The TNT Travel Expo in London is a big expo, a very big expo. Over the course of the single day event sources suggest that anywhere between 5,000 to 7,500 people walk through the event doors, all eager to find the best European travel bargains. So with this in mind, World Nomads decided it was time we showed our faces!
The expo draws a very large number of Australian, New Zealanders and South African travellers, all stationed in London and the UK. Now we already spend some considerable time marketing to these people in their home countries, so we’ve traditionally avoided this expo. Indeed, our only previous showing was well over 3 years ago when the event was a three dayer – not the single day as it is now.
However, having met up with Rob the TNT Boss only a few weeks before, he convinced me it was worth attending and it fit well with my travel plans, as I was already on the way to the UK for the OS Outdoors Show at the NEC [16th – 18th March]. So Michael Jordan [MJ] sorted out all the contracts and got us locked in and then it was only a matter of waiting…
I boarded QF31 on time in Sydney, well prepared for my 24 hour flight. When I say well prepared, that’s actually a bit of a porkpie, as the annual industry cricket match between Kings Cross and the City was the day before. And? Well, it’s a bit of an event and being a member of the Kings Cross XI, who’ve lost for the last two years it was time for a bit of revenge. The leader of the XI, Dave [co-owner of the World Bar] and I had been plotting for many months to make sure we’d secure the trophy. And indeed we did in a thrilling tightly played match. Scores on the doors, for those interested were: City 141 all out and we knocked them off with a few balls to spare. So needless to say a very very very big night was on the cards. I got home circa 03:30 feeling very ordinary and woke up at about 07:00 with two young children bouncing on the bed – who clearly didn’t really care that I had a monster hangover…great preparation hey!!
So I got to London at 06:20 on time still feeling a bit ordinary and got myself to my hotel where I was met by MJ. We then rocked up to the expo and set up our modest little stand. I had a bit of a walk around before the event started and the first stand I came to was Smashed! Travel, one of our affiliate partners. Had a quick chat and then moved on to see Niamh and Caramello at www.hostelworld.com who are absolutely gorgeous Irish girls and then finally bumped into Anna and Rob from TNTmagazine.com before walking back to the stand for a well earned sit down.
10 o’clock came by and then the show just exploded. There must have been easily over 6,000 people through the doors. It was absolutely swamped and bustling from the word go. We spoke to many hundreds of people about our wares, spoke to lots of current clients who were all really pleased to see us and say thanks for helping with this and that and then lots of others who just wanted advice on how to go about sorting out policies for numerous trips they all had planned.
It’s probably at this point that I have to apologies to my wing man, MJ. I have to admit there were a few times during the day that I had to have a sit down – jet lag had kicked in big time and I could hardly keep my eyes open and also for the time I spent talking the very very very beautiful Fleur, who I’d not seen for over 3 years [she ran the previous TNT 3 day show] for a very long time – she was much needed relief for my sore eyes! However, being the Über Expo King I pulled though and dug deep to keep up the well deserved World Nomads reputation as being the-most-entertaining-place-for-5-minutes-of-your-life-at-an-expo!
The expo ended at 18:00 and MJ, Mrs MJ and I took down the stand with military precision and headed up to the TNT bar for a well deserved couple of pints. Highlights of the day for me, in no particular order:
- Having a bloody good laugh with MJ
- Seeing Niamh and Caramello from Hostelworld.com
- Having a beer with my mate Rob from TNT
- Catching up with Fleur
- Genuinely getting lots of pleasure from talking to all the Aussie clients who were so lovely and pleased to see us
- Going to bed in the evening!
So the World Nomads expo crew is on the move and heading up the M40 to Birmingham this weekend. Please do come and say hello if you’re planning to visit the show. We’re sponsoring the Bungee Jump and we’d be delighted to give you a free jump. Graham is coming over from Oz and we reunite with Steve, one of the most senior members of our Global Expo SWAT team!
Keep Travelling Safely!
Poundy
