DATELINE MONDAY 14TH MAY 2018
Happy Monday Morning from IMEX in Frankfurt or perhaps guten morgen as I will be saying for the next few days. I hope you are well and that you enjoyed the long weekend, yes I know that was ages ago not long now till another long weekend arrives at the end of the month got to love May the month, not the leader, although I know a lot of people do (love the Leader)
On the subject of greetings, may I take this opportunity to wish all those observing Ramadan that starts on Tuesday evening "Ramadan Mubarak"
It looks like the sun now is going to make a regular appearance for the next few months it took long enough to arrive oh and please let's not talk about the one weekend in April that was hot it was also a fluke, we paid the price for that hot weekend with two very cold weeks that followed. Yes I know the Bank Holiday just gone was absolutely amazing, I love it when it's hot, I have ordered another similar weekend for next weekend let's hope Amazon can deliver.
DMC News* MM and Company News * Destination News*
IMEX Frankfurt Is here in Frankfurt from tomorrow 15th May - 17th May, I will be there till Wednesday evening far too busy in the UK to stretch to another day out of the office. The DMCs MM and Company represent who will be at IMEX are as follows:
Cancun: EPIC Group Stand Number B100 Central America: Quetzal Motivo Stand Number: B140 Cyprus: Honeywell Incentives Stand Number B140 Germany: Germanyinsight incorporating Cornerstone Meetings and CAMONSITE Stand Number: F100 Malta: Mi Malta DMC Stand Number D120 Morocco: Visit Morocco Stand Number: D510 Portugal: TA DMC Portugal Stand Number: E205 Slovakia: ENJOY SLOVAKIA DMC Stand Number: G270 Slovenia: Dekon Group Stand Number: C320 Turkey: Dekon DMC Stand Number A400
Austria and Mauritius Next week Martin Hodi of e+o meeting, event & travel management GmbH and Stephane Louise of Connections DMC are coming over to make sales calls and meet some past, present and future client here in the UK we are very much looking forward to seeing them both. Whilst their diary is filling up big time if you are interested in meeting with them for an update on both Mauritius or Austria do let me know when we can sort the diary out to fit one or two more meetings in.
Abu Dhabi, Oman and Dubai Ramadan starts on the evening of Tuesday 15th May and ends in the evening of Thursday 14th June 2018, I get asked quite a few times what are the restrictions in the destinations where SNTTA Emir Conferences and Incentives operate, so in advance I thought I would check with Sai Rattan the Managing Director of our DMC who we have been representing for the past 18 years. Sai tells me that eating, drinking and smoking in public are to be avoided from dawn to dusk. Modest dress code is advisable, meaning ladies should cover their upper arms and wear skirts covering their knees, men should wear trousers not shorts. Shopping malls are open from 10am till midnight and shops outside the malls are open from 10am till 1pm and from 7.30pm till past midnight. There is no live entertainment, discos and nightclubs are closed for the entire duration. Restaurants are closed until sunset, however, those located in few top 5 star hotels such as Atlantis The Palm, Anatara The Palm and others will continue to remain open and serve food and beverages on request.
I have been to Dubai during Ramadan it was a fascinating and very cultural experience, if you are there you must go to an iftar (breaking the fast) meal, the food is amazing and the people are so very welcoming to strangers, it is a very magical event to see and in which to participate.
Leyla and Hannah's twitter and witter bit of the Monday morning e mail
ARRRGGGGGG Leyla's bedroom is right on top of my bedroom her floor is the ceiling of my room so I can hear her padding around the place I can also hear SILENCE when she is still in bed when she should be getting ready for school. Last week I was out quite late one evening with work entertaining clients which has I am sure you can imagine involved several glasses of wine and an espresso martini at the end. The following morning I thought I will get up a little later than normal and not see the girls off to school. Anyway the silence at 7.30AM from Leyla's room was deafening, bearing in mind she has to catch the school bus at 7.45AM and the bs does NOT stop outside the house. I gave up, went upstairs to Leyla's room sure enough she was still in bed "Leyla it is 7.30AM you have 10 minutes to get out of the house and catch the bus". I did not go back to bed. At 7.50AM my phone rang it was Leyla "Daddy I am on the bus how did I do that?" did she brush her teeth? wash her face? brush her hair? Three things I will never know but I have my suspicions all the answers will be the same and begin with N!
Hannah is a social butterfly, I asked the girls what their plans were on Saturday evening both said "nothing", Saturday evening came it was one lkong session of door bell ringing my door bell, first it was Paige, then Sienna, for Hannah then Mimi for Leyla then the doorbell rang again oh that will be Deliveroo or Dominoes with Pizza, Hannah could not spend the evening alone she had to have pals over Leyla was quite happy to chill on her own as she says "it's OK Daddy I don't like people" I have two daughters one takes after her mother one takes after me. Which one is which? Answers on a past card please to the usual address.
That's it you are now fully up to date have a great week.