2007 was an interesting year personally and on a wider scale. Here are some of my highlights and most memorable moments of the year.
- Looking for a… campaign launched – an interesting career move that is shaping up positively. See ‘Campaign update – Dec 2007’ for the latest news.
- Grand events – on the travel side I spent some time in Shanghai and recommend it to one and all. In London I watched Tango Fire an Argentinean dance performance – I love dance, but had never seen Tango performed like this. Seeing the Dali exhibition at the Tate Modern. Lastly, if you haven’t been go to Bath Spa and visit the Thermae Spa and Roman Baths, a modern and historic view of a great city.
- O2 Broadband launched – after 2 years on the project the team finally launched a fantastic product with great online tools and services, including speeds of up to 20MB, an innovative remote diagnostics tool and O2 Email to Mobile (I promise not to mention it again) as well as many other services bundled into a great package.
- Launch of iPhone – after much hype, scrutiny and applause the iPhone finally launched in the UK. I helped out in one of the stores on launch day and was amazed by the phones ease of use and useful functionality. The handset-pricing model has the potential to set a new standard for handset ownership to the benefit of the manufacturers and maybe even the consumers!
On a wider scale some of the good were:
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The introduction of the smoking ban across the country. I don’t smoke and now get to leave a bar / restaurant / public place without my clothes reeking of smoke.
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Emergence of web 2.0 not just as a concept, but real online applications and services that people can use. It has also brought back some excitement in the funding arena, but hopefully this time with more realistic models from business owners and funders.
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More attention and focus on climate change and actual policies and actions to address this issue at local at national levels.
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O2 email to mobile launched as part of the O2 Broadband project. See blog ‘Mobile email for the masses’ for more details.
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200th anniversary of the abolition of slave trade.
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The Tories finally putting pressure on Labour with real policies and a better understanding of what the people really want.
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Steve McClaren resigning as England manager. He should never have been given the job and took completely the wrong approach when trying to make his mark.
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Emergence of Lewis Hamilton as a potential future world champion.
And some others: Scotland winning 2014 Commonwealth Games, Microsoft Vista finally launching and Facebook blowing up to worldwide acclaim.
And the bad:
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Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the potential instability it brings not only to Pakistan, but Afghanistan and the Middle east. Let’s hope that she did not die in vain, but for a better country and improved international relations.
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Petrol and diesel prices shooting up at a rate of knots and making the cost of travel ridiculous. On the other side some may argue that use motorists deserve it and should use the public transports system more!
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Missed opportunities to make the big changes required at the highest levels at the Bali Climate Change talks in December.
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The credit crunch and uncertainty in the economy. From the US to the UK, from Northern Rock to you and me we all seem to victims of some bad decisions or is it our drive to own homes at any cost, supported by banks that will loan to anyone?
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Interest rates going up – let’s hope it goes down next year.
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Steve McClaren making sure the England team missed out on Euro 2008 with some shocking decisions and his tactical ineptitude.
Looking ahead 2008 should be a good year and some of the potential highlights include:
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A parachute jump. Watch this space I have agreed to complete a jump with a friend in the spring. Let me know if you want to join.
On the world stage: the calming and improved international relations with countries like Russia, Iraqi, Iran and Pakistan.
Messi for 2008 world footballer?
More holidays and days spent at the BFI!
Watching Afrika Afrika in Jan 2008.
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2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
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John D Wilson and Derrick Fielding getting more coverage for their great works of art.
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Video on demand and VOIP services to achieve traction in the consumer market.
What about you, what’s been good and bad about 2007 and what do you expect / plan for in 2008? Send me your thoughts (via email or fill in the form below) and I will post them in a blog.
Asomi
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