had a free ticket to the Vancouver Canucks vs Phoenix Coyotes Ice Hockey the other week, right behind the goal - ticket was $160 & I got it because the hotel i stay in all the time in Vancouver had a spare they couldn't sell.
Ice Hockey isn't my idea of a great night out, but it was a decent way to spend a cold, rainy night in the city.
Got two free return tickets from London City Airport to Paris off a promotion based on Monopoly.You got an envelope with a sticker in it and had to fill certain parts of the board to get the free fights.This was being done at Vic and London Bridge Stations,a bit of chat with the girls dishing out the stickers and the crucial stickers appeared out of her hand bag!!!
Mrs MAM was PA to the head of a large restaurant chain, Scotts,Livebait, Chez Gerarde. She was able to sign of food and drink at any of the restaurants. Don't think she cooked for about 3 years.
I worked for Philip Morris (Marlboro ciggies), and they would take us to Silverstone every year on a jolly, free champagne food and a trip round the Ferrari garage. Alas no more!
working in insurance I get plenty of corporate days (mainly sport based, golf, football, rugby etc) played some very decent courses on the back of it + a few foreign trips thrown in.
Free Press Pass Tickets to Champions League game between Malmo and Rangers 2011. Sat next to tv cameras. It was surreal as Rangers were banned due to sectarian stuff previously, so the sell-out crowd was home fans only. I visited some Malmo fans before the game and they were so jealous, even more so after i went back to theirs afterwards and Malmo had qualified for the next round.
working in insurance I get plenty of corporate days (mainly sport based, golf, football, rugby etc) played some very decent courses on the back of it + a few foreign trips thrown in.
Directors box and meal/booze at WHL with my old boss for Spurs vs Charlton in the prem days. Boss was a Spurs fan. Terrible game - ended 0-0....think Bartlett missed a one on one ?!?
working in insurance I get plenty of corporate days (mainly sport based, golf, football, rugby etc) played some very decent courses on the back of it + a few foreign trips thrown in.
Same here Eltham, few years ago flew to Manchester from city airport, put up in a nice hotel and had great seats for Man U vs Juve.
Nowadays probably play golf every business trip never on my own expense.
Might be getting a 2 week stay at a luxury gated villa in Marbella area in September, courtesy of sister in laws in laws, flights on Avios as well due to mrs flying all over asia this time last year.
working in insurance I get plenty of corporate days (mainly sport based, golf, football, rugby etc) played some very decent courses on the back of it + a few foreign trips thrown in.
Due to a plane being grounded I gave up my seat on a Ryanair flight as I wasnt in a rush. The incentive was a refund on your ticket...my ticket cost £1. Yep, I'm just a nice guy
Complained about a BA flight from Canada and was given return flights, plus hotel for the weekend, to Venice..
Used to do some work with Virgin Mobile, one of the PAs there had worked for Branson, so she sorted me out free return flights to San Francisco...
Told a car hire place in Greece once that I was Michael Owen's cousin (those who know me will know why) and they gave me half price car hire for a week, saving £200 odd...
Not on thread I realise, but I give out a whole load of hospitality to journalists which I then attend:
Employer used to sponsor an F1 team, so I went to all the GPs that I wanted to, with AAA passes, lunch in the motor home and as much food, drink etc as I could handle, as well as flights and decent hotels, plus entrance to night clubs etc. We also had a box at the 'new' Wembley, so I went to any gig or sporting event I wanted to (again, hosting) - took a few mates along to various things when people would drop out at the last minute. Still have VIP seats at the O2, so ditto there.
Trouble is I can't be bothered to do it any more, and so leave most of them to my colleagues..
A trip to Prague, two nights in the Hilton, free bar and sight-seeing trip around the city.
Best blag however was a trip/holiday to Barcelona, which I paid for along with a friend who wsas going through a divorce. One evening we went to a Barcelona FC owned bar "Magic Barca" in the Olympic Port. As they were playing in the Copa del Roy a couple of days later we thought it would be a great place to watch the match. Understandably several hundred other people had the same idea so we patiently queued for a good hour. When we finally got to the front we realised that it was an all ticket/invite event. Rather than see an hour of queueing go to waste I walked up to several ladies who quite clearly were connected to the club (they had that "don't mess with us" look and were dressed to kill) and started talking to them as they went past the ticket collector on the door who thought we were with the group and didn't dare ask them for their tickets let alone our non-existent ticket/invite.
Once inside we dived for the bar which was free although I suppose if you'd bought a ticket it wasn't, and then not long after that dinner was served and that too was free...
