Paul Walsh, the Irish Opportunist

I was delighted to have received an ‘invitation’ to lunch with the Prime Minister of Australia. Given that I collaborate with the Heads of Creative Industry for various countries such as Canada, Mexico and Hong Kong, and receive dinner invitations from the Mayor of London and the Irish Ambassador, I naturally assumed this was an ‘invitation’. Well, it was an invitation, but it came at a price.

I decided this morning that I wasn’t going to attend, mainly because I didn’t see the immediate benefit and given how busy I am, I just can’t afford the time. If I was having a one to one with the PM it would obviously be a different story.

For some reason I decided to double check the email. I noticed an attachment which obviously escaped me the first time around. Upon opening the ‘invitation’ I was amazed to see a £100 price tag. Can someone please tell me what the point of that is? Even if they were to squeeze 1000 100 people into the Hilton they’d only raise £10,000. Surely the sponsor could afford to cover that. It feels a little cheap to me.

If I was to add £25 I could treat 10 friends to a full roast pig/lamb in The Club Restaurant just off Regent Street. At least I’d be guaranteed to have a great time with the possible output of some great business ideas.