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REPORT ON THE SPRING TRAVELING SEMINARS TO EGYPT, NEW
FOREST, MALTA AND THAILAND
- EGYPT
- NEW FOREST
- MALTA
- THAILAND
- LINKS
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- Hi! Muchas Gracias to all those
who sent Thank you notes. Thanks for all the kind words and photos. I am sharing them with
our partners.These are wonderful memories I will always treasure.
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- Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed all the destinations we visited - Egypt,
New Forest, Malta and Thailand. Any one of them will make a great meeting and incentive
destination. We are considering them for our own meetings. I hope you will keep them in
mind too when planning your international meetings.
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- All the partners we have chosen are seasoned professionals. It was a joy
to work with them.
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- To those of you who were unable to join us, let me share a few of the
highlights. Remember- you have a standing invitation for next year. And please don't
forget - our annual meeting is on November 11-14, 1999 in Marrakech,
Morocco.
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- EGYPT
- Egypt was amazing. There are not enough adjectives to describe this
experience. Visiting the pyramids. the great sphinx, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Edfu
Temple, Valley of the Kings and Queens, Clossi of Memnon - made history come alive. It is
the stuff every student of ancient civilization can only dream of.
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- Accommodation on the Tamr Henna was very comforable. Every room had a
veranda which made sightseeing along the narrow river delightful.
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- We even shopped for Egyptian clothes and handicraft from merchant kayaks
plying their trade alongside our cruise boat. Listen to this: The merchant on the
kayak held up the merchandise to display; we pointed to our selection and yelled
"YES - LET ME SEE"; he then put the chosen merchandise in a plastic bag and
threw it up to our deck. If we liked it, we put our money in the plastic bag and threw it
back. (It was not a lot of money. A beautiful Egyptian caftan cost $5 - $12) Otherwise, we
threw the stuff back.
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- They always hit our deck - but 8 times out of 10, we missed their kayaks.
Anticipating some marksmanship-challenged Americans, they had fishing nets that fished out
our money or their stuff from the water.
I could not stop laughing. That was lots of fun!
- But of course the highlight for me was our membership ceremony at the temple of Edfu. I
bet we are the only organization whose members received their membership cards at the
Temple of Edfu - with an Egyptian god as our witness.
I hope you will keep those cards. They are embedded
with secret powers  .
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- It was almost a spiritual experience to sit in the deck of my room at the Cairo Sheraton
Hotel, sipping ice-cold lemonade and looking out into the Nile river at sunset.
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- I recommend both the Sheraton and the Hilton Ramses Hotels. They are
ultra-modern hotels that can accommodate the most discriminating meeting attendees.
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- Egypt Air has a direct flight from New York to Cairo.
We felt safe in Egypt. We had military escorts everywhere we went - and
everyone we met were so friendly and protective. The Egyptians made it clear that they
wanted us there and would do anything to make our journey safe.
We are going to the Mediterranean Travel Market in Cairo on
March 1-3, 2000 and have our international symposium on board the MS Jazmin on the Nile on
March 3-7, 2000. Please mark your calendar. You are invited.
- NEW FOREST, ENGLAND
- When things get hectic, I think of New Forest. Suddenly, I am calm and at peace again. I
cannot think of a better place for board retreats, corporate planning sessions and
training programs. Small meetings would also do well in the Carey Manor Hotel and the
Balmer Lawn Hotel.
The Exbury garden was spectacular. A gala dinner with Lord and Lady Montagu at their
mansion would be an event to remember.
- The gorgeous English gardens and peaceful surroundings will surely make your group focus
on the task at hand. None of the distractions of the big city. And guess what, England may
not be known for its cuisine - but New Forest served some of the best-tasting food we had
on the trip.
Virgin Atlantic Airways lived up to its reputation. It was fun, comfortable and
provided outstanding service - even in coach class. It has TV/video on every seat.
provides several meal choices and has great amenities.
- MALTA
- What if you knighted your VIPs in the old medieval city of Mdina? Think how Sir or Dame
Chairman of the Board might look in that Knights of Malta cape and sword. Great photo for
the annual report, huh? I am putting mine in the CIMPA Annual Report (although the sword
was longer than me).
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- What if you brought your attendees to dine on the freshest and most delicious seafood in
the real fishing village of Marsaxlokk? What if you had your awards ceremony in a stunning
palace?
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- Don’t you think your boss will think you're the greatest?
