lox.Journal

Tour Operator

Posted on 2006/09/27 16:15:36 (September 2006).

[20th - 27th September 2006]

I would have thought everything of my new job, that it was going to be hard, scary, unpredictable...
I set off last week (it seems one month ago!!), to go to Paris, where the usual textile fair takes place.
As I might have said before, I am technically part of a team that has been assigned to a certain client, a very big client for the company that I am working for.
There are two people assigned to this client too, both great people, one of which would be in Paris with me to roam around the fair and take some of the designers around the several stands.

This is what I thought.

The hard reality is that the designers of the client that we serve did not come to Paris to do any work at all.
For all it matters they where coerced into coming to the fair for a grand HALF DAY, leaving all the rest of the trip (that eventually ended up in Milan) to sightseeing and furious shopping.

This trip featured some of the most “Japanese” ways of dealing with life and business trips that I have ever encountered in my life.
Maps with detailed marks of the whereabouts of restaurants, scouting trips to restaurants where we had to take the clients to see what type of people work in there and where is the place, business cards holder with the “recommended” places to go to eat and do shopping with a little description on any one of them (and the unmissable mark on the map).

I could go on for ages.

In Paris me and my Japanese colleague, Mr.E., went to the Louvre on Saturday, which was nice, giving that I have never seen the Gioconda before, and the Virgin Mary of the Rocks (on the top of all the other gazillion paintings and sculptures that are there).
Mr.E is a good guy, he is new of the team as well, so for the moment he plays the game, in a way he is a sort of anarchic for the way he thinks about certain restrictions and way of working of the team, but if you compare him to me, he is anarchic as a party supporter that forgot to applaude to a certain speech.

Still he's a great guy and we had a very nice time together.

After Paris and its oysters (56 in one night between six people), we moved to Milan, stopping in Switzerland for some outlets that are close to the Italian border.

Milan was quite dull, wet and boring, I spent a whole day carrying shopping bags around the city, going in all those shops where I would never dare setting my feet for fear of being charged for the air that I breathe.

All in all the aim of the trip was to have a good time, and I managed to create a VERY GOOD relationships with the clients, which is what I was aiming at.
They are nice people, a bit strange at times, but nice.

Still, this week reminded me of my previous job as a congress organizer, where basically the whole idea was to go around places bringing spoiled doctors and their families to have fun rather than attend to congresses that they were meant to follow.

Oh well, at least my clients are nice people and are a laugh at times!

Comment 1

Well I know it must have been tiring, Lox, but I have to say it sounds as though you might actually have had a bit of FUN!!! Certainly to an outsider, all this glamourous shopping in culture capitals, sounds rather splendid!! :)) Hope it's working out for you.

Posted by Nigel at 2006/09/27 20:39:29.

Comment 2

Did they leave you a tip ?

Posted by Sheri at 2006/09/28 08:27:00.

Comment 3

Nigel: It surely sounds exciting and great, and I cannot complain surely, but it is work after all so it all boils down to that, and after the first two business trips you realize that is the same story as when you are working at home...

Sheri: Nope, next time I'll request it! :)