Love it or hate it, it’s almost here again

Helena Beard, managing director of KBC PR & Marketing, just can’t wait for World Travel Market to start. Is she mad? Read on…

We’d like to teach the world to sing…

World Travel Market is almost here again. Just like that Coke ad where the world joins together for one glorious global gulp of the sugary sweet liquid, followed by an almighty adrenaline rush, it’s a four-day sprint around the continents, ending in a quiet, whimpering heap on a plastic chair outside Costa Coffee nursing a four quid muffin.

So why do we do it? Because it is really and truly the most Magnificent (UK travel) Show on Earth. The best event in the calendar to do business. The only opportunity to see everyone you have e-hassled all year in the flesh (blimey, isn’t he a bit young to be a product manager?). Your one chance to schmooze your international clients with good old London hospitality (to make up for the tiny hotel rooms they booked at £250 a night).

Plus, we all love WTM because it gives us a chance to catch up with all the people we used to work with (and liked) and to try to impress all those we used to work with (and didn’t). "Yes, I’m MUCH happier now. Are you still there? Oh, gosh, really? How long? I don’t know how you do it."

Then there are the parties. Ranging from the ‘so hot you might burn yourself’ ticket to the Virgin Holidays Sunday extravaganza, to the anticipation of the ‘whatever will they think of next’ Florida dinner, to the highly exclusive (yet often quite dull) formal dinners in various London hotels. And this year the parties should be even better because on Monday night, it’s Bonfire Night, when we’ll all be trying to explain to colleagues from all around the world why some bloke tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. (And if you don’t want to appear ignorant when they ask you about it, best gen up on it here.)

Of course, there are drawbacks to this heady business and pleasure-fest. There are the vast distances delivering nasty foot sores on all but the most practised stilettoed foot, the strangely inefficient central food hall offering all manner of coffee and cake but nothing to actually eat and certainly nowhere to sit, and, of course, the bete noir of the whole shebang, the dreaded DLR.

There’s also the inevitable challenges of walking around the 3D equivalent of a ‘Where’s Wally?’ book, as you scoot round corners narrowly missing the colleague you were supposed to meet 10 minutes ago, whilst avoiding the eye of that bloke whose name you’ve forgotten. I think they should invent an app for World Travel Market which allows us to see where everyone is at all times. A sort of Harry Potter Marauders’ Map powered by GPS straight to our smartphones. "Helena Beard just passing NA100. Quick, nip into the Discover America Pavilion before she sees us!"

My best advice to all of you attending WTM this year – book Addison Lee transfers, take sandwiches and re-apply lippie frequently. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun ‘in perfect harmoneeeee’. Happy WTM.

KBC PR & Marketing is a public relations and representation agency specialising in travel and tourism.