Scenes of wonder in the Qatari desert and at Hamad International

“Sheikha al-Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani asked me, ‘Would you build a piece in the landscape?’ and I said to her, ‘What landscape?,’ and she said, ‘The desert.’ ”

Dazzling delivery in Doha

This is just about as impactful, engaging and immersive as a pop-up installation can get.

Chips, Chaps, dodgy Divots and Eddie: The tale of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup 2018

Driving blips, thinned chips, and putting yips aside, though, what a couple of days it has been. The hospitality of Dubai Duty Free is on such a level that you not only feel treated and privileged but also humbled.

Events

November 22, 2018

Hair today and gone tomorrow at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup

I predicted he would shoot the lights out the next day. And he did, an errant drive on the front nine flying into the car park and smashing the headlamp of a Lamborghini.

Fashion

November 20, 2018

Shortening my odds for the Dubai Duty Free World Golf Cup

It doesn’t do wonders for your golfing confidence when you see your coach hurriedly put up a ‘Closed’ sign on the door and hide behind a golf bag when you pull up into the car park outside.

Events

November 18, 2018

All black in Dublin but all good in Dubai’s Turmeric Open

I know the Irish founded the duty free industry but I didn’t realise they a) still populated it in such quantity and b) all had my phone number.

Airports

November 14, 2018

Take a break KitKat (and take a bow)

Is this the most productive airport retail space in the world by sales per square metre?

Airports

November 10, 2018

On location in Oman, a country of contrasts

Before travelling to Muscat this week for the inauguration of the new airport terminal and Muscat Duty Free stores, I mentioned to a few people that my next trip was to Oman. Even those who knew a little about this Gulf state struggled to conjure up an image of the country and its place in

Airports

November 8, 2018

Shop windows on the world at Paris CDG

The most important marketing tool in the armoury of any physical store is the shop window. Be creative and colourful and blend art, design and fashion, and you’ll stop people in their tracks. Be drab, grey and lifeless, and they’ll walk on by. Amid increasing pressure from e-commerce, those messages have never been as important.

Miscellaneous

November 6, 2018

Writing around the clock in beautiful Busan

By the time my first coffee kicked in, I had big stories on the boil from the USA (14 hours behind) and Brazil (11 hours), and news in from New Zealand (four hours ahead). All I need is a store opening from Kiritimati and I could (almost) report on yesterday, today and tomorrow simultaneously.

Events

November 2, 2018

Zàijiàn Shanghai, annyeong-ha-seyo Busan

So, Zàijiàn Shanghai, annyeong-ha-seyo Busan. Another Trinity Forum done. Time for a moment to be, as it were, free of duty.

Events