Very Dear  Friends,

It is a little over 3 months since we parted in Vienna . Three months which have seen most of us very busy behind our desks ("loges" as we like to say in French). It looks to me that nowadays, wherever you are, wherever you go, there are plenty of people about, most of them in a hurry. This does not make our everyday  task any easier but,  Professional that we are , we adapt ourselves. You might say that we have not got the choice and I will agree,  but it is in these difficult situations that our capability are put to the extreme and I am very confident that you all cope very well. The one's going for a summer vacation will soon rest, the others will have to put yet again more efforts and wait a little longer for a well deserved holiday (which is my case!!!).

The hotel Majestic Barriere for which I work, will, this winter, close for four months. An extension is beeing built to add a capacity of some 40 suites plus 2  "presidential " suites of over 400 square meters each. Total construction will last  approximatly 2 years and  the one's of you who have lived such an experience will understand that I am not looking forward to it. Nevertheless the end result will be excellent for the future of this establishment.

All this to say that investment is vital for survival, may it be personnal like in my first paragraph or like in the second one,  through  refurbishment, redecoration or construction of our hotels

On the Clefs d'Or scene I have been communicating regularly with your country's President  informing them of the latest happenings or asking their opinions on such and such a matter. The International Review has come out and should reach you all shortly, the Book of Member should come out sometime in September, a new website has been created.  "29th of October" is the date chosen by the Executive Committee and Directors of Zone to meet in Cannes, at the Majestic Barriere (just before demolition start) in order to prepare our Agenda for Copenhagen in January. On July 16, the 4 European Zone Directors are invited at 12 rue Cambon for a day's work. More personnally I will go to New York end of August for the USA 13th Congress and early September, to Hong Kong for their 25th.

If I had a dream, it would of course be to meet you all in Denmark, but more realistically, I hope to have every U.I.C.H. countries present and well represented.

In the meantime I wish you all the very best.

Your friend

ROGER