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Sometimes the innate, immense generosity and goodwill of this industry almost overwhelms you. On Tuesday I was asked to attend a meeting in London of the Consortium Travel Retail Club, a grouping of executives active in the UK travel retail sector.
Between the members present, there would probably have been a couple of centuries of industry experience, and, more importantly, an immense collective contribution to the duty free and travel retail channels.
Down the years the Consortium Travel Retail Club has also donated generously to many charities. At its last general meeting in November 2008 it raised a spectacular £4,000 – split two ways between £2,000 for The Smile Train and a further £2,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Trust.
The Consortium Travel Retail Club meets every two months. It’s a great organisation that espouses great values and camaraderie in our channel. If your company is active in the UK travel retail channel it should be active in this body. If you would like their details let me know.
And the reason for my participation at the meeting? Simple. I had the very great pleasure of accepting a cheque for £2,000 [enough to fund eight life-transforming cleft operations] on behalf of children’s cleft charity The Smile Train and being given the opportunity to talk about this cause that has become so close to my heart and those of many in the industry.
It was the most enjoyable presentation I have given in many years, precisely because I didn’t have one. Instead I relied on my passion for and belief in the cause, as well as the warmth of the audience. For this was indeed a Consortium not only of travel retail but of kindness.
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