More than 100 participants attended our Jarltech InfoForum in Vienna. Here is a smattering of my thoughts on it, in no particular order:

--Frustration about the non-participants who accepted the dinner invitation but never showed. I do not find this behavior "normal" at all. Plus, of course we had to pay the conference flat rate, including catering. Naturally plans change, and I wish to thank all of those who cancelled with advance notice.

--Joy about the Hotel Rainers in Vienna. It is not everyday that you will find a hotel director personally checking in on the event at midnight to make sure that everything is in order. The service was great and they were very flexible with spontaneous changes. There were many positive aspects which will remain in the guests' memories.

--Admiration for Martin Limbeck, our presentation "act". It was not a presentation, but rather, a show which motivated everyone in the room. I also learned new things. We know numerous sales trainers who always repeat the same things, and that is annoying. Mr. Limbeck has a different approach, and brings it to life. I am a bit nervous about bargaining over next year's training budget with him during the return flight. If you would like to experience him live, you can see him on 28 September at 8:00 PM on the SWR TV channel. His new book "Nicht gekauft hat er schon" is on the business press bestseller list for a good reason. Please read this book.

--The realisation that the smokers were also well taken care of. Whether it is a Christmas party, company event or customer meeting: smoking simply must be allowed in a separate room. Whether or not you like smoking, it does not help when the hall is always empty because the smokers have gone outside for a cigarette. I happen to be a non-smoker, but it is my belief, not my religion.

--Joy over the many lucrative talks: praise, but also suggestions from our customers and manufacturers. It is great when you can fly home after such an event with a full notebook, and not have the feeling that you wasted your time. Besides, we are all only doing business, not declaring war. It is also good when the representatives of competitive manufacturers also have a good time together.

--I do not have enough Austrian wines in my wine cellar. The "Terra O", a red wine that we selected for the InfoForum, is magnificent.

On Monday at the latest you can see the pictures on www.facebook.com/jarltech.