Business is booming for the Hong Kong base of private members club Quintessentially, Emma Sherrard says

UK-based global private members club Quintessentially provides luxury concierge services for jet set celebrities like Madonna and Victoria Beckham – and when developing a regional base in Asia, it naturally chose Hong Kong.

Managing Director for Asia Emma Sherrard says Hong Kong provides the transparency, relationships and referrals which are keys to a business that also includes producing a magazine and developing subsidiary goods and services.

Importantly, in a business based on relationships, Hong Kong also provides vital connections. Quintessentially (HK) Ltd has grown from four to 15 staff in just 18 months, and it's all through word of mouth referrals, Ms Sherrard says.

Unusual requests

Quintessentially is "for people used to luxury and exclusivity", offering them around-the-clock concierge service. This may be as simple as booking a hotel room, ordering the flowers, picking up dry cleaning, or personal shopping.

Or it may be exotic. For Madonna, it sourced a special herbal teabag that could only be found in the US. Quintessentially has helped J-Lo with some albino peacocks for her wedding, found blueberries from Patagonia for a Hong Kong client, and organised a private flight over the Great Wall of China. Probably the most expensive request has been when one member wanted to take over a deserted island for a birthday party. Quintessentially organised it all, for 400 people.

Corporate hospitality is another main aspect of their business in Hong Kong, and for this Quintessentially works with a large network of ticket suppliers and concert promoters. "Whether it be a concert or famous act coming to town, we are usually able to get the VIP seats through our connections," Ms Sherrard says.

'Best friend'

"People also use us as their best friend in a city they may not be familiar with. Let's say that you are very well known in Hong Kong, and maybe you landed in Chicago and don't know exactly where to go. We would point you in the right direction, arriving with our fixers on the ground in Chicago, or in our 28 offices around the world, to help you with your needs."

Its members in the Chinese mainland have different requests, Ms Sherrard adds. Often in Shanghai and Beijing it would be gaining access to the right parties. "We also are helping to educate them as to what is luxury, so if someone asks us for the most expensive bottle of wine in the world (which was a genuine request) we will get it for them".

Hong Kong is for Quintessentially both a gateway to Asia, and a key market, Ms Sherrard says. "Hong Kong is well known as a great place to do business – it's transparent, there is rule of law, it's very international, and just a great energetic city to be in."

Luxury concierge service makes HK its Asian gateway


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