Former roommate writes from the Baghdad’s Green Zone:
Suddenly a horrific gun battle erupts about 400 meters away. Light machine guns versus small arms. I am on a balcony sort of thing on the second floor of a building overlooking the part of the city where the fight was taking place.
Lafo responds from London’s Zone One:
When you have seats with a great view elevated above a show you can call it a luxury suite. With a little hospitality (cold cuts, champagne, hot pockets) you could charge corporates a nice amount for client entertainment. Think outside the box and innovate, innovate, innovate.
iraq stories
August 6, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Years ago I worked for former Roomate in a civilian capacity, and he never was much for entertaining corporate big-wigs. It was part of his charm and why our prospects loved him so. They used to say, “Where’s that (Former Roomate) fellow - we wanna do combat drills and eat MRE’s again - you can take these NASCAR box seats and jumbo shrimp and shove em!”. The biggest expense we had was our client’s dry cleaning bill.
August 7, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Good insight. You can join me in educating Roommate on the finer points of corporate hospitality and ‘challenging circumstance’ is never an excuse for leaving a clients glass of wine unfilled. Wasting a great view like that. Its a cry for help!
August 8, 2007 at 1:33 am
Excellent idea, Lafo. I can see what your company sees in you. It is not unlike the luxury suites at sports stadiums.
But why not expand your scope and start an international franchise. Surely there are enough war zones to go around. Le’t not forget American cities while you’re at it.
For example, Newark, NJ (my home state) has seen its murder rate skyrocket (4 teens gunned down execution style, just the other day).
David
August 22, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Shoooooot, don’t limit yourself to the shooting stuff. You could actually “seed” activity, given the right setting. Taking from the NASCAR reference by Bigun, and knowing how everyone just loves a good car collision…how ’bout a nice balcony overlooking a busy highway. Client barbeque, full glasses of wine, great conversation… then on queue, the homeless guy you hired for $100 drives the junker car you bought for $500 at a high rate of speed the wrong way down the off-ramp into oncoming traffic right below your terrace creating a multiple car pileup. Instant hit with the NASCAR fans and rubber-necker types, instant bonding effect of having witnessed something horrible together “as a team”, and not to mention the significant emergency vehicle lighting which can also second as a great disco-ball-light-effect for the occassion. Certainly a night the clients won’t soon forget. And all for under $1000! Great returns, if you close the deal.