DATELINE MONDAY 18TH APRIL 2016

Happy Monday, last week was as far as I’m concerned a terrific week except for one thing, I became a year older, I actually have given up birthdays but it seems birthdays have not given me up and the calendar continues to tell me I’m another year older than I was last week, oh well as they say, it is what it is, not much I can do about it.

IMEX in Frankfurt this week, as soon as I’m back from Frankfurt it’s the Jewish festival of Passover which starts on Friday 22nd April and lasts for eight days, the festival commemorates the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt. Except in my case I am now enslaved in W10 and NW6 yikkkkeeesss.

Passover is a week of no bread and no yeast products and if this makes any sense to you may I take this opportunity of wishing you and your family a very happy and kosher Passover week. If on the other hand it makes no sense whatsoever please ignore the last few sentences.

Nature seems to have been having a bit of a pop at various people across the world last week, nature on the other hand in the UK seems to be doing a good job great weather on Sunday and it seems like it’s going to be a great week this week dry sunny but still a bit chilly at night.

DMC News* MM and Company News * Destination News* MM and Company News *

IMEX Frankfurt 19th April 2016

Frankfurt this week, here is a reminder of who’s going to be at IMEX from the portfolio of outstanding world class DMC that are represented by MM and Company ;

+39 Italy on Stand F705

Davina Naiken of Connections DMC Mauritius on Stand G660

EPIC Group Cancun Mexico are on Stand B100

Germany Insight are on Stand F100 & F110

Honeywell Incentives Cyprus on Stand C380

Habib El Fassi of Visit Morocco DMC on Stand D480

Anna Valdimarsdóttir of Nordic Visitor Iceland are on Stand F230

Quetzal Motivo Central America on Stand B140

Russian Event Russia are on Stand D430

SNTTA Emir Incentives & Conferences Dubai and Abu Dhabi are on Stand E520

TA DMC Spain & Portugal are on Stand F655

If you are available between16.00 – 17.30 on Tuesday & Wednesday please join +39 Italy for cocktails at their booth F705 tell the +39 Italy team David sent you.

If you are going to IMEX, I do hope that we will bump into each other in the corridors of chaos that IMEX tends to be.

Iceland

Anna Valdimarsdóttir of Nordic Visitor tells me that Hilton Hotels are opening a hotel called Hilton Canopy in the centre of Reykjavik, the soft opening is in June. Hilton have got a collection of typical Icelandic houses, joined them all up and formed a courtyard in the centre of the hotel where Icelandic art and sculptures will be on display. Anna tells me that the MAR Edition Hotel is being constructed adjacent to the Harper Convention Centre. There is also a five star hotel being built sat the Blu Lagoon. Five star hotels in Iceland are like buses in London, you wait for ages for one and two come along at the same time.

Japan

James at The J Team Japan tell us a new Ferris wheel will open in Osaka this summer. The Ferris wheel will be the tallest Ferris Wheel in Japan with stunning views over the area and in close proximity to a mall, zoo and aquarium! For more info on what Japan can offer you as an MICE destination, get in contact with our fab DMC; The J Team.

Leyla and Hannah’s twitter and witter bit of the Monday morning e mail

Hannah has taken another big leap into growing up, this week armed with a somewhat ancient mobile phone and an Oyster card she left the house on a trial run to go to school by public transport. The journey is a ten minute walk from home to the tube station then three stops followed by another ten minute walk to the school gate. With the successful trial run under her belt it was time to do it on her own, with a deep breath she said, “Well Daddy, I’m off” she was way too early but so nervous she couldn’t wait to get it done. She took the Jubilee line from Finchley Road to Kilburn, the journey I used to do when I went ot the same primary school as she does now but I always had my twin brother with me, she did it on her own. She sent a text “Daddy, I’m at school” which was the sign for me start breathing again. Meanwhile I had turned an interesting blue colour whilst holding my breath.

I was entertaining clients on Thursday night, I came home quite late with a few glasses of wine on board to be confronted by Leyla still up past midnight watching YouTube on her mobile phone. The reason why she wasn’t using her laptop was because on Wednesday night the household had gone to bed with all electronics stored in the kitchen as per house rules being charged. Leyla had tiptoed downstairs, collected her laptop and took it upstairs, she had fallen asleep whilst watching u tube with the laptop on her bed. At 5.30AM I heard a crash, I leapt out of bed, rushed upstairs to make sure the girls were ok to find Leyla’s laptop had fallen off her bed.

It has been confiscated for a week.

That’s it you are now fully up to date with the shenanigans at Mortgaged Marks Manor in Swiss Cottage.