A little bit about us…
Together, Rachel and Matt DeSpain have established themselves as industry leaders in a variety of ways. First, they have owned and operated their own Zipline/Canopy tour in Alaska for 4 years now. In Juneau, where over 1,000,000 visitors come each summer by cruise ship alone, Rachel and Matt have learned all the inherent challenges that go along with operating a large-scale tour in a demanding market. They have worked hard to maintain a perfect safety record and have learned a great deal in the process.
Their passion for the outdoors has led them on unique adventures from rock climbing in Thailand to surfing in Costa Rica and camel treks through the desert in Morocco. Closer to home, they have enjoyed mountain biking the slick rock landscape in Moab; hiking remote slot canyons in Utah; and kayak-surfing the swells from glaciers calving in Tracy Arm, Alaska.
Prior to operating a Zipline Tour of their own, their experiences in tour development include business plans & forecasting, site evaluation, course design, obtaining a series of permits, working with arborists, sustainability evaluations, choosing from a series of builders in the industry, selecting the appropriate insurance, developing in-depth Training & Operations Manuals, marketing, and staffing an experienced team. When it comes to operations, you name it, they've experienced it. In the Zipline industry, they have been established since the beginning, and they have developed efficient procedures through years of practice.
Since they began offering their consulting services, they have had requests from other types of adventure businesses to assist with the start-up process, so they have experience with a variety of tourism operations. The start-up process is actually very similar across different types of adventure businesses, and they love the diversity of experiences this industry brings.
Rachel is one of only 10 members of the International Zipline/Canopy Tour Committee, established through the Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT). She presented a Pre-Conference workshop at ACCT in January 2009, and she and Matt will present the Pre-Conference workshop again in 2010. She led the charge with developing the original business plans for their Alaska Zipline Tour, presenting the concept to global cruise ship executives, marketing the business, developing training and operating procedures, and staffing the business with an experienced and reliable team. She has a Master's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, where she studied Organizational Behavior, Training, and Staffing. She decided to start her own adventure business after working as a Business Consultant for Wine.com and a Tour Manager for Race for the Cure. She also has experience as a Ski Instructor in Tahoe and an Expedition Leader on camping trips through the National Parks of the United States.
Matt is the technical mind behind the scenes. He has in-depth knowledge of Zipline industry technology, has developed operating procedures, has 4 years of experience in managing daily tourism operations, is the mastermind behind the complex logistics involved in running a busy tourism business, manages all of the financials for the business, and much more. Matt graduated with a Business degree from Arizona State University. He came to the world of Zipping after working for several years managing Logistics for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walks and Race for the Cure. He produced the inaugural Phoenix 3 Day Walk, an event where thousands of people walk 20 miles per day through the heart of the city camping each night in a "mobile city". The complex events Matt helped design raised millions in the fight against Breast Cancer.
Let the years of research and experience that Rachel and Matt have accumulated ensure that you make the right decisions in the beginning to help you plan, design, and operate a successful tour. This team is known for being unbiased, confidential, knowledgable, and well informed of the latest trends and happenings in the adventure business industry.
