Talking sports in exhibitions – I simply love it
The first time I remember myself watching sports was in the spring of 1979. It was a game between Panionios and Olympiakos for the Greek Cup, two Greek football teams. My family had a black and white television, Olympiakos lost 2 – 1 (Panionios later on won the Cup). I, not even 4 years old, felt sympathy for the one who lost and I became his supporter. Since then and especially since 1982, I have been following almost all the major events, until 2000, when more or less I stopped being so enthusiastic.
In International exhibitions you meet people from all over the world. “People who have nothing in common with you” someone may say. Wrong, except their passion for work, their ambition and dreams, they are also human beings. Especially the men, in a vast majority, are informed about sports, have their favourite football team etc. So, you can imagine their surprise and almost always their happiness when I open a short discussion about sports. Short but very pleasant, as I will tease them for something, they will tease me for something else and they will be surprised because I know almost all the great players from all the countries the last 20 – 25 years.
Yesterday I had a discussion with 2 gentlemen. The first time I see their smile was when we talked about Olympiakos (my team) and Real Madrid and their games in Champions League this year. They also teased me for Rivaldo, the great player who left my team and now he is part of the team of AEK. They even knew that we lost 10 days ago from him! I love these small cool discussions, especially when I have opposite me someone intelligent who looks enjoying them too. You can not imagine how they can improve a conversation sometimes… if ofcourse you know how to handle things and without insulting anyone, because in the end we just talk about a game… (But last year I have closed a nice deal with some Danish people, with who the discussion became friendly when I mentioned Elkjier, Michael Laudrup, Jesper Olsen and Morten Olsen… some players of their great team in the late ’80s and ’90s)