Mauritius #1

Leg Three of our Africa trip was Mauritius, perched in the Indian Ocean, some four hours by plane from Johannesburg.

We stayed (and did three seminars/workshops) at the stunning Le Meridien – great food/customer service… supremely attentive staff… such a great setting for two workshops on the theme of ‘Customer Is King’. I recommend you visit.

We also ran a full-day ‘Bright Marketing’ workshop, pretty similar to the one we run in the UK. The packed banqueting hall was treated to a sumptuous buffet lunch, sea views and some seriously effective networking.

The Mauritius workshops saw a diverse selection of companies from a small PR agency, local hotels and marketing agencies, Billabong, local newspapers, national cellphone networks, Air Mauritius and Shell. Feedback was incredibly positive. (As an aside, I also spent a day with a Government agency's senior managers and directors.)

The work (four sessions in three days) was ‘topped and tailed’ by two splendid and very relaxed dinners: one full-on veranda experience looking down over the bay from the hills with the director of the British Council (Simon, and his wife Anne), and a buffet/networking supper hosted by the Deputy High Commissioner at the ‘official residence’. Brilliant.

Mauritius is a land full of opportunities in business. This is not simply a paradise island where tourists can indulge their fantasies. There is plenty to be done and it needs to be done ASAP as the world won't wait and other holiday destinations will steal a march on my firends in Mauritius.

As I said (several times!): 'why should people bother to buy from you when they can buy from the competition?'.


PS photo taken from our bedroom at Le Meridien...