CIT Magazine

Upon wishing his farewells to the comedian, our man couldn't help but shake his head in disgust at the group of youngsters who stole the seats from under the Shooting Stars showman's posterior just seconds after he got up.

In contrast, impeccable manners were shown at the vegetable-like St Mary's Axe where the Canada Tourism Commission's vice president Greg Klassen noted that both the English and Canadian's excel in politeness. You can read about his other words of wisdom here. 

Earlier that night, Conference Boy also reported spotting Friend's star David Schwimmer, hiding unconvincingly under a trilby hat. You'll be happy to hear that he resisted the temptation to heckle "we were on a break!".

West London is a hotbed of excitement today, with Pope Benedict XVI heading for Twickenham later after spending last night in Wimbledon. Over at C&IT towers in Hammersmith, we may not have seen the Pope but were thrilled to hear that event agency WRG is helping ensure the visit runs smoothly during the Birmingham leg of the tour. Apparently they are working their socks off - bit of a far cry from the usual client list.

Around 55,000 people are expected to attend a mass in Birmingham, the second time this week the city has hosted a major event after Sainsbury's annual colleague conference at the NEC. Apparently Jamie Oliver couldn't make it because he's on paternity leave, but around 4,500 of the supermarket's staff enjoyed the Narnia-themed product showcase.   

Aslan might not have been in attendance at Sainsbury's event, but there were more than a few wild animals prowling around London Zoo's client evening, to showcase its event spaces. Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, Tesco and Cap Gemini representatives all seemed quite taken with the lions and tigers, although the zoo tour was cut short by torrential rain.   

Meanwhile, over in Dublin the launch of the brand new convention centre was given an extra frisson of excitement with the promise of those lovely Irish lads from Westlife. It is really quite disturbing what a pop star or two can do to a crowd. They might have turned up late following a footie match and a few drinks, but even the most seasoned event planners were reduced to a screaming pre-teen state.

Celebs aside, the HBAA annual forum in Stratford upon Avon was a chance for hotel booking agents and others in the sector to catch up on the latest issues, while Grass Roots persuaded HSBC's chief economist Dennis Turner to give his view of the financial mire at the Meetings Industry Forum.

Now, must dash, off to join Sol Meliá for a luxurious trip aboard the Orient Express.....

After the long summer, C&IT's Brand Book Live was a welcome chance to catch up with more than 70 event professionals from brands including AstraZeneca, AXA PPP Healthcare and Porsche, as well as agency colleagues from BSI, Smyle, Crescendo and Euro RSCG Skybridge.

As well as sharing fabulous views over London from the Penthouse Leicester Square, there was plenty of unhindered chat about the state of the industry, before a relaxed evening of drinks and music from Young Guns, including a masterclass in beatboxing. Good to see C&IT staff mastering the art...

Barely was the event over before it was time to fly over to Malta, where Swedish cosmetics firm Oriflame was holding its annual sales incentive conference.

It couldn't have got more star-spangled, with Oriflame's event stretching over several days and venues. Arriving at the hotel, the lobby was filled with excited Oriflame consultants brandishing their prizes from a gala evening at The Granaries in Valletta.

Sadly, I missed the company's figurehead Natalia Vodianova, but was instead privy to an intimate dinner in Mdina, where German minister of foreign affairs Guido Westerwelle was trying to escape the maddening crowds. 

He looked quite nervous when the sound of gunfire rocked the ancient city, and the burly minders hanging around certainly appeared ready for action, but thankfully it was simply a historical recreation of French military on the island. Phew.

The gunshots were over in time for an exclusive seaplane flight over to Gozo with a spot next to the pilot. Speaking of flights, wondering where Willie Walsh is going to get the cash to go ahead with more mergers and acquisitions after BA's big losses this year? And with BA flight attendants meeting to debate loss of benefits today, looks like there could be another strike on the cards....

Perhaps C&IT's Brand Book Live keynote speaker Hamish Taylor - former head of brand management at BA - could give Willie a few tips....