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Never has the security queue at Heathrow Airport looked so attractive. Never have I cared less about the threadbare carpet under my feet while I queue up.
I’m about to take my first flight in eight months, my debut international trip after my illness. It feels good. I am so, so happy to be back at my former second home, Heathrow.
I’m bound for Bangkok and the 2011 Trinity Forum. This event – The Moodie Report’s premier event (in partnership with ACI) – has long been my comeback target, especially during the darker days of recent months.
For someone who had spent approximately half of his time travelling in the previous year, eight months of being house-bound was a difficult experience. I am delighted to be back on the road and looking forward to meeting up with so many good industry friends in Bangkok.
The turnout is set to be fantastic. The event has drawn over 270 delegates and the speakers’ line-up reads like a Who’s Who of major industry influences. Co-host King Power International Group has put an extraordinary amount of commitment and enthusiasm into organising the venue and (with Airports of Thailand) the social occasions. To a man and a woman they are extraordinary people. I can promise delegates something very special indeed when they arrive in Bangkok.
Travel retail executives spend much of their lives travelling the world. Sometimes there is an understandable tendency to be blase about the experiences they incur, the places they visit and the hospitality they receive. Believe me, none of these privileges should be taken for granted. They can so easily be taken away.
I am going to enjoy this trip like no other in my travel retail career of the past 24 years. See you – or at least many of you – in Bangkok.
