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Friday
January 11, 2008 Partying in Dusseldorf!Lest you think I’ve totally lost my luster and missed out on the social events, there were two of note. The World Advertising Gift Exchange (WAGE) celebrated its 50th anniversary with a festive reception that drew over 100 attendees. Polyconcept’s annual party on the boat they bring in especially for the occasion. Philippe Varnier and his team invite clients, friends and competitors, all of whom clearly revel in the open bar, sumptuous buffet and electrifying band.
WAGE is an association of more than 25 members of distributor companies, each one from a different country, including South African, Russia, Australia and Japan, who meet twice a year. My pal Jo-an Lantz, executive vice president of Geiger – the U.S. member of WAGE – invited Tim Andrews, Rich Fairfield and I to attend and we were thrilled to be there.
The goals of WAGE are to promote the exchange of promotional ideas and innovations between members, to profit from the purchasing power of the association, to improve the relationships between end-users and manufacturers with regard to taste, design and quality of products and to share the knowledge of the most creative, reliable and efficient manufacturers and suppliers throughout the world. If you’d like to learn more about WAGE, go to its Web site at www.wage-organisation.com or e-mail Don McKinnon, WAGE’s president, at don@wage-organisation.com. At the Polyconcept’s party, I danced with Philippe and Yann Leca, Polyconcept’s CFO who single-handedly proves that a “numbers-guy” can also be a party favor and a chick magnet (see photos), and am here to tell you that their stamina borders on superhuman. They kept dancing while I slunk off to sit in the corner to catch my breath and decide whether the pain I felt was my left lung shutting down or my right hip shattering. I did, however, save one dance for Rich Fairfield, who noted – with surprise, unbelievably – that I tend to lead. I’m sure those of you who know me aren’t surprised by that, or by the fact that one other guest and I were the last two to leave the Polyconcept party at 3:30 in the morning.
That performance, and the partying with the Icelandic Vikings, may explain, my friends, why I still might look like something that collects in a sink drain when you see me in Vegas this week. Which just goes to prove, if you’re going to party with the reckless abandon of Keith Richards, you just may end up looking like him. ; ) Cheers!!! 0 Comments |
