Washington, D.C. Area Receives a Whole New Way of Giving; Excitations Offers Wide Range of Intriguing Experiences as Unique Gifts.

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Ride in a vintage biplane over the Blue Ridge Mountains, sail a yacht in Annapolis, Md., or give the gift of a guided photo safari tour of the Washington, D.C. monuments--Washingtonians will now have far more exhilarating possibilities than the usual standby gifts to choose from--thanks to the launch today of Excitations. Excitations, an experiential gift-giving company is quickly making the days of last minute scrambling to find the perfect gift a thing of the past.

The Northern Virginia based startup offers gift buyers of every stripe an easy way to give friends, family and business associates the experience they've always wanted - whether it's a stint behind the wheel of a race car, a feng shui home makeover or an introduction to fly fishing.

"Many people have all the material things they want, but they long for great experiences," says Excitations' CEO Ian Landy. "Physical objects are soon forgotten, but the memory of receiving a unique experience can last a lifetime." In fact, experiential giving is a trend that is hardily entrenched in Europe and finally getting some traction in the U.S.

A successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Landy sold the high-tech firm he co-founded, Lightspeed International, for $194 million in 1998. He and his business partner Kim AuBuchon, a colleague from Lightspeed, started Excitations to address what they see as a significant opportunity in the growing experiential gift-market.

Americans spend $253 billion a year on gifts, with the average an adult spends almost $2,000 a year-- 40 percent of it during the holiday season. Experiential gift-giving is considered by some market analysts to be the "next big thing."

"Experiences are the cutting edge of gift-giving," says Landy. "Many people are rejecting materialism and starting to look for more creative forms of giving that make a truly lasting impression."

Excitations offers a variety of categories and a wide range of price points, some starting for as little as $50. Something can be found to compliment any personality - including children. Experiences are the answer to finding that perfect gift--each one set to thrill, rejuvenate and enjoy such as:

--Exclusive -A reptile encounter, an opportunity to meet a member of a professional sports team or a curry cooking class;

--Extreme - Hang glide, skydive, go on a 007 driving experience or race a go-kart;

--Exhilarating -Fly fishing, high performance driving school or a helicopter discovery flight;

--Exciting - Aerobatic flight experience, junior paintball party, or indoor or outdoor rock climbing; and

--Extravagant - Hot stone massage for two, a romantic spa revival for two or captain your own boat for one year.

Consumers can purchase a specific experience or opt for The Circle Gift Packages, which allow the recipient to choose from a variety of diverse experiences. To provide clients piece of mind, all of Excitations' partners are carefully vetted and are considered the best in their fields. In addition, the experiences are conveniently available in a wide range of locations throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area.

No matter the price, all gift experiences come packaged in beautiful, handcrafted, keepsake boxes that can be cherished right along with the memories of the experience itself.

Though Excitations plans to expand to other markets in the next five years and eventually go national, Landy and AuBuchon chose the Washington area as their starting point due to its favorable demographics.

The company offers its services online at www.excitations.com, and will also have a presence at upscale shopping malls--unusual for this type of business--with a retail kiosk open at Tysons Corner Mall. Orders can also be placed over the phone at 877-839-2483.

About Excitations

Founded in 2004, Excitations mission is to launch in Washington, D.C.-area gift buyers an easy and simple way, through e-commerce and retail, to give innovative and exciting life experiences as gifts--allowing them to give memorable, unique experiences as presents to their friends, family and business associates. The company is headquartered in Northern, Va. For more information, please go to www.excitations.com.