LUX Xmas 2018

92 Thanks to its vast experience in the ultra-luxury market, Cookson Adventures is pioneering innovative adventure experiences that push the boundaries of travel. Having awarded the firm ‘Most Innovative Luxury Travel Advisory Firm - the UK’ in our prestigious LUX Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2018 we invited their Chief Executive, Adam Sebba, to talk us through the work Cookson undertakes on behalf of its esteemed clientele. Cookson Adventures was founded in 2009 by Henry Cookson, who drew from his experience as a Guinness World Record-holding polar explorer. Once a city banker, Henry gave up the office for a life exploring the great outdoors. After completing a 360-mile ski race to the Magnetic North Pole and becoming part of the first team to kite-ski 1,100 miles to the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility (Antarctica’s most central point) on foot, the idea to launch Cookson Adventures was born, with a vision to elevate adventure and deliver something new to the curious and the daring. Today the firm enjoys a global base of UHNWIs who are often extremely well-travelled and looking to try something new. They have noticed a rising trend of clients swapping investment in assets for building memories, particularly alongside family and friends. It’s their job to find something the client has not seen or heard about before; something that may push their boundaries or challenge them to look at the world differently. Chief Executive, Adam Sebba, explains how important this is to the firm and the lengths it goes to so that clients can indulge their thirst for exploring, without sacrificing the highest levels of comfort and elegance. “To ensure that they enjoy a truly unique adventure,” he says, “Cookson does not send its clients to destinations that we have not visited first. Our staff must have in-depth knowledge of the destination, itinerary and on-the- ground contacts before any adventure is outlined to the client. As a result, we have a very well-travelled and knowledgeable team, with members regularly being sent on trips. In addition to this, any experts that we put our client in contact with are always interviewed and vetted beforehand.” It’s clear, then, that as part of a focus on truly luxury experiences, Cookson only hires the best talent in the travel market. But more than this, Cookson stays ahead of the curve by ensuring that staff are constantly enhancing their skills and knowledge. Oct18456 “All of these staff receive regular training,” Sebba continues, “and meet with suppliers from around the world to unlock the latest experiences. This, alongside our track history of coordinating logistically challenging adventures in some of the most remote corners of the planet, from dual helicopter-yacht operations in Antarctica to piloting some of the world’s most advanced submersibles during wildlife research missions, ensures that our clients receive the service they expect every time they work with us.” 2018 has been a hugely exciting year for the business, with former strategy consultant and ex-British army officer Adam joining to lead the company through growth and repositioning to reflect the company’s unique global offering and longer-term ambition to deliver an even great variety of requests and experiences. Looking to the future, Adam foresees many exciting developments for Cookson as the firm continues to develop and enhance its already impressive service offering. “Our new name, website and look,” he says, “reflects how our business has grown tremendously since the days when Henry would organise adventures for his close acquaintances. We still offer that personal touch and truly bespoke approach, however we have a larger team to meticulously craft an array of extraordinary experiences.” “At the moment we are developing submersible-based adventures that will explore some of the most fascinating, waters on the planet, teeming with marine life from Palau, where endangered dugongs, shipwrecks and manta ray congregations fill the sea, to the incredibly remote Cocos Island, accessible only by yacht, where you can collaborate with scientists to help with shark conservation. “Other experiences we are offering include a submersible dive to the iconic wreck of RMS Titanic and a heli-skiing adventure in Baffin Island; the most northerly ski base in the world. “These developments will ensure that Cookson remains the byword for luxury adventure in travel for many years to come,” Adam concludes. Company Name: Cookson Adventures Contact Name: Nick Davies, Director of Projects and Sales Address: 2 Clearwater Terrace, London, United Kingdom Phone: 0207 736 0452 Website: www.cooksonadventures.com Take The Adventure of A Lifetime With Cookson Adventures