How well do you know your audience? Not as well as Spredfast’s Leo Ryan January 23, 2017 In the 1970s German philosopher Jurgen Habermas concocted the notion of Offentlichkeit – better known as the public sphere, or “an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems”. Some 40 years on, the advent of social media has realised his ideal tenfold, and the mass sharing [...]
Nil points: Why boring Dublin and provincial Frankfurt won’t steal London’s financial services crown January 23, 2017 As chief executive of a UK SME reliant on a successful financial services sector, Brexit caused a mixture of emotions in me – anger and fear being two of them. But chief executives count action among their traits, so rather than listen to the relentless speculation about Article 50 and its implications, I downloaded the [...]
Long Weekend: Keeping up with the super-fit locals while cycling around Malmo’s Western Harbour January 20, 2017 Getting there: The journey into Malmö itself is one of the most fascinating things about this Swedish city. First you must fly into entirely the wrong country, landing in Copenhagen, before boarding a speedy train that whizzes you out of Denmark and over the border in about 20 minutes. On the way you’ll travel along [...]
Britain’s investors have a responsibility to help close society’s divides January 20, 2017 I feel a touch fortunate that my Davos debut has come during such a fascinating period of change. The World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in Switzerland, which ends today, has long opined on the state of political, social and economic affairs. Discussions this week have seemed to possess an elevated sense of urgency. At the [...]
From Michelin-starred restaurants to an exciting calendar of events, Macao has it all January 18, 2017 Travelling on business or for pleasure, Macao makes a perfect addition to a trip to Asia. Just 40 miles from Hong Kong, Macao’s potent mixture of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, refined over more than 500 years – it’s been a Special Administrative region of China since 1999 – makes for an exceptional getaway, where the [...]
Restaurant review: Luca is the Italian nobody expected from The Clove Club’s Isaac McHale January 18, 2017 Isaac McHale was such a rebellious Young Turk that while he was still cheffing at the Ledbury, he ran a series of pop-ups under the name The Young Turks. He and James Lowe – then the head chef at St John Bread and Wine – would serve up whatever they damn-well pleased, in venues not [...]
Tech unicorn Deliveroo is planning to create hundreds of new jobs January 18, 2017 UK tech unicorn Deliveroo is planning to create hundreds of new jobs in London as it grows its business globally. The food delivery company will create more than 300 new positions, many of which it said will be in highly-skilled senior technical roles in areas such as software and hardware engineering, behavioural economics and algorithm development. The additions [...]
Not so sunny: Low demand pushed profits down for Caribbean travel group Elegant Hotels January 17, 2017 Elegant Hotels faced a tough year as profits fell during 2016 due to the weak pound and lower demand for luxury accommodation. The figures The Caribbean travel group, which owns six upscale hotels and a beachfront restaurant on Barbados, said revenue was down 5.2 per cent in 2016, at $57m (£46.3m). Adjusted pre-tax profit for year to [...]
If you dream of hurtling down deserted mountains, slaloming trees and ducking overhanging branches, the Canadian Rockies may be for you January 17, 2017 Sunshine Village sounds like a misnomer for a ski resort deep in the Canadian Rockies. A Caribbean beach complex, maybe, but a ski arena that straddles the Continental divide of the Americas? But when you’re at the peak of Mount Standish, an impossibly blue sky hanging over a seemingly endless white expanse, it starts to [...]
My Holiday: An amazing trip from Mumbai to Delhi on the Maharajas’ Express January 16, 2017 My most memorable holiday was taking the Maharajas’ Express from Mumbai to Delhi back in 2010. I was born in India but on the other side of the country in a coal mining town called Asansol, about 200km west of Kolkata. I hadn’t really seen the western part of the country, certainly as a tourist, [...]