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MARCH 2019 businesstraveller.comMaking a presentation
interesting is an
eternal conundrumTHE FOCUS OF OUR MARCH 1999
issue was the rebirth of European rail, with
improvements in technology and services
making the train a winning option on the
continent. We pondered whether airlines
would “pull out of certain markets
altogether” to free up valuable slots for
long-haul routes. It’s a subject we
returned to recently in our December/
January issue, with slot shortages at
airports making better air-rail connections
an increasing necessity.
Rebirth had also taken place in New York
following its clean-up under the helm of
mayor Rudy Giuliani. The murder rate had
declined by an astonishing 68 per cent inhive
HIGHLIGHTSWind between the wings
A health piece offered advice to those
facing in-flight turbulence of a persona
nature. Our introduction: “It’s gurgling
so loud that your neighbour must be
able to hear it. You can’t concentrate.
You can’t sleep and there’s five more
hours before you land.”Done it all in Doha
Gas was causing a stir in Doha, too,
where we bemoaned a lack of
diversions for those who had been
drawn to the region by industry
relating to the natural resource.
“Surviving in this pint-sized peninsula
for any length of time is a challenge.”Welcome to Sarajevo
Our columnist Dominic O’Reilly’s
account of his trip to Sarajevo was a
nail-biting read that made today’s
airport security look like a walk in the
park: “There were sandbags around
the terminal, and troops trained guns on
us as we walked across the tarmac.”Zen and now
Advice for reducing in-flight stress came
in a letter from G White of Edinburgh:
“Be nice... a little sensitivity, and
patience, goes a long way.”European rail and a cleaned-up New
York were the big stories 20 years agolfive years, but our writer questioned
whether some of the city’s charm had also
been scrubbed away – although not in the
case of the now-visible ceiling of Grand
Central station which, having been
concealed by grime for years, was wowing
formerly jaded commuters.
How to make a presentation interesting
is an eternal conundrum faced by business
people. Two decades ago, our article
pointed readers in the direction of the
snazzy Clip Art available on Powerpoint,
as well as suggesting that you “imagine
the audience naked” and “video yourself
so you can work on eradicating those
irritating mannerisms”. Nothing like instilling
a bit of confidence... BT WORDS^ BECKY AMBURY