[ACI’s Andreas Schimm (left) and Howie Baggott with King Power International Deputy Managing Director Susan Whelan] With The Trinity Forum just ten weeks away (9-11 February), a recent visit by the ACI team to Bangkok provided an ideal opportunity for a preview of the conference facilities and the social venues, writes Andreas Schimm. The
Miscellaneous
One of the great industry nights
One of the great social nights in industry history took place on Sunday, when the Middle East Duty Free Conference gala dinner was held in the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza in Cairo. Egyptian distributor and retailer IDF Trading & Agencies hosted the event at this iconic venue. The company arranged special permission
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People
The Shadow of the Wind
‘For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved.’ – Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts. Undergoing chemotherapy is all
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Miscellaneous
A stunning location for a historical event
The 2010 Middle East Duty Free Conference began on Saturday night (with the Opening Cocktail) in what must be one of the most stunning locations ever for an industry event. The Mena House Oberoi Hotel in Cairo, at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza, is playing host to this year’s show, with a
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Miscellaneous
Iconic T2: symbol of a new beginning?
The opening of Dublin Airport Terminal 2 was a bittersweet moment for many of the Irishmen and women who attended the inauguration last Friday. As Dublin Airport Authority was about to unveil one of its finest achievements – the 75,000sq m terminal came in on time and on budget, and looks likely to greatly enhance
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Miscellaneous
The bumpy road to remission
63 days and counting. My final (I hope) chemotherapy regime has begun. Chalk those days off. On 18 January I plan to walk clear from this tough, toxic yet miraculous treatment and to discover that all the cancer is out of my body. It’s called the road to remission and it’s one of the bumpiest
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Events
Absolutely FAB-ulous
I spent last Thursday and Friday in the excellent company of two of this industry’s most knowledgeable and personable executives – David King and Patricia Ryan – judging the entries in the first-ever Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards, to be held at Manchester Airport on 24 January 2011. David, former Managing Director of Alpha
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Miscellaneous
A powerful and poignant evening
DFS’s 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday night was one of the great industry social events of recent times, and proved to be both a showcase of the excellent retailing skills of the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, and a poignant, emotional evening in the group’s proud history. Guests began by enjoying a tour of the
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Miscellaneous
Celebrating 50 years of excellence
Fifty years ago this week Robert Miller and Charles ‘Chuck’ Feeney opened an office and showroom to service their fledgling duty free business in Hong Kong. Tonight, the company they founded – DFS – is set to mark its 50th anniversary with a very special event in Hong Kong. As our photo shows, this afternoon
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People
You can’t keep a good man down
Two wounded soldiers got together in Brighton, England this week to discuss their respective recoveries and to look forward to many good days in the future. The occasion was a visit I took to the south coast seaside city to see Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Colm McLoughlin, who is currently recuperating from hip surgery.
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Miscellaneous
Truly wicked: MAC and Disney unleash Venomous Villains
If the reaction in this writer’s house is anything to go by (and we don’t get too much wrong) MAC is onto yet another winner with its new Venomous Villains collection, created in partnership with Disney. The line, which features four mini-collections themed around One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ Cruella de Vil, Snow White’s Evil
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Events
Return to the Bleeding Heart
Please excuse the recent lack of Blog entries; it’s been a testing few weeks. These are what they call in rugby the ‘hard yards’. Adapting to life without a stomach means having to learn to eat all over again, like a child. Except this time I am in my mid-50s, not my infancy. I had