettable experiences to the young generation.
On relocating to Manchester, Steiert moved his then-team of around 40 into what the MEN dubbed “Salford’s coolest office,” complete with a jungle-themed lecture space, nightclub, disco lights in every meeting room and a glitterball over the main foyer. It also came with a beach area with six-metre palm tree shipped in from Universal Studios, and a life size model of Darth Maul, with lightsabre.
We assume Steiert’s more sedate-sounding latest plans will have less call for disco lights, although don’t quote us on that as the festival’s launch promo does suggest music will be high on the agenda.
Steiert said: “After fifteen years in the business, I’ve seen it all, including a pandemic which completely shut off the travel industry. I’m very thankful for Intrax’s investment and faith in us, and I’m confident that the company and team will be in safe hands going forward. Looking ahead, I’m very excited to be able to focus on growing Wellnergy, my next adventure. The world certainly needs wellness right now and I’m ready for the next chapter.”
Dennis Wong, CEO at Intrax, added: “We would like to give our most sincere thanks to Nick for his help during our acquisition, helping navigate the company through very difficult Covid times where travel was entirely disrupted, as well as helping position Intravelr for success with the re-branding effort and motivating the team forward.”
