01 October 2008

Elvis, fireworks, and the F word

We've already reported on the business sessions, presentations and the official side of the Advantage Travel conference, but now that everyone is back home, TravelmoleÃ¢â¬â¢s Bev Fearis reveals what else went on in Sitges in her Ã¢â¬Ëœoff the recordÃ¢â¬â¢ diaryÃ¢â¬~¦

The welcome party
Due to rain, the outside entertainment is postponed and organisers make the mistake of leaving the official speeches until after the booze is in full flow. As a result, nobody listens to a word, and poor Miguel Angel Cusi, UK director for Catalunya Tourism, has to exercise his skills in crowd control.

Later on, the eveningÃ¢â¬â¢s hosts get their own back with the fireworks finale, where agents who thought they were lucky to be in the front row soon realised otherwise. Just like AdvantageÃ¢â¬â¢s recent departure from Triton, sparks were flying.

Saturday NightÃ¢â¬â¢s Dine-a-rounds
Holiday Extras' Elvis themed night goes down a treat, and one guest is having such a laugh, he wets himselfÃ¢â¬~¦literally.

Major account manager Steve Wilkinson appears in full Elvis costume (left) and makes a dramatic entrance in the Melia Hotel's glass atrium lift. His 'disguise' manages to confuse one poor agent, though. She is sharp enough to recognise that Wilkinson is dressed as Elvis, but then procedes to ask if the theme of the dinner is Grease. Huh?

On the bus on the way home, little Trevor Dupont from Complete Cruise Solution takes to the mike and murders a few Elvis numbers, but things go from bad to worse when he hands the mike to Giles Hawke. I think it was American Pie he was attempting, but IÃ¢â¬â¢m not sure.

A few delegates bow out of tonight's social events and instead go to a wedding of a colleague, which happens to be in Sitges on the same weekend as the conference. I wonder if they manage to put their wedding bar bill on expenses?

The Farewell Dinner
Tim Minchin (that Aussie guy with big hair who sings funny songs and plays the piano and who was at the ITT Conference, the Presidents Dinner and various other travel industry events) makes yet another performance in front of a travel crowd, but this time he obviously hasnÃ¢â¬â¢t been properly briefed. He picks on Ted Wake from Kirker Holidays and Sir Richard Branson, but hardly makes a mention of Holiday Autos and Medhotels, his sponsors, leaving them wondering if he was worth the money.

Much to the disappointment of many in the room, Minchin also fails to make reference to AdvantageÃ¢â¬â¢s recent spat with Steven Freudmann. In fact, although the dreaded Ã¢â¬ËœFÃ¢â¬â¢ word is mentioned in many a hushed, private conversation throughout the weekend, it is noticeably absent in the press briefings and in the official speeches. In the end, itÃ¢â¬â¢s up to Hoseasons chief executive Richard Carrick to put that right when he refers to Steven Ã¢â¬ËœRobinhoÃ¢â¬â¢ Freudmann, who Ã¢â¬Åâœthought he was going to Chelsea and ended up at Man CityÃ¢â¬~. Perhaps Carrick should learn the piano and take to the stage next year.

On the way home
Some Advantage Ã¢â¬Ëœbusiness partnersÃ¢â¬â¢ have a bit of a moan about their agency friends. Many Advantage agents were sponsored by suppliers to attend the conference (at Ã£400 a pop), but apparently some didnÃ¢â¬â¢t have the courtesy to turn up to meet their generous sponsors at the speed dating. Others went home early and didnÃ¢â¬â¢t even bother to turn up at their sponsorÃ¢â¬â¢s table at the Farwell Dinner. Shame on you.

At Barcelona Airport, EasyjetÃ¢â¬â¢s Ã¢â¬ËœspeedyÃ¢â¬â¢ boarding turns out to be not so speedy when a third of passengers have paid for the pleasure. Noticing a flaw in the system, some cheeky delegates in boarding zone Ã¢â¬ËœBÃ¢â¬â¢ attempt to get in on the act by writing an Ã¢â¬ËœSÃ¢â¬â¢ in front, and even though itÃ¢â¬â¢s in a completely different coloured ink, they succeed.

With the words of Andes plane crash survivor Nando Parrado still ringing in their ears, everyone is keen to sit in rows 1-9, and EmiratesÃ¢â¬â¢ Moni Hanspal goes prepared, putting a peanut in his pocket.

Seriously, though, if there is one thing that delegates will remember from this year's Advantage conference, it is ParradoÃ¢â¬â¢s amazing, tragic, but truly inspiring story. In all my years of travel industry conferences, I have never known an audience sit so still and captivated, and never before have I seen so many men and women reduced to tears by a song from Mike and the Mechanics.

Bev Fearis