ANYONE would think Thomson Holidays doesn’t like journalists – first it tries to scare us and then tries to make us throw up.
This is all before it has even started talking about its new brochures.
Members of the travel press were invited to the launch of the market leader’s summer 2000 brochures at a very impressive venue, The Planetarium in London last week.
Backchat took very little notice of a life-size alien standing in the lift as journalists were ushered up to the event. It wasn’t until the doors closed and the lift ascended that the creature made a sudden movement and yelled, causing Backchat to shriek with fright and nearly hit the ceiling.
Backchat could hear other screams as fellow journalists were also attacked.
Hacks were so shocked they had to live up to their “tired and emotional” image by knocking back copious amounts of alcohol to recover.
Backchat started to regret drinking or eating anything as the mind-boggling show kicked off in the main auditorium.
The audience were treated to a virtual reality tour of the stars before Thomson Holidays managing director Richard Bowden-Doyle (pictured above with the scary creature – he’s on the left by the way) stood up and declared he hoped the show had the required brainwashing effect. And what followed was almost as surreal.
After unveiling some impressive new product initiatives, Thomson Holidays deputy managing director Shaun Powell revealed there would also be some new wacky excursions offered next summer.
Holidaymakers will be treated to re-enactments by professional actors of the classic musical South Pacific, ingeniously renamed South Terrific, and can also take part in a ’70s wedding with actors.
Lunn Poly’s new managing director Nigel David was one of the poor people plucked from the audience to participate in the ’70s wedding at the dinner which followed the presentation at neighbouring Madame Tussauds.
Preferred Agents were treated to the same show during a boat trip along the Thames earlier in the day.