Sony invite to Cebit in Hanover, with a Workshop thrown in
Fly out to Hanover from Heathrow on BA548 seat 05A
Across to Cebit and then back to Treff hotel in Kassel via train
Following morning was Sony Workshop
PR
Sarah Bell
Attending
Peter Bargh, Roger Payne
Canon press launch in Amsterdam.
I appear to have lost the agenda for day one which doesn’t surprise me as I lost my mind on that afternoon thanks to Eileen Martin and Patrick Mullan who I joined on a coffee trip (if you know what I mean) at one of Amsterdam’s typical bars. Some cake and a few spliffs later and I got stuck at 4pm…for a very, very long time. Had to skip the evening entertainment and let the boys from Dallas on TV talk to me.
Also experienced a selection of flavoured Genever’s at a Gin bar before the cake.
Day 2 Breakfast in Wintergarden of Grand Hotel .
Visit to Canon European Headquarters
Product unveiling in Century Plaza
Tour of Canon European Warehouse
Lunch and flight home
PR HostsPat Marlo, Yamani Parekh, Time Potter, Elodie Thorel, Fraser MacDonald, Celine Gruizinga, Nick Gardner, Geoff Thorn, Dominic Boland, Ingrid Fisher
Press
Peter Bargh, Roy Bird, Richard Burton, Lance Cocannon, Martin Courtney, Adele Dyer, Owen Gibson, Paul Hales, Fai Lee, Claire Melvin, Nicholas Merritt, Patrick Mullan, Matthew Richards, Simon Robinson, Eamonn Sullivan, Iain Thomson, Ursula Tolaini, Dapo Williams, Margaert Williams
Ilford Photo’s Christmas Press Lunch was at The Globe, London.
Although I’d like cameras still to be made in the UK, I was always grateful when we were invited on a press trip to the factory of those made abroad, especially when Nikon invited me to Thailand to see the production of the APS camera the Nikon Pronia
We flew Thai Airways TG911, Royal Executive Class from Heathrow to Bangkok. I sat next to Elaine in Seat 16K. The flight had individual movie players. I can’t remember what I watched. We stopped in the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel
Nikon delivered a feature packed schedule over our five day trip included a two hour factory trip to see the Nikon Pronia being made. This was an SLR using APS film, and it was amazing to see how every single step of the assembly process was hand done.
Events
Royal River Hotel International Buffet
Tour of Nikon Thailand Corp Production facilities in Ayuthhaya
Express Boat Choa River to Phra A Thit pier
Tuk Tuks to Grand Palace
Emerald Buddha Temple
Thai Cultural evening Rose Garden Nakorn Pathom,
Festival of the season “Loy Krathong” village possession
Nikon Hosts
Simon Coleman, Elaine Swift
Press Attending
Peter Bargh, Dan Lezano, Damien Demolder , Neil Whitford, Shirley Kilpatrick, Raul Golden
On this trip I learned that girls can do incredible things with ping pong balls, Elephants are not just in the wild, mosquitoes can create huge bites, certain men are more attractive than certain women, not to go in a tuk tuk to the jewelery show rooms, Thai food can be incredible, Simon had a bizarre choice of swimming trunks and the Nikon Pronia was a totally hand assembled camera.
We were each given a Nikon Pronia which, at the time, was the best APS camera going.
Nikon invited press to the Goodwood Motor Circuit as Festival of Speed Sponsors in 1998
We got to watch the races and also have a go ourselves in the Nikon Rallysprint.
Hama celebrated their 75th Anniversary with the press and dealers by taking us to Monheim, Germany. We flew on Lufthansa LH 4595 from Heathrow to Munich and stopped in Wemding. The trip included a trip around the Hama Distribution Centre and a night at the Hausmesse
Hosts
Nick Grey, David Murray
Press attending
Peter Bargh
Dealers
Jason Mitchell,
For many years Olympus hosted an Editors Challenge where a competition took place and the winner received the Editors Challenge Trophy with their name added.
In 1998 it was in Liscombe Park, England.
The competition was driving a number of military vehicles including Tanks, Agile Rapier, Ferrets and Stalwarts
Rifle shooting and speed assembly
Paintballing
Hosts
Sara Cubbett,
Press Attending
Peter Bargh, Martyn Moore, Damien Demolder
Ilford’s Christmas Press Lunch was at The Ivy (in The Private Room) in London, England
Very posh restaurant with an equally posh set menu – sadly I was vegetarian at the time so I didn’t get to enjoy what would have been a beautifully cooked piece of meat. Pasta anyone?
Kyocera UK launched the Contax G1 on a Contax Dealer & Press Day at Cornbury Park, England We got to try our hands at Fly Fishing, Clay Shooting, 4×4 Safari in Wychwood Forest, Archery and went around in a Rally car driven by Avon Catzer.
Hosts
David Grandison, Mike Shailes
Press
Peter Bargh, Mike Elliott
