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To celebrate 20 years of Travel Management
Group, Ian Dunwoody takes a trip down memory
lane to share a couple of his personal highlights.
Since
he established the firm in a small office in
Warwick Street Leamington Spa, TMG has reached
heights in its 20 years of business that Mr
Dunwoody could hardly have dreamed of. As founder
and chairman of Travel Management Group, one
of the UK's most successful independent travel
companies, Ian Dunwoody has always gone that
extra mile for his clients including more than
his fair share of celebrities...
Although the firm handles all types of travel
business - exotic long haul locations are a
specialality - it is its sporting heritage that
captures the headlines. Like the time Mr Dunwoody
was standing in the lobby of a Czech hotel when
up wandered the chairman of Watford Football
Club, whose side was to face Sparta Prague.
Elton John was very big in Eastern Europe at
the time. Because he was instantly recognisable
he was trying to keep out of the public gaze
and he wandered into the hotel lobby where Mr
Dunwoody was running a help desk for the team,
directors, press and sponsors. Mr Dunwoody continued
"He asked if I was busy, and whether I
fancied a beer. It turns out he's a really charming
guy who really knows his football." The
star revealed his penchant for travelling on
the team coach, to and from matches, was disconcerting
to the communist authorities. "They sent
a limo for him, but he never used it,"
said Mr Dunwoody. "He preferred the team
bus, where he could listen to the banter and
immerse himself in football."
Over the years, getting into tight squeezes
and then having to talk his way out, has become
something of a Dunwoody trade mark but not all
his experiences have been unnerving. There have
also been many laughs. Like the time the Manchester
United team were escorted to Volgagrad and Mr
Dunwoody had become mystified at the amount
of expensive Evian that Beckham, Giggs and the
Neville brothers were getting through. Mr Dunwoody
said "When I challenged them about it they
said the water wasn't for drinking, but for
washing in. It turned out Brian Kidd had told
them that since the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl,
anyone who washed in the tap water would see
their hair drop out. Funny as it was, that single
practical joke must have cost thousands of pounds
in designer water."
From the beginning 20 years ago with 2 full
time staff including Ian Dunwoody himself and
2 part time staff, TMG now has over 90 employees
in 4 UK offices. This just goes to show what
you can achieve by going that extra mile.
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