14 and a half hours with Richard: 9am - 3pm
- Dec 03, 2008
So - carrying on from yesterday's post: 14 and a half hours with Richard, here's the next bit of the big day in Toronto...
9 am
We have to make a stop at Harry Rosen so Richard can pick up a Hugo Boss suit for tonight's gala. Richard is on the phone to the skipper of the Virgin Money yacht asking about the weather. They are about to attempt to break the transatlantic crossing record. All I hear is high seas and high winds. Eek.
9:15 am
Richard has 15 mins to get measured, suited and booted. I manage to help Richard pull it off.
9:30 am
We jump back into the car and head to Richard's meeting with Gary Slaight - a key Virgin Unite donor.
10:00 am
Richard rushes up the elevator where my boss, Nathan Rosenberg (Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Mobile Canada), meets us and we go into the meeting with Gary. Gary tells Richard that he will match dollar for dollar whatever is raised at the auction tonight at the gala. Amazing.
10:30 am
We're off again. This time for a brunch break. This is the only time we have to grab a bite before Richard's next engagement.
10:45am
We arrive back at the hotel and order some sandwiches (the hotel is slow and time is ticking away but finally the sandwiches arrive.) In between, Richard phones Nylon – a US magazine - for a quick interview about Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and his record attempt - it's for the British cool issue this winter.
11:30 am
We jump back into the waiting cars. We're now heading to a Small Business Summit hosted by American Express where Richard is a special guest. Amex has generously made a donation to Virgin Unite so we can't be late.
12:00 pm
Colleen McClure (Virgin Unite Director for Canada) manages a quick meeting with Richard in the car. Again, Richard is already on top of everything. We arrive bang on time.
12:05 pm
Richard is straight into another interview and then signs 50 books. He meets 25 special guests and then goes on stage with three Canadian small business leaders to discuss their successes and challenges on running their respective businesses.
12:30 pm
While Richard is on stage I'm making calls and sending emails to check that all of Richard's plans for the afternoon are still in place. At 2pm Richard has a book signing to do in downtown Toronto.
1:30 pm
Richard finishes at the Amex Small Business Event and is quickly back on his phone to the Virgin Money skipper for the latest weather report. Again all I hear is high winds and high seas.
1:47 pm
We jump back into the car. Richard is in the front seat and turns to Andrew Black, our CEO who has jumped in for another meeting on the move. Andrew updates Richard on a successful past few months and that our post-paid business is going well, particularly with the recent roll-out of the Blackberry Pearl on our network.
2 pm
We arrive at Indigo books for more TV interviews and the book signing for Richard's new book 'Business Stripped Bare'. Four TV crews and 500 fans are waiting for Richard.
2:30 pm
Richard signs his 234th book. Somebody overhears me talking in my British accent. I'm asked if I'm Richard's son. I think twice. Sorry... 'no' I say.
2:55 pm
Richard is still signing books and there is a queue. He needs to leave at 3pm. A fan buys a CD for Richard and asks me pass this to him. Someone else gives me a memory stick with a powerpoint presentation they would like Richard to see.
3:05 pm
Richard signs the last book.
3:07 pm
We leave. Well, we try. Andrew Black gets caught up chatting to the media. Nathan is calling me from the car telling me to hurry up. We're behind time...
Check in tomorrow to see how the rest of the day pans out!
