Gonna take a sentimental journey, on a model train

by Yeoh Siew hoon

It’s amazing that you can know someone for so long and yet you never really know everything about the person.

For example, I think I have known Bob Guy (pictured left) for close to 30 years but I never knew he loves model trains – building them and riding them.

That bit of information I found out when I attended the farewell party thrown for him and his wife, Gillian, by Pacific World Singapore, the company he founded 20 years ago and sold three years ago to First Choice UK.

Held at the Luxe Art Museum, one of the many new interesting spaces for events that have opened up in Singapore, the evening was one of nostalgia as his staff, some of whom have been with him for 30 years, paid tribute to a guy who’s not only built Pacific World into one of Asia’s top Destination Management Companies but also left a big imprint on the region’s travel landscape.

And that was exactly what Guy set out to do when he first arrived to live in Singapore in 1976.

I can’t remember the year I first met Guy – he was with Tour East at the time and I was interviewing him about his plans for the company – but I do remember the impression he left me with.

There was this big, burly, friendly American bursting with ideas and enthusiasm about how he was going to change the travel landscape in Singapore, and Asia, by delivering superlative customer experiences.

And I remember thinking, this guy is either all hot air or for real and if he just does 50% of what he says he will do, he’s going to make a difference to our industry. Plus, hey, what a great guy to interview.

Deep knowledge, well-connected, media-friendly, good sound bites – the whole media package.

So over the years, I followed Guy’s career and you could say I stalked him at trade shows – because as a travel journalist, if you wanted to know which way the wind was blowing, particularly, in the meetings and incentives field, he’s the guy to talk to.

Guy also believed in the power of the media and so was always accessible to journalists. He knew what bits of information to share, what issues to raise and also how to position himself and his company in the media.

Which is probably why Pacific World has won the number of awards it has – for technology innovation, for creativity, for crisis initiatives, for tourism personality. It takes media savvy as well as professional delivery to make this happen.

The love his team has for Bob and Gillian was palpable that night. The video they put together was funny, sweet and sentimental. It was a sad occasion yet a happy one.

For Bob and Gill, it’s the right time to step down. They’ve left a solid legacy, the business is going through tough times and every business needs a change in leadership after a time.

In an interview with TTG Asia, Bob said, “For a 65-year-old to reach the Gen Y is not easy. I maintain high quality technology … but I don’t have the mentality of the Facebook and Twitter generation. Many of our buyers are using these tools that were not thought of just five years ago. So the management of responsibility has to be handed to those who not only understand but lead in those concepts.”

It takes courage to step down from something you’ve built for 20 years but the Guys have done well, achieved their business dreams, made their moolah and now it’s time for the next chapter in their lives.

In thanking everyone, Bob singled out Gillian who he said gave him the courage to leave Tour East and set up Pacific World with Jacques Arnoux, who remains as managing director Asia. “She gave me the encouragement to step out in 1989 to do this,” he said.

Guy’s also a believer in loyalty and camaraderie. To this day, he continues to work with the same printer since 1976. “It’s all about relationships in this business,” he said.

Bob and Gill, who will split their time between Singapore and Bali, have set up something called AsiaTravelGuys but Bob says it’s not a company or a job. “We will continue to enjoy ourselves and involve ourselves in activities we are passionate about.”

This includes training, the community, environment and oh yes, model trains.

So let’s wish the Guys well as they chug into the next chapter in their lives.

Catch Yeoh Siew Hoon every week at The Transit Cafe.