The company that makes your dreams come true
Have you ever wanted to star in your own movie, have an ice driving lesson with The Stig from Top Gear or give your children the surprise of their lives by transforming your chalet into an ice cave from Frozen?
We met up with Mark Pepler, director of Footprints and Dreams, to better understand this new trend of treating your loved ones to a once-in-a-lifetime bespoke experience. With more than 40 years’ collective experience organising large-scale immersive events within the international corporate market, Mark and his business partner, Waiwan Lee, decided to focus on special bespoke experiences for smaller groups. “Simply put, Footprints and Dreams in an experience company”.
Mark starts listing the mind-blowing experiences they have created for a number of UHNW individuals and the level of detail that goes into their planning is astounding. From producing a number of private Great British Bake Off competitions for families in the privacy of their gardens, complete with their favourite chefs from MasterChef as judges, to something a little more dangerous. “Last year we were approached by a woman who wanted to learn to do stunts in a helicopter, so we organised for her to have a Hollywood stunt pilot, who worked on a number of the Fast and Furious films, to teach her some helicopter tricks over Hollywood.”
“We organised a race day for a client where a Formula One driver taught them how to race, properly race. Afterwards, they competed against each other in race cars around a private circuit.” With ice-race tracks only a short distance from the Alps and the plethora of ice-driving stuntmen Footprints and Dreams have on speed dial, the possibilities for an incredible day with your whole group while on holiday is dangerously captivating.
Everything they do is incredibly confidential and discreet; however, Mark is able to hint at their latest commission for “a Swiss banker who wants to be James Bond for the weekend.” It is clear just much Mark loves his job as his eyes light up while reeling off all the incredible things they have lined up for this lucky Bond fan. A live real-time Bond experience, all captured by drones and by a film crew on the ground, to be broadcast live online via a private secure URL for friends and family to watch live. Two adrenaline-fuelled days of non-stop live real-time adventure that will become one of his most treasured memories.
Collected from his private jet by Felix Leiter, a famous character and stunt driver from the Bond films, in an Aston Martin, the lucky participant will be sped off to a military war museum to drive a tank and defuse a bomb. After being whisked over the border on a Harley motorbike to a castle, he will sample some of the world’s most exquisite food, find an antidote, and discover the location of the evil scientist. The following morning, he will be met by a group of his friends to invade an island in Croatia together in formation on boats, blowing up buildings and taking on military stuntmen in a paintball fight like no other. The adventure culminates with a flight to Venice for a casino party where our hero can take down the villain at a game of poker. All devised and organised by Mark and Waiwan.
If the high-stakes action adventure isn’t for you, never fear, Footprints and Dreams tailor their experiences to each client and any dream can be realised. The experience that really catches our attention is the one Mark calls ‘the perfect dinner party’. They profile every single guest in advance and invite each person’s favourite celebrity to dinner: sporting idols, fashionistas, favourite childhood music artists, authors, and Disney characters! Just imagine the fascinating combinations of characters and threads of conversation that would occur across the table. With a service so bespoke, you really can bring dreams to life and make your skiing holiday even more memorable.
Planning can take anything from a few months to a year, so it’s important to book well in advance, although Mark assures me anything is possible with enough creativity. With connections to the top people in events, showbiz, and the film industries, Footprints and Dreams can source not only actors, but also the behind the scenes superstars such as writers, stuntmen, full film crews, and costume and fashion designers.
Why not have your own private fashion show in your chalet by the world’s leading designers, followed by a consultation by a top fashion designer who will create an haute couture, one-of-a-kind look for you, complete with custom-made Christian Louboutin shoes to be delivered at the end of your holiday, Mark asks. Why not indeed? Seemingly no request is too large or small. “We could build a beach party in your chalet in the Alps, design a themed menu with your chef, and dress it all out with Caribbean palms, bring in sand, pools, heating, lighting, performers and flair cocktail staff and turn it into a complete party!” An evening your corporate party will be talking to their grandchildren about!
Whether you want to create your own Chanel perfume in the privacy of your own chalet or receive private tuition from a top stunt woman on how to do epic ski jumping stunts off the mountains, with Footprints and Dreams, truly anything is possible.