Last week, Moscow in 1993
Nice, France, December 2000.
Why did I take an unplanned trip to the French Riviera in December?
In the late 1990’s, whenever there was a meeting of global leaders, large and sometimes violent protests were, if not part of the official program, always a part of the street scenes in the host city.
Our major event plan had been under constant revision since 1990 when it was developed as part of the plan for a state funeral.
With every new experience, there were lessons to be learned. We had constructive debriefings after every major event, even the ones our hotels weren’t directly involved in. No dust gathered on our templates.
When Nice, France was scheduled to host the EU Summit in December 2000 our hotel was scheduled to host several official delegations.
Our support to the hotel started months in advance.
We helped them ensure that all emergency plans were up to date and tested. We held workshops to reinforce staff responsibilities in managing incidents. An updated agreement with a nearby building where people could shelter if an evacuation was signed. The response plans for bomb threats and evacuations were revised, tested, and exercised.
During the training sessions, we reminded staff that not only would the world’s media eyes be upon their city but this was a time when even a small incident had the potential to be amplified, magnified, and become a major event. We also reminded them that the risk of incidents such as hoax calls or fake threats also increased.
On the first day of the summit, the hotel received a bomb threat.
The staff handled it very well. French police had posts in and around the hotel. They were immediately informed and, although it was deemed likely that the call was a hoax, searches of the premises were carried out. The license plates of cars parked in the underground garage were checked against the lists of cars that had been searched by police and cleared to park.
Unfortunately, one of the cars had a license plate that wasn’t on the list. Some police seemed to recall that the car had been parked there before they had set up perimeter security.
It should have been on the list.
But it wasn’t.
While the police and emergency services debated the next steps, the hotel General Manager decided to play it safe. The shelter-in-place agreement with a nearby building was activated and hotel guests and staff were evacuated swiftly and smoothly.
The car was inspected and cleared by the bomb squad.
The hoax was confirmed and the hotel was safe to reopen.
Minutes later our CEO called me. I was in my office in Copenhagen.
“You’ll be flying to Nice today”, he said.
I had expected the call and already discussed communication plans with my deputy.
Nice was a fortress full of police and security teams from all over France. I slung my pack over my shoulder and walked 40 minutes down the Promenade des Anglais to the hotel.
Access to the property was restricted and controlled by heavily armed police.
Fortunately, they’d been informed of my pending arrival and, once they overcame the shock of learning that the bearded, backpack-toting man in black walking down the promenade was head of security for the hotel group, I was warmly welcomed.
The Hotel Security Manager had my accreditation badge ready and waiting when I arrived. It was badge number P7. He explained that he wanted P007, but the printer kept deleting the zeros and he was running low on badge templates.
P7 it was and that became my sign-off and code name with my long-time deputy for the rest of my career. He was already Master Po to me, a title I still greet him with today.
When I checked in, the receptionist was happy to see me.
“We were prepared. Thanks to you! You knew it! You are a clairvoyant! How did you know we would have a bomb threat? We executed the evacuation perfectly!”
It almost sounded like he thought I had called it in…
The Summit in Nice resulted in the Treaty of Nice which reformed the European Union and prepared it for expansion and inclusion of Eastern European countries. It wasn’t smooth sailing though. The summit meetings went long into overtime.
Originally scheduled for December 7, 8 and 9, the agreement wasn’t finalized until after midnight on what had become Monday, December 11.
When the hotel bar was scheduled to close on Sunday evening, rumours were rife that an agreement would be reached. The Irish delegation was staying in our hotel and it was well known they would like a celebratory drink upon their return to the hotel if indeed agreement was reached. The barman was willing to stay, overtime pay was granted and the Irish were very happy that they could raise a glass and toast the taste of success when they, tired and blurry-eyed, stumbled into the hotel.
Tip #1: If your hotel is hosting high-level international delegations, do what you can to secure the Irish one. Great guests and they ensure your bar revenues don’t slide even though access to your hotel is restricted…
The delayed conclusion of the summit was a recipe for travel chaos at Nice Airport on Monday morning. Knowing this, and very thankful that we were still owned by an airline at the time, when the bar finally closed and the delegations went to bed, I called airline HQ and was able to get booked onto a flight home Monday morning.
With all the delegations and all the press trying to get to the airport and all the people of Nice trying to get to work on the first day of the work week, chaos was not limited to the airport. It was impossible to get a taxi, and if you managed to get one, it wouldn’t get you anywhere quickly or on time.
Fortunately, the police leaders that were stationed at the hotel were very friendly, service-minded people.
“We’ll take you to the airport”, one of them said. “Our car has blue lights and a siren!”
We jumped into the little grey Renault, deputy commander in the driver seat, commander in the passenger seat and me in the back.
The blue lights came on and the siren sounded. The commander turned around and said:
“Now, where’s this airport at!”
It turned out they were actually from Lyon, had never been in Nice and had no idea where the airport was. Or perhaps that was just their French humour.
Fortunately, thanks to the blue lights and sirens, it wasn’t a complicated journey.
I was in the Copenhagen office before lunchtime.
Stay safe, Always Care
Written with the clarity of hindsight, the accuracy of a faded memory, and countless creative liberties, 87 Stories is a journal of how my gap year lasted four decades, made me an emigrant, an immigrant and gave me a life I never dreamed of.
In addition to my love for writing, I’m an educator and a consultant with a passion for hotels, hospitality, and keeping people safe during their travels.
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