Monday
Arrange to meet Client in Montpelier square early doors. They’re in Pret, I’m in Café opposite, no time to rehearse. Big meeting with F1 Grand Fromage. All plays out well. Sniff a deal in the offing. Exciting day.
Tuesday
Fly to LA to oversee the unison between Soho House and Grey Goose for a run of pre-Oscars parties. Hope execution will be bit less painful than the contractual negotiation… Buy new sunglasses – well, it is LA. Cold and wet weather greets our plane.
Supper in room. Enough for 4 people – I eat enough for 3.
Wednesday
Up at 4am. Finishing touches to prospect presentation (a side show to Grey Goose main event but seems sensible to take advantage of being in Tinsel Town). Arrive at Burbank. No record of my visit at gatehouse. Sent to ‘Commissary’ to wait for escort to ‘post modern’ facility (epicentre of Disney world). Commissary turns out to be coffee shop and post modern facility turns our to be 5 story head office with roof held up with (thankfully not life sized) dwarves… I kid you not. Realise of course that America is in fact Disney World.
Present a bold idea to take a major character franchise out of animated world and into real life. Disney love idea - but we all accept it’s a long and challenging road to make it reality.
Go to Soho House / Grey Goose venue on 13th floor of tower block in West Hollywood. Approaching the venue through a very average office reception, elevator and dirty old set of stairs it has an air of Narnia about it.
Pop-up club Looks amazing - it’s all rich antique carpets, George Smith furniture and bare industrial walls and ceilings. Would have sweeping views of city were it not for the rain clouds.
Chuffed to see the vision becoming reality. First night goes OK. Demi Moore, Juliette Lewis, Matt Damon etc turn up. Bed by 2am