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- Malta was a surprise for me. I did not know you can do so many unique things and stay in
world-class hotels on an island not frequently encountered by meeting planners. I must
confess I had not previously thought of Malta as a meeting destination - but now I will.
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- Gozo, its sister island, will make a wonderful pre or post-conference tour site. And of
course, Sicily is only 20 minutes away by air. These 2 destinations can easily be
combined.
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- I recommend the Corinthia Palace, near the Mdina and the Westin Hotel on the waterfront.
There are also several deluxe hotels including the Sheraton and a sister hotel of
the Corinthia that would be great for meetings. Air Malta does not fly from the USA at
this time - but it code-shares with Virgin Atlantic Airways. It has an excellent on-time
record. I doubt your attendees will miss a connection.
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- THAILAND
- Think about VIP entrance into the country, personal butlers, feasts fit for kings, night
markets - surprises without end.
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- We arrived at around 1:00 AM . Met by our own military escorts and speedily whisked past
customs and immigration into a Welcome area where we were leid with leis of fragrant
flowers by beautiful Thai ladies.
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- In the hotel at 1:30 AM, we were met by a parade of personal butlers (one butler was
assigned to each of us for the duration of our stay) in tuxedoes. They presented us with
our room keys and drinks and led us to our rooms. They unpacked our suitcases, hang our
clothes and took whatever needed to be pressed. We found formerly wilted clothes dry
cleaned and hung neatly in our closets the next day. Was that service or what? Of course
they came running to make fresh tea/coffee in our rooms as soon as they saw our
motorcoaches arrive.
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- Every meal was a themed special event. One international event had waiters changing
costumes for each of the 9 dinner courses. Their clothes, the music that accompanied their
entry into the elegantly decorated dining room and the dish being served all matched
perfectly. A huge ice carving said "Sawadee" - Welcome!
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- There were scented cold towels in the bus, elephant rides and a surprise lunch at the
Rose Garden. Native food baskets balanced by waiters in Thai peasant costumes on their
shoulders revealed - guess what? Hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs - All-American junk
food. Our thoughtful hostess correctly surmised that after days of noodles, rice and other
healthy, delicious Thai food, we were ready for McDonalds fare.
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- On to the beach resort of Pattaya-
- Here again, I bet we are the only organization whose members received their membership
cards on the seashore of Pattaya. Our gold cards glimmered and took on an orange hue
against a backdrop of a magnificent tropical sun slowly sinking into the blue Pacific
ocean. Keep your card. It is
your passport to a wonderful life .
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- Our free afternoon was spent on the water, shopping for the most gorgeous jewelry and
bargain merchandise. And yes, of course - massage - ohhh- the most glorious Thai massage.
We took the time to bring a little bit of joy into the lives of some
little kids at an orphanage. That was a most heartwarming experience. I only wish we had
more time and more toys, books and candies. But we will do it again.
Among the places we visited, Bangkok is the most techno-savvy. The Royal
Orchid Sheraton Hotel has a 24-hour internet cafe; the Peninsula hotel has a 21-inch TV
set on every bathtub, a fax machine and 6 telephone lines in every room. All our partners
here are acccessible by email and the web.
Thai International Airways is an excellent airline. Your attendees will
experience the Thai brand of hospitality as soon as they step into their
airplanes. Working closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and other
suppliers, its sales office in Los Angeles provides prompt and friendly one-stop shopping
service. This is a great help to overworked planners.
I recommend the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Grand Plaza Hotel,
Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok; the Royal Cliff Hotel, Dusit Thani and the Amari in Pattaya.
- Our personal butlers were available 24 hours a day, wake up call came with coffee,
tropical fruits and the local paper. Goodnight chocolates came in small beautiful flowered
baskets neatly laid on our pillows.
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- Gifts galore - everywhere we went. The beautiful bathrobes we used were drycleaned,
gift-wrapped, and presented with a bouquet of orchids upon our departure.
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- I can go on and on - but I won't make you too envious. You can experience Thailand
yourself during our annual meeting there in November 2000. DON'T MISS IT!
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- Until then, I hope you will join us in Marrakech,
Morocco. Plan on departing on November 9 and returning on November 16 - unless
you are planning to take the pre and post conference tours to Egypt, Spain, or the imperial cities of Morocco.
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- All the best,
Andrea
LINKS
- For Tom Antion's story about Thailand, please click here. This article was written for
speakers but it does contain some tips and some funny photos
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- For information on our partners in Egypt, New Forest, Malta and Thailand, please click
here. If I missed any one, please send me an email
message. Thanks.
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