I was so impressed with the talks in the Event programme of World Travel Market Africa on Friday that I returned yesterday to the Cape Town International Convention Centre to listen to some more. It was a much more disappointing and unprofessional experience than on Friday.
It was a shame that the afternoon session was very quiet for all at the exhibition, having to compete with the Stormers playing Highlanders. It did make finding parking outside the Convention Centre easy though. In between two talks I went into the Media Centre, and was horrified at how rude the security person was, questioning my presence there, after I had used it the day before as well without question, annoying too as I had blogged about the first day yesterday! It is disappointing that the quality of the food at the Convention Centre, which had improved greatly after the arrival of Chef Warwick Thomas almost a year ago, was uninspiring in the Media Centre, with some pieces of feta, lots of olives, cherry tomatoes, green leaves, and cucumber slices (the day before they came with mini pita bread), baby potatoes and slices of roast beef with stir fry vegetables (the day before much better rice and tender chicken breasts), and fruit and a mini milktart, which leaked all its content the minute one used the spoon (compared to the excellent fruit tarts and 
chocolate mousse served the day before). At 15h00 the content of the small bar fridge, consisting of cold drinks and water, had been cleared out, and they were not refilling it for the next three hours until closing time, because the budget limit for drinks had been reached! The day before a Convention Centre staff member announced that no more drinks could be had by the writers using the Centre, despite the fridge still being three quarters full! This all happened despite Natalia Thomson, the PR consultant for the exhibition being in the Media Centre, but she did nothing about the drinks shortage, despite the feedback to her. Continue reading →
The Sweet Service Award goes to BP President petrol station in Sea Point, and its attendant Michael. Since switching to Discovery Insure last year, I have been filling up at this petrol station, and had the luck to be served by Michael on that day. Since then I have always requested him. Yesterday I went to do my monthly fuel up, and he proactively checked the oil and water, washed all four windows plus the windscreen, checked the tyres, and even found a little top for one of the tyres which an attendant at a Camps Bay garage had forgotten to put back on. What a pleasure to see and tip him each time. Continue reading →
The Sweet Service Award goes to Pick n Pay Camps Bay, and its Manager Thando, for his generosity in gift8mg me a pack of mini Tex chocolate bars, when the store did not have any standard size of the chocolate bar in stock. The Camps Bay branch management does its best to look after its local customers. 
