Michael Leander's Email Marketing Masterclass in Sofia, Bulgaria appeared to have been a hit

InterContact Bulgaria were the perfect hosts of the first ever Michael Leander Email Marketing Masterclass in Bulgaria. Judging by the evaluation from nearly 200 delegates, the Email Marketing Masterclass appeared to have been a hit.

From Email Marketing Masterclass Sofia Bulgaria Feb 2010

Held at the InterExpo Center in the outskirts of Sofia on February 25, the Email Marketing Masterclass also featured great presentations from German Sacristan of Kodak and a government representative speaking about the permission marketing legislation in Bulgaria.

Marketers attending liked what they heard and saw
After the Email Marketing Masterclass attendees were asked to evaluate their experience. On a 6-point scale where 6 is high, Michael Leander were given this evaluation:

From Email Marketing Masterclass Sofia Bulgaria Feb 2010

Presentation: 5,58
Information: 5,35

Says Michael Leander; "I am very pleased with the result. Especially considering that quite a few of the delegates depended on the interpreters, which arguably is a bit of an obstacle.".

When the picture does not say a thousand words in advertising

Reading the Business Today (an Egyptian magazine) yesterday, I came across an advertisement for German owned hotel  Steigenberger Nile Palace in Luxor.

The text reads "With the largest ballroom in Luxor and the knowhow of our expert staff your conference will be fit with class, 11 different capacities of meeting and breakout rooms that can host up to 2.000 participants and the main ballroom that can host 1.400 participants."

Nothing wrong with that. Clearly positioning the hotel's conference facilities. But.

What struck me was the picture, which you see to the left.
Had I not had a professional interest in studying the advertisement closer, I would never had decoded what the picture portrayed. And now I cannot decide whether I think a picture of the grand ballroom - or other pictures of the facilities would have been a better choice to relay the message.

What do you think?

100% will recommend Michael Leander's Email Marketing Masterclass in Cairo

Following the 2 day Digital Marketing Seminar at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo, 27 delegates joined the Email Marketing Masterclass with Michael Leander on Sunday 21st of February 2010. Judging from the delegates evaluation, the Email Marketing Masterclass was a huge success

The Email Marketing Masterclass was held for the first time in Cairo. Delegates from companies such as Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas, Saba Medical Group from Saudi Arabia, Elsewedy Cables, Better Home and hospitality marketing professionals from San Giovanni and Conrad Hotel, the 1 day Email Marketing Masterclass all said in their evaluation that they will recommend the masterclass to others.

Read more about the rating here

Excessive customer service and the trouble of languages

In conjunction with my Email Marketing Masterclass in Sofia, Bulgaria, I stayed at the wonderful boutique hotel Crystal Palace in the center of Sofia.

This hotel does not offer a coffeemaker in the room. So one morning - when time did not allow to go down for breakfast - I decided to order some coffee from room service. The previous day I ordered a pot of coffee, and got 1,5 cup, which just wasn't enough. So I decided to order a thermo with 5 cups of coffee.

The service was very nice indeed. And the woman from room service arrived with the thermo only 5 minutes after I placed the order. And - to my surprise - carrying a tray with the thermo and 5 coffee cups. She delivered it with the following remark "and I remembered cream and sugar too"

This just goes to show how difficult languages really are. I cannot help wondering what she must have been thinking when she saw me alone in the room. But she probably thought I was just another weird foreigner with strange habits.