In Versailles

I feel a million miles away from the frantic scramble for Alibaba.com IPO forms having arrived here in France this morning. Striking train drivers meant the 40km on the road from the airport to Versailles to 1 hour and 40 minutes which is a bit pathetic but the day is crisp and clear and the town is delightful.

I'm here for the annual congress of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry and will try to post a little more on that in the next couple of days as things unfold. The Congress has attracted a record crowd with strong groups from Asia including Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.