Finding Hong Kong the ideal place to turn an idea into a reality, Dave Andrews organises sell-out shows for children

Banker Dave Andrews - who has spent most of his career number crunching multi-million dollar deals - now spends his days organising shows for children.

There is no doubt about which option he prefers. Like many people, Mr Andrews used Hong Kong's business-friendly environment to launch his own operation - an entertainment company called Chunky Onion Productions - which has proved to be a howling success.

Mr Andrews organises the venue and performers himself, laying on child-friendly food such as pizza or sandwiches, booking a troupe to put on Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel, and acting as the master of ceremonies.

The business idea came about by pure chance. Over a lunchtime chat, a friend of Mr Andrews observed that there was a gap in the Hong Kong market for quality English-language children's entertainment.

Although Mr Andrews, 33, has no children of his own and had only limited experience as an impresario, he did have formidable organisational skills, learned as a banker, to bring to bear.

He booked a large-scale restaurant, set a HK$150 (US$20) price per ticket for the show, including food, and went about hiring suitable entertainers. Now, up to 1,000 youngsters between the ages of two and nine pack the shows out, video-age kids who are mesmerised by the thrill and spontaneity of a live performance.

"It was very easy to start the business in Hong Kong," says Mr Andrews, an American from Cleveland, Ohio. "Hong Kong is such a straightforward place - it is painless. I had to show a business plan for my visa and that I had money in the bank: there is a very clear criteria. Hong Kong is a great place, there is nowhere like it in the world.

"It is a fun job and much more satisfying than what I was doing before. I am on my own now. I like it when people stop me in the street and say they came to the show and had a good time. Nobody came up to you and said that in banking. The business takes time - I am expanding steadily and building momentum."

Mr Andrews aims to put on one show a month under the heading Uncle Dave's Big Day Out, hiring different troupes every time to ensure the concept does not go stale.

His target audience of expatriates and English-speaking Chinese is reached via magazine advertisments, flyers, e-mail and a web site. Word of mouth is also a powerful marketing tool.

"It has really caught fire," says Mr Andrews who has an MBA in finance. "The week before a show I am extremely busy."

Related link:
www.chunkyonion.com