Features

Gangplank volunteer sought as exhibition sails away ...

Never mind the products; it seems that the post-mortem from Siemens's show at 3GSM in Cannes has turned into more of a witch-hunt.

Exhibition space in Cannes is neither cheap nor spacious; and Siemens found itself short not only of display area, but also of hotel accommodation for the 3GSM show.

Cleverly, someone in the marketing department came up with the most astonishing wheeze: "We'll hire a luxury yacht!"

Moored by the sea-front with the attraction of bathing beauties on the beach, the Siemens boat not only provided one of the most eye-catching exhibitions of the show, but also gave staff a comfortable berth for the night.

Then on the third day, the wind began to blow. The sea became agitated. So did the skipper. "It's not safe this close to the shore," he said firmly, and on the big media day of the show, despite all protests, he headed out to sea.

We're trying to work out who to save our sympathy for; the guy who'd been the hero when he came up with the idea, who was now to blame for the complete absence of the company's presentation at the crucial moment - or the unfortunate exhibition staff, stuck a mile off the beach in a storm, feeding the fishes over the side ...