Very long day of preparing a very early family breakfast, travelling to London for PR consultants breakfast, a visit to our three stands at Compec and then industry BMMG lunch prior to meeting Brian Oakley of Alvey and then via a Xitan dealers seminar tohost a Byte Shop MD’s dinner before bed!
Early to rise with Diana still very sick and to prepare breakfast for myself and the children at an ungodly hour. Hastily to pack my suitcase with belongings and afterwards to hurry by car to Stevenage station to meet John Lamb and David Slinn. To Kings Cross by train and on by taxi to the Royal Kensington Hotel for breakfast with Mike East of our new P.R. consultancy, MEPR.
Plans hatched for the use of recent news of government orders of Comart Communicators for the Youth Training Scheme to create leaked stories for coverage in Computer Weekly and The Times. After to the Compec ’83 exhibition to our usual stand. We have been at Compec now for 7 years but this is the first time that Comart, The Byte Shop and Xitan each had their own stands. A hectic morning with the press meetings accomplished and many industry contacts made. At lunchtime by prior arrangement a meeting with Nigel Smith and Ian Fitzpatrick to decide strategy and after a journey to meet Brian Oakley of the Alvey Directorate. Brian is a scholarly man, lean of pretence but strikingly naïve of the real needs of the IT industry. He has been susceptible to the close influence of a few personalities which have unfortunately not included micro manufacturers. A good meeting, however, with action items agreed to foster closer cooperation and increased communication pledged.
By taxi to return to Olympia in time for the end of the first exhibition day. A poor day of only about 4000 visitors to the show. This evening to walk over to the Prince Rupert room of the Royal Kensington Hotel where Xitan successfully hosted a dealer meeting of about 40 guests and with speeches presented by the UK Managing Directors of Ashton Tate, Digital Research and Microsoft amongst other UK software suppliers. After to congratulate Geoff and Jane Dards on the arrangements before taking Peter King and the six Byte Shop Managers (Gordon Coventry, Jim Attfield, David Slater, Russel Jacques, Robin Pimlott and Russ Wilmott) to a Greek restaurant. Back to the hotel late and tired to bed.