The crazy decision to have a party in a tent at the temples – money for friends
I have just received this email from an acquaintance who works for a destination management company (DMCs are the ones which organise big conferences and events, often with lunches and dinners for hundreds of people in marquees and similar).
So now we are told that yesterday’s dinner planned for Hagar Qim took place at the Xara Lodge, as they had been entrusted with the catering anyway.
I work in a destination management company which has held more than few events under marquees. The decision to hold that dinner at Hagar Qim at the end of November was just plain stupid at the outset. The percentage chance of it being suitable was always going to be minimal. So a few questions come to mind.
Are the 58,000 euros we were told the marquee cost just for the rental of the actual marquee itself? What about flooring, dressing up, lighting, heating?
Heating would have been essential at this time of year and in that location, which means it would have steamed up and made it impossible to see the temples from the inside – and that again begs the question – why on earth hold it there?
It was also dinner and not lunch, which means that the place would have been pitch dark outside, making lighting necessary on the temples and on the approach – another cost.
It seems the marquee was set up quite early – I don’t know the time-frame but recall seeing photographs last week. Normally this can be erected in three days but even if they had five days’ notice they would have been able to get a clear indication of the weather forecast and could have made a decision on shifting the venue before they set up the marquee.