A few weeks prior to this Barcelona won the now defunct Cup Winner's Cup and the trophy was in the middle of the room flanked by a couple of security guards. After extra-time Barcelona won the match and the mother of all parties started in the city and in this restaurant/bar, at some point the Cup Winner's Cup was filled with Cava and was handed around the restaurant with everyone getting to drink out of it.
Eventually we got thrown out of the place at around 2AM - something like a seven hour drinking spree, with dinner thrown in and the chance to drink out of a genuine bit of fotball silverware. I've supported Barcelona ever since...
I happily relinquish first place as I had to spend 15 minutes in my ex's company tonight and I am prepared to conceed - assume freebies aren't ever really free.
Directors box tickets for Millwall v Charlton at the old Den. Sat behind John Motson. Safest place to be at that ground!
Freebie to the final day of the US Masters in 1986. Probably one of the most difficult sporting tickets to get hold of. Fantastic atmosphere as Jack Nicklaus came from behind to win his last major.
I too was in the insurance business and as an underwriter got some great freebies but it often seemed that the claims people did better than us (lawyers and loss adjusters are big corporate spenders).
Don't get many, however thanks to PV, got to go back to the hotel where the 98 play off team where staying after the final. A truly great night, that I will never forget.
Comments
Ice Hockey isn't my idea of a great night out, but it was a decent way to spend a cold, rainy night in the city.
Used this to fly to Seattle, Vancouver, Cape Town, New York, San Fransisco, LA and numerous European destinations.
Only thing I miss about her.
I worked for Philip Morris (Marlboro ciggies), and they would take us to Silverstone every year on a jolly, free champagne food and a trip round the Ferrari garage. Alas no more!
Boss was a Spurs fan.
Terrible game - ended 0-0....think Bartlett missed a one on one ?!?
Nowadays probably play golf every business trip never on my own expense.
Used to do some work with Virgin Mobile, one of the PAs there had worked for Branson, so she sorted me out free return flights to San Francisco...
Told a car hire place in Greece once that I was Michael Owen's cousin (those who know me will know why) and they gave me half price car hire for a week, saving £200 odd...
Not on thread I realise, but I give out a whole load of hospitality to journalists which I then attend:
Employer used to sponsor an F1 team, so I went to all the GPs that I wanted to, with AAA passes, lunch in the motor home and as much food, drink etc as I could handle, as well as flights and decent hotels, plus entrance to night clubs etc.
We also had a box at the 'new' Wembley, so I went to any gig or sporting event I wanted to (again, hosting) - took a few mates along to various things when people would drop out at the last minute.
Still have VIP seats at the O2, so ditto there.
Trouble is I can't be bothered to do it any more, and so leave most of them to my colleagues..
Best blag however was a trip/holiday to Barcelona, which I paid for along with a friend who wsas going through a divorce. One evening we went to a Barcelona FC owned bar "Magic Barca" in the Olympic Port. As they were playing in the Copa del Roy a couple of days later we thought it would be a great place to watch the match. Understandably several hundred other people had the same idea so we patiently queued for a good hour. When we finally got to the front we realised that it was an all ticket/invite event. Rather than see an hour of queueing go to waste I walked up to several ladies who quite clearly were connected to the club (they had that "don't mess with us" look and were dressed to kill) and started talking to them as they went past the ticket collector on the door who thought we were with the group and didn't dare ask them for their tickets let alone our non-existent ticket/invite.
Once inside we dived for the bar which was free although I suppose if you'd bought a ticket it wasn't, and then not long after that dinner was served and that too was free...
A few weeks prior to this Barcelona won the now defunct Cup Winner's Cup and the trophy was in the middle of the room flanked by a couple of security guards. After extra-time Barcelona won the match and the mother of all parties started in the city and in this restaurant/bar, at some point the Cup Winner's Cup was filled with Cava and was handed around the restaurant with everyone getting to drink out of it.
Eventually we got thrown out of the place at around 2AM - something like a seven hour drinking spree, with dinner thrown in and the chance to drink out of a genuine bit of fotball silverware. I've supported Barcelona ever since...
I happily relinquish first place as I had to spend 15 minutes in my ex's company tonight and I am prepared to conceed - assume freebies aren't ever really free.
Freebie to the final day of the US Masters in 1986. Probably one of the most difficult sporting tickets to get hold of. Fantastic atmosphere as Jack Nicklaus came from behind to win his last major.
I too was in the insurance business and as an underwriter got some great freebies but it often seemed that the claims people did better than us (lawyers and loss adjusters are big corporate spenders).