An adventure of a lifetime: Q&A with Joe Alexander, co-founder of Jackpot Explorers

Joe Alexander, a seasoned adventurer with more than 20 years’ experience, has done his fair share of globetrotting. Now, his passion for adventure travel has led him to launch Jackpot Explorers, a prize draw format that gives entrants the opportunity to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Alongside his partners Morgan Stephenson and Paul Furlong, Joe is on a mission to make extraordinary adventures accessible to everyone. Here, Kate Hewison speaks to Joe as he shares the inspiration behind his new Jesmond-based venture, the origins of his love for travel, and how the innovative prize draw format came to life.

What inspired you to start Jackpot Explorers?

That’s simple – my love of adventure travel and the life experience exploring our world brings.

I’m fortunate to have explored over 70 per cent of the globe – many of that as part of my work with my adventure travel company, Alexander’s Adventures.

I’ve never lost sight of what a privilege it is to spend time in these far-flung places and to experience different cultures. I wanted to bring that sense of excitement and sheer awe and wonder to others who ordinarily wouldn’t get the chance.

What started your love for adventure travel?

It started with my parents who instilled a love of the great outdoors in me. This led me to set up my business running adventures over 20 years ago. My first expedition, when I was only 19, was to the Himalayas where we were whitewater kayaking and trekking, I fell in love with the culture and the pure sense of adventure.

I’m really lucky to have been exploring the world ever since. I’ve been back to the Himalayas, climbing major mountains, led groups scuba diving in Mexico and I’ve also kayaked in the Amazon and worked in Patagonia.

In fact, I’ve guided and worked in all seven continents,

How did the idea of a prize draw format come about?

Jackpot Explorers is the brainchild of its three founders – Morg’ Stephenson, Paul Furlong and myself.

We were sat in my office discussing how lucky we all are that we get to travel the world with our respective jobs, learning about different places and cultures, and what a shame it is that more people can’t do cool stuff like visit the Himalayas or Galápagos. These are ‘money can’t buy’ type adventures and the prize draw is our way of sharing them.

We all looked at each other with the same thought – why not offer the adventure of a lifetime via a prize draw format. We’d seen it done for other high value items (like multi-million-pound houses) so why not an adventure. We checked and nothing like it existed.

Led by me, our carefully curated expeditions include the challenges of an expedition whilst also focusing on the rich cultural aspects of the places we visit.

Tell us more about the prizes on offer?

Our launch prize is an amazing nine-day Everest Base Camp adventure for two people next March. It has a monetary value of over £10,000. Tickets are priced at only £24 (you can grab an early bird ticket for only £19 up to September 8th). This includes all flights, transfers and accommodation.

The winner and their plus one will travel through some of the most stunning landscapes, trekking through Sherpa villages and meeting amazing people along the way.

Descent is via an exhilarating helicopter ride back down through the Himalayas and on arriving back in Kathmandu they will have several days to explore the rich cultural heritage of this amazing city.

Upcoming draws will include more amazing adventure opportunities. Examples include exploring the Galápagos and Amazon Rainforest, a tour to encounter Borneo’s mountain gorillas and a South Pole trek.

Entrants can also opt for a £3 ticket with the chance to win high-spec kit such as a drone, tent or rucksack.

How can participants enter?

Entering is easy – visit our website (where you will find full details of the prize), answer a simple question then select the number of tickets you wish to buy. Multiple tickets can be purchased with a saving of up to 15 per cent.