Look at me standing Here on my own again Up straight in the sunshine No need to laugh and cry It’s a wonderful wonderful life No need to laugh and cry It’s a wonderful wonderful life – ‘Wonderful life’, Black I’m back in The Moodie Report’s Hong Kong Airlines’ Bureau, replete with Wi-Fi, 38,000 feet
Events
China travel retail conferences
To put the record straight… There has been much talk during this week’s TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore of the two planned China travel retail conferences to be held by rival organisations in coming months. As reported, GIS Events of China and UK firm Ink are running the China Travel Retail conference in Shanghai
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Miscellaneous
Sole Man: Christian Louboutin enters the beauty business
Some things are just meant to be. News that iconic French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has teamed up with Batallure Beauty to create a collection of luxury beauty products must surely have provoked just one reaction from his army of fans worldwide: “What took you so long?” The first fruits of the Christian Louboutin Beauté
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Events
Singapore show swings into action as a new Foundation stone against cancer is laid
I’m back in Singapore, along with hundreds of other industry executives, for the annual TFWA Asia Pacific show and Gate One2One conference. To me this is the most enjoyable trade show of the year. Singapore is such an outstanding venue in terms of efficiency, climate and facilities. TFWA does a fantastic job and there’s also
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People
Vintage Joel returns to Bordeaux
He’s aged as well as any of his company’s great Cognacs and his spirit is every bit as fine. We’d call him a VS quality simply because it stands for Very Special but he’s actually more of a Louis XIII, an ultra-premium blend of integrity, humour, kindness and charm. He’s a man with Cognac running
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Miscellaneous
Loewe’s Natural Talent
We’re a versatile bunch at The Moodie Report, and fortunately, very little fazes us. Interview with Madonna? No problem at all. Dinner with Julia Roberts? Don’t mind if I do. Lunch with a matador? All in a day’s work. Hang on, did you say matador? Yes indeed, in every sense, we have serious range… The
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Events
It really is more fun in the Philippines
Mabuhay. Never was the Filipino word for welcome more appropriate than last night, as Duty Free Philippines (DFP) began its year-long 25th anniversary celebrations in style. The Moodie Report was on hand as DFP put together an extraordinary, emotion-packed evening of nostalgia, entertainment and, most importantly, recognition of the many ‘hands that built Duty Free Philippines’. The event
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Miscellaneous
Paying tribute to Danny Galvin
The family of Danny Galvin, alongside his colleagues at Aer Rianta International, are finalising plans for a special memorial day to mark the anniversary of his passing. It takes place on 26 May in County Cork, Ireland and will include a charity fund-raising element. Galvin, the hugely popular CTC-ARI Airports General Manager lost his life
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Miscellaneous
A historic night in Manila
I’m back at my desk at the increasingly familiar Moodie Report Manila Bureau, ten floors up at the excellent Sofitel hotel. I flew in from London via Hong Kong (using the again excellent Hong Kong Airlines, complete with onboard wi-fi which ensured no movies, no reading and no sleep) and into Manila. The Philippines is
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Miscellaneous
Living La Belle Vie with Lancôme
Last month I interviewed Madonna; on Wednesday I had dinner with Julia Roberts. The fact that there were nearly 300 other people in the room made it no less special, believe me. Stunning views from the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild The event in question was the official reveal of the new feminine fragrance from Lancôme,
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Miscellaneous
(Mainly) tantalising at Terminal 5
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 is undoubtedly one of the world’s best air terminals. It’s architecturally attractive; it boasts some stunning internal vistas; it’s generally very efficient; and its diverse commercial offer, while omnipresent is not obtrusive. I use the term ‘best’ rather than ‘great’ because I still believe T5 could do a lot more to
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Events
Above and beyond the call of Duty (Free Philippines)
Meet the Coffee Table Committee at Duty Free Philippines. These are the amazing people who worked around the clock over the past few weeks with me and The Moodie Report production team (heroic sub-editor Jon Elphick and top-notch designer Ray Heath) to produce ‘Duty Free Philippines 25 Years – Aquino to Aquino’, a coffee table
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Events
Entering the conference theatre of the absurd
Tell me please that this in some way makes sense… Chinese company GIS Events and Ink of the UK announce the first ‘China Travel Retail Event’ to take place in Shanghai on 24-25 July, 2012, and thereafter annually. Days later (though, to be fair, after “around ten years” in development) TFWA announces the association’s first