What a Week
An IMM recap; NYC with M&D; media opps; and more
Every time I visit New York, I leave feeling a mixture of inspiration, exhaustion, gratitude, and awe of anyone who lives there. Last week — the first half of which I spent in meetings and at IMM, followed by a three-day visit with my parents — was no exception, and factor in extensive travel delays for my folks because of SNOW IN FLORIDA along with an avalanche of terrifying headlines, and I feel like I need to sleep for a week.
But, as always, New York delivered. A few highlights from my trip: spending time IRL with the incredible journalists, editors, and PR pros with whom I have the privilege of collaborating*; an inspiring conversation with Dr. Sian Leo Proctor, a geoscientist and astronaut, at a very cool Hilton event; chilly runs in snowy Central Park; seeing American icons like the Statue of Liberty and Michael Jackson alongside my parents (if you’re a superfan like me, MJ the Musical is a must; it was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen); and staying at a 49th-floor suite at the Mandarin Oriental New York — my first time at a MO property, and one that has certainly set the bar quite high (literally) for future NY visits.
I’m looking forward to putting those all those story ideas generated into motion. After, perhaps, a quick nap.
(*To those of you who took the time to find me and introduce yourself — thank you so much! Truly, this made my day.)
Media Opps
For responses, please do not respond to this newsletter, or else your pitch will get lost in the shuffle. Please send a separate email with the subject line: PITCH: [insert story you’re pitching] to blanebachelor(at)gmail(dot)com.
Also, please note that I’m not working on any Valentine’s Day or “romantic season” stories (more on that term next week), so, alas I don’t have much use for the approximately 4,873 pitches in my inbox focusing on those topics.
For Afar, I’m looking to speak to aviation experts who can discuss a recent report from Airhelp about the best days and airports to book air travel in order to avoid delays and cancellations. If this is you or your client, please send a quick graf or two outlining credentials/background and expertise around these topics; I’ll follow up as needed for more info.
Deadline: Thursday, Jan. 30 by EOD Amsterdam time (but the earlier, the better!); Subject line: Flight cancellations
For The Points Guy, I’m working on a roundup of top hotels in Amsterdam, from budget stays to luxury ones. For consideration, please send me a quick rundown of the property, any recent renovations, and whether it’s available to book via points (this isn’t a dealbreaker, but it helps if there’s a program).
Deadline: Monday, Feb. 3, by EOD Amsterdam time; Subject line: TPG Amsterdam hotel
And That’s a Wrap!
If we happened to connect during Media Marketplace at IMM, I very well may have shown you (er, forced you to watch) the cinematic debut of my eight-year-old son, who’s taking a film crew class after school. If you haven’t yet witnessed this five-second masterpiece, here you go (character development needs some work, but special effects are on point):
Spoiler alert: While I know Spiderman has traditionally been one of the good guys, I’d like to think the arachnid hero’s actions beforehand fully warranted Nijntje’s (aka, Miffy) response. A prequel is certainly in order to clear up the mystery.
But amidst the current state of affairs, for now I can’t help be reminded of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, Thelma and Louise: when the badass women protagonists blew up a gas tanker after its vile driver would not stop sexually harassing them.
Ciao (and ka-pow) for now,
Blane
Bunny One. Superman Zero. It's an amazing video for an eight-year-old. Next George Lucas?