Dateline Monday 1st June 2026

Good morning lovely people of the conference and incentive industry I hope you are well.

My first question is “have you missed my Monday morning e mail update?” Last Monday I was due to send you an e mail, but it was Bank Holiday or Bank Swelter day, even Bank Boiling Day perhaps, please don’t get me wrong I simply love, love, love, the heat so I was a very happy bunny. Even though it was bank holiday I was in my MM and Company office very early for some of the day as a lot of our DMCs were not on bank holiday and e mail need to be answered. By 11.00AM that was me done four hours was enough I went out into the postage sized garden at the Marks Mansion and just roasted in the sunshine YUM

The week of “cor what a scorcher” headlines is over, our early blast of summer will be a distant memory by Wednesday as we will all be drenched with a week of rain due to arrive this afternoon, ironic really as officially summer starts today, temperatures will be 23 degrees C in the South 19 degrees C further north. 

So what did we miss?

The Islamic world celebrated Eid al-Adha and the Haj in Mecca

The Jewish nation celebrated the festival of Weeks Shavuot

The Christian world celebrated Pentecost. The term Pentecost comes from Koine Greek: πεντηκοστή, pentēkostē, lit. 'fiftieth'. One of the meanings of "Pentecost" in the Septuagint, the Koine translation of the Hebrew Bible, refers to the festival of Shavuot, one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, which is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover according to the old testament books of Deuteronomy 16:10,[i] and Exodus 34:22,[5] where it is referred to as the "Festival of Weeks"

IMEX week in Frankfurt on IMEX 19^th – 20^th May I met up with Eva Hoffman of Cornerstone Meetings DMC Stephane Louise Hello Islands DMC Mauritius Geraint Holt of THE J TEAM DMC, Marc Schwabach of Ambiance Incentives DMC Spain & Andorra Maros Borsky of Enjoy Slovakia DMC, I also met up with lots of DMCs we know and recommend but do not represent, I really like IMEX lots of DMCs I know all under one big roof  

Nicola Strugeon the ex-wife of a criminal and the ex-leader of the SNP, her criminal ex-husband used to be the CEO of the SNP. Both were earning very good salaries. Nicola was paid a £74,506 resettlement grant for serving more than 12 years as an MSP – which is 12 months of annual salary. Nicola was on circa £75K her crim husband was on circa £107,000 why on earth did he need to nick £400,000 totally does not make sense, so I can feel a little sympathy for Nicola but only a smidgeon of sympathy she chose not to ask, he chose not to tell. How does the saying go about feeding at the public trough.

What is Trump up to? He seems to simply be unable to make a deal or agree a deal with the enemy, does he not know of the adage, “never negotiate with a terrorist” or indeed a viper’s nest of terrorists. I suggest we should get Noel Edmonds out of retirement Noel managed to “Deal or no Deal” every Saturday night on the telly.

June is an awesome month lots going on, Father’s Day  Sunday 21^st June, the Summer Solstice Sunday 21^st June as well marking the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year, a full Strawberry Moon on Monday 29^th June

Lots of “days” such as World Environment Day: 5^th June, World Oceans Day: 8^th June, World Day Against Child Labour: 12^th June,  International Day of Yoga: 21^st June (please) International Asteroid Day: 30^th June (what!?)

FIFA World Cup 2026 starts on 11^th June, Ascot starts on 16^th June, Wimbledon starts on 29^th June blooming ek as I said lots going on in June

CONGRATULATIONS

CONGRATULATIONS Arsenal League Champions (at last)

CONGRATULATIONS To Paris Saint Germain for winning the Champions League final and retaining the trophy although they need to sort out their rioting supporters. What is the matter with people, their team wins and the supporters go on a riot, turning over cars setting them on fire, smashing shop windows, and bus shelters, looting, aiming fireworks at the Police the very same Police officers they would call if they had a problem, a car accident, a theft, an assault, or G-d forbid a murder. Totally mindless thugs.

And that’s the view from my MM and Company desk for this week

MM and Company news update

Prague

Daniel, David and the team at ITC DMC Prague have told us that a famous sculpture The Butterfly Effect by David Černý appeared at the Clerkenwell Design Week festival in London. The work, inspired by the Spitfire fighter plane, recalls Czechoslovak pilots in the RAF and Czech technological innovations. During the prestigious design festival in London, a well-known object by Czech artist David Černý appeared. The sculpture Butterfly Effect, which combines the motif of a butterfly and the legendary Spitfire fighter plane, was installed on the facade of the Atelier Bohemia showroom as part of the Clerkenwell Design Week festival which was held between 19^th -21^st May The work commemorates Czechoslovak pilots who fought in the RAF during World War II and at the same time presents Czech technologies, including 3D printing by Prusa Research.

London Design Festival celebrates and promotes the city as the design capital of the world. The 24th edition will take place from 12^th – 20^th September 2026.

ITALY

To celebrate the signing of a representation agreement between MM and Company with Incanto DMC Italy the team of Susanne, Gaby, Anna, Luisa, Charlotte and Elena have told us of a new hotel that has just opened in Rome, the Corinthia Rome a grand neoclassical palazzo long associated as a stronghold of the Bank of Italy. The Corinthia Rome is a perfect sized hotel in an amazing location, 60 rooms, including 21 suites, in the artisanal neighbourhood of Campo Marzio district, moments from the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps The old Bank of Italy building has been repurposed and so has its’ bank vaults they are now the Corinthia Spa.

And that is about it for this Monday, you know as much as I know, wishing you an outstanding day and an awesome week ahead.