SPE Annual Bash in Florence - To Go or Not To Go
Well, on the face of it bringing the 2010 SPE Annual Technical Confernece & Exhibition to Europe seems like a great idea! Not least because we Europeans have been trudging over to the USA for years. And taking the event to the much lauded Italian hotspot may seem very attractive to worldly business travellers on their company Amex expense acccount. But does it work in practice?
Not for me, I'm afraid. Does anyone fly to Florence? I cannot get there from Manchester UK in less than nine hours! And the hotels are expensive - it is still high season in Florence our SPE organisers tell us. And the programme looks light compared to previous years, tempered by the fact that our larger colleagues will have to walk to the conference venue - God forbid no buses from the main hotels! But at least the architecture, museums and restaurants will be magnificent.
Much as I would like to visit Florence (for the first time) I think it is the venue that's not working! What about Milan, or even Rome, not to mention Amsterdam or Paris? So for first time in some years I will not be supporting this industry leading event and will instead take myself off on a tour of European customers.
Have fun fellow SPE members, those museums will be fantastic!
Written by Jack on 06 August 2010