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“For example, there has been a 20 per cent rise in private flights into and out of Africa over the last three years, as the continent attracts more and more business – par- ticularly in the mining and infrastructure sectors. We have also seen an increase in business flights to Kazakhstan and the surrounding countries.” Anyone know a babysitter in Almaty?


 The key, according to HRG’s Windsor, is anticipation. If TMCs know their VIPs’ travel habits and preferences in advance, they can cover a lot of bases. “It has to be a proactive, rather than reactive, service.” In short, if you know the ambassador’s wife is prone to spilling her drinks, you can source a dry-cleaner in advance. If you know that the VIP’s kids are allergic to sauerkraut (and, let’s face it, who isn’t?), you can instruct the hotel’s executive chef – and the child minder – to stick to chicken nuggets and baked beans. If they don’t, you’ve always got the dry-cleaner as a back-up.


Such knowledge, on the face of it, is hard to come by. But VIPs tend to have executive assistants, or EAs – and they know everything.


The regular visitor to the wisegeek. com website (and, again, who isn’t?) will know that: “Executive assistants typically answer only to their named superior. They act as this person’s confidante and office helper… they may accompany their executive to business meetings, and are in charge of knowing details on other attendees. Depending on the executive’s needs, assistants may also come along on corporate trips. In this capacity, the as- sistant is usually responsible for managing the executive’s schedule…”


These people are crucial. They know everything, right down to the allergies. As Ian Windsor says: “The vast majority of EAs have been working with these guys for a long time, and they know exactly what they want. The important thing is to have someone there who knows that individual.” Hillgate’s Taylor adds: “EAs are not just focused on travel, so we endeavour to look


after them on all sorts of levels. We try to make the process as easy as possible – they don’t want lots of questions fired at them – they have other things to deal with.” As for the VIPs, Taylor suggests: “These people expect a high level of detail. They just want a smooth experience – travel is a large part of their working life and they just want it to be as seamless as possible.” “Some can be very demanding,”


Windsor admits. “I try to explain to people that anyone travelling in first class is a VIP in their own mind, and you have got to have that personal touch. It’s about monitoring flight delays, arrival times, making sure the car is there to meet them, checking that the hotel suite is ready, confirming the restaurant reservation, all of that, and more.”


Like the vortex intermeshing pin, it


sounds very complicated. However, as Taylor says: “Our role is all about meeting expectations, and then enhancing the entire travel experience. Yes, of course it’s ‘high-touch’, but it’s also very rewarding.”


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LONDON November 3


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