Last Updated on: September 5, 2025 at 5:36 am
In today’s Founders in Flight, we spotlight Matt Little, founder of Festoon House, an Australian lighting company known for transforming spaces with decorative LED solutions built for the outdoors. From cafés and restaurants to weddings and large-scale festivals, Festoon House provides durable, stylish, and affordable lighting that can withstand the country’s toughest conditions.
While most of the company’s operations are online and warehouse-based, carefully chosen business trips have proven pivotal in elevating their brand. For Founder and Managing Director Matt, travel isn’t about frequency — it’s about focus. By showing up at the right industry expos and client meetings, Festoon House has forged valuable partnerships, expanded into large event projects, and strengthened its reputation as a trusted lighting provider across Australia.
A typical day blends product development, customer support, order fulfillment, and marketing. The team collaborates on new designs, maintains inventory, and ensures smooth sales processes.
Because the company is primarily online and warehouse-based in Sydney, business travel is limited — averaging 4–6 trips per year. These are concentrated on key events and site visits that provide outsized opportunities for growth.
Matt is clear that travel isn’t the centre of Festoon House’s operations — but when it happens, it matters.
“Business travel does not play a pivotal role in our company since most of our operations are done online and at our warehouse in Sydney,” he explains. “Nevertheless, travel is a major element that helps to establish relationships and access new opportunities.”
One example came during a lighting expo in Melbourne.
“At that expo, we met a large event organiser who was looking for a reliable supplier for a major outdoor festival. That in-person experience turned into a collaboration, and we ended up supplying lighting for several local festivals,” Matt recalls. “It opened new horizons for us and raised our profile as a reliable provider of large-scale events. That’s the kind of impact you just can’t get without being there.”
Because Festoon House doesn’t travel often, each trip must prove its value.
“We rank our trips by the business value they can bring. For us, that usually means critical industry events or high-value customers,” Matt says. “That way, every trip has a clear return on investment.”
The company relies on technology and remote tools to minimise unnecessary travel while maintaining strong relationships.
“We use virtual meetings to minimise travel where possible. That helps us maintain good relationships while cutting costs,” he explains.
Those savings don’t go unnoticed — they’re redirected into strengthening the company’s foundation.
“By cutting down on non-essential travel, we can reinvest more into product development and customer service. That’s where we want our resources to go,” Matt notes.
Festoon House combines otomatisasi manajemen perjalanan with a heart-centred company culture. Booking, itineraries, and expense tracking are streamlined with technology, saving administrative time and money. At the same time, leadership emphasises balance and people-first values, ensuring only essential travel is undertaken.
Virtual tools bridge the gap, enabling the team to stay connected without incurring unnecessary travel time. This approach enables the company to focus on what matters most: delivering innovative lighting solutions and building meaningful relationships.
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