Darlington based eCommerce expert Myk Baxter is expanding his agency’s international operations after securing a major partnership with Play, Activity and Leisure Ireland (PALI).
Myk Baxter Marketing has been appointed PALI’s Preferred Website and Marketing Partner, giving the results driven marketing agency the opportunity to support more than 120 independent play, activity and leisure businesses across Ireland.
The partnership follows the successful development of a completely custom website and commission free booking platform for Jungle Den, which operates family entertainment centres in Naas and Newbridge.
The Jungle Den project initially began as a mobile first website before developing into a much wider digital transformation.
Myk and his team designed and built an advanced booking and administration platform around the way Jungle Den operates. The system manages online bookings, party packages, deposits, gift vouchers, availability, multiple venues and customer communications without charging commission on every transaction.
Unlike many third party booking platforms, the system gives Jungle Den greater ownership and control over its customer journey, booking data and ongoing operating costs.
The project also incorporated conversion rate optimisation, technical SEO and a simpler mobile booking experience designed to help more visitors complete their reservations.
Early results have been extremely positive. Jungle Den recorded 371 bookings during August 2026, compared with 221 during the same month in 2025, representing an increase of almost 68 per cent year on year.
Myk Baxter, founder and managing director of Myk Baxter Marketing, said:
“This began as a website project but once we understood how Jungle Den operated, we could see an opportunity to create something much more valuable.
“We developed a completely custom booking system around the business, rather than forcing the business to adapt to generic third party software.
“It gives Jungle Den greater control, removes commission from the booking process and creates a much stronger foundation for future growth.”
The success of the Jungle Den project led to discussions with PALI, the national representative body supporting Ireland’s play, activity and leisure sector.
Following a review of the agency’s work, experience and proposed member benefits, Myk Baxter Marketing Ireland was selected as PALI’s Preferred Website and Marketing Partner under an initial 12 months agreement.
The partnership gives PALI members access to preferential services and exclusive benefits across website development, booking technology, SEO, paid advertising, email marketing and conversion optimisation.
Members can also explore custom, zero commission booking systems designed specifically for the requirements of play centres, activity venues and leisure businesses.
Website, marketing and booking software setup costs have been waived for participating PALI members. Further benefits include a free website user experience and conversion audit, a free homepage design concept and access to preferential group rates.
Myk added:
“Independent leisure businesses can lose substantial amounts of revenue through booking commissions, platform charges and systems that do not reflect how their venues actually operate.
“Our objective is to help PALI members take greater ownership of their technology, improve the experience they provide online and retain more of the revenue they generate.
“This partnership is not simply about building websites. It is about helping these businesses save, grow and earn more through better technology and more effective digital marketing.”
Myk founded Myk Baxter Marketing in 2010 after returning to the North East from Thailand when he discovered his mother had been diagnosed with cancer.
The agency was originally established at Aycliffe Business Park and has operated using a remote first model since 2011, long before remote working became widely adopted.
Over the past 16 years, the business has delivered website development, eCommerce, SEO, Google Ads, Meta advertising, content and conversion optimisation for businesses throughout the UK and internationally.
Its portfolio includes established companies and organisations across retail, healthcare, hospitality, fitness, education and professional services.
The launch of Myk Baxter Marketing Ireland represents the agency’s latest stage of international development. The business has established an Irish presence at 26A Baggot Street Upper in Dublin and launched a dedicated Irish website to support its growing customer base.
The agency also intends to create employment opportunities in both the UK and Ireland as demand for its technology and marketing services increases.
Alongside its booking platform, Myk Baxter Marketing is developing ABM, an AI powered customer relationship management system.
ABM stands for Amber Business Management and is named after Myk’s six year old daughter.
The technology is being created to bring customer management, communication, sales and operational information together within one central platform.
Myk said:
“After 22 years in digital and eCommerce, developing our own technology feels like a natural progression for the agency.
“ABM is particularly meaningful to me because it is named after my daughter. She and my dad are the two people who keep me focused and remind me why I continue pushing the business forward.
“There have been setbacks, risks and difficult periods throughout the journey but each one has helped shape the business we have today.
“Expanding into Ireland, partnering with PALI and developing our own software feels like the beginning of an incredibly exciting new chapter.”
The international partnership was recently featured across several pages of The Northern Echo’s BUSINESSiQ publication, recognising the agency’s growth, its work with Jungle Den and Myk’s journey from Dubai and Thailand back to Darlington.
The original feature can be read here: Darlington marketing firm lands international deal with Irish leisure network.
Myk Baxter Marketing is a results driven marketing agency founded by eCommerce expert Myk Baxter in 2010.
The agency provides custom website development, eCommerce, SEO, Google Ads, Meta Ads, email marketing, conversion rate optimisation and digital growth services to businesses throughout the UK and internationally.
Myk Baxter Marketing Ireland supports Irish businesses, including members of Play, Activity and Leisure Ireland, with custom websites, commission free booking technology and performance focused digital marketing.
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