The business of adventure (hktdc.com)


	Philippe Millieret and business partner Adrienne Ng host a beach barbecue at the end of a day's adventure

	Spectacular scenery is another Corporate Adventures plus

Frenchman Philippe Millieret insists he was "not a born entrepreneur," but when he saw an opportunity to buy a kids' summer camp with an idyllic beachfront location, he was happy to switch careers.

The former financial services executive, who was working for the French Embassy in Hong Kong at the time, bought the business in 2004. He turned it into Corporate Adventures, an executive team-building company with an eco-focus, and Treasure Island, an outdoor youth camp.

Four years later, the business is thriving. Corporate Adventures has a long and prestigious client list, including ABN-Amro, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, UBS, AXA and Unilever. Treasure Island caters to 3,500 children each year, employs up to 25 fulltime staff, as well as many freelance outdoor educators, and is still growing.

Often approached to establish similar programmes in the Chinese mainland, Mr Millieret plans to open a branch in Shanghai next year.

Ooh La La!

It was while working in financial services that Mr Millieret first identified a market opportunity. "The corporate world is layered with barriers – cultural, hierarchical, knowledge, competition, success," he says. "Especially in Asia – a multicultural environment with a predominant Chinese culture, where giving face is essential – there are a lot of unspoken codes that are complex to understand."

Team building breaks down barriers by teaching people to work together. "The activities re-establish communication channels between individuals by promoting trust and support," he explains.

Corporate Adventures' location, at Pui O Beach on Lantau Island, is "one of Hong Kong's most beautiful beaches," Mr Millieret says. Just 45 minutes from Central, the site is surrounded by sea, wetlands and mountains. Guests arrive either by coach or ferry for a day spent abseiling down a natural gorge, dragon-boat racing or taking part in beach Olympics, before enjoying sunset cocktails, a Thai-style beach barbecue or dinner at French restaurant Ooh La La!

Eco-focus

All activities have an eco-focus. A programme under development will teach participants about global warming and how to reduce their carbon footprint. With corporate social responsibility becoming a hot topic, Mr Millieret expects this course to be popular. Indeed, he expects the Treasure Island business to double within two years, spurred by the new eco-curriculum. "Corporations have a moral obligation to try to limit global warming and to support their employees in doing so."

He says Hong Kong was the ideal place to launch the business because of the many multinational corporations here that need the service, and, have the financial resources to commit to it. Word-of-mouth works well in Hong Kong, he points out. "It is a small microcosm, and everybody knows everyone. The word goes around in no time."

Happiness business

From a serendipitous start, Mr Millieret has developed a business he feels passionate about.

"I am in the happiness business," he says. "The other day, I had 120 participants from a top-tier investment bank, and when people leaving come and shake your hand to thank you for how wonderful their day was, well that's worth a lot. And clearly, having your own business is like having your own baby. You care for it, nurture it, make it grow and you once again have this sense of achievement."