Aidan McKevitt

Photos

Aidan, tell us about yourself.

I'm a college student from the US, currently studying marketing and brand management. I went to Barcelona, Spain for the summer to complete an internship with Stoke Travel focused on social media management and online marketing.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory is a whirlwind trip I took to the north of Spain in the beginning of my internship. Stoke Travel encouraged me to check out a few of their products so that I could learn more about what I would be marketing later on in the summer, and to just have a great time!

During the 10 days, I was able to check out the San Sebastian Surf House, the Zarautz mobile surf camp, and Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.

Throughout this time, I stayed at different Stoke accommodations, meet the hard working and incredible festival/surf crew, and really came to understand what makes Stoke Travel a truly unique events and travel company.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I think the biggest growth I've had since starting to work for this company has been my confidence and the practical application of my studies.

Being in university is great because I learned all of the theory and practice modules about the field of marketing and branding. But, actually working in the office and completing marketing goals has given me a much better understanding of my field, the tools and programs that I'll be using in future jobs, and what a career in marketing and brand management would actually look like.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

If I could go on any of the programs it would be Morocco Magic Week. Morocco has always been a massive travel destination of mine, and the surf breaks that the Morocco house is located in front of is considered one of the best in the entire country.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I think what makes the company unique is the camaraderie and dedication the employees have to the company. In a lot of jobs, people come in to work purely because of the paycheck, career trajectory, benefits, etc.

At Stoke, it feels like people come to work because they believe in the vision of the company, they're surrounded by friends, and ultimately they have a great time.

I was especially proud of the company during and directly after the Running of the Bulls festival. Although the festival crew was a bit understaffed and overbooked, they pulled through incredibly and worked unbelievably hard.

The office crew did everything they could to assist, provide customer service to anyone with an issue, and keep the company running in a forward and positive direction.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think the biggest factor in being a successful company is understanding exactly what service and niche the products provide and staying true to the original vision of the company.

Stoke Travel works because they are not a typical travel company. They don't provide a hard itinerary full of sight seeing, they don't have tour guides working just because they're getting paid to do it, and they try to make the separation between customer and employee as small as possible.

The whole idea of Stoke is to make the trips feel like you're going on a holiday with all of your friends, and even at current events with thousands of people attending a night, they still get that same feeling.