News

Best of British Luck for United Autosports

United Autosports are in Australia from the 19th February for the Bathurst 12hours on 24th – 26th February. It’s looking like a busy season for them. They have already completed the Dunlop 24hr of Dubai in 19th and 29th position, and the Abu Dhabi Gulf 12hrs  (where they finished in a very respectable 3rd place), and  have announced their entry into the Gulf 12hrs once again which takes place in December 2012 – brought forward  from the regular January spot.

Additional entries this year include  the Blancpain Endurance Series with Álvaro Parente , Matt Bell and our old friend David Brabham – who  also drives for our other client JR Motorsport.. This series visits 6 European race tracks for endurance races – let’s hope it’s a great success for them, and the smiles match the miles!

All in all a busy year for them – we’re glad to be taking some of the pressure of by looking after their travel arrangements. Thanks you for choosing us for a second lap!

 
Double Grammy Whammy for Media Travel client

 Many congrats to Bon Iver, who won Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album at last nights Grammy Awards. Ever contentious, the band were invited to perform but objected to being told that they couldn’t play their own music, and would be required  to collaborate with someone else. Justin Vernon told Billboard magazine “Rock n' roll should not be decided by people that have that job. Rock n' roll should be the f***ing people with guitars around their backs. And their friends. And their managers".
We couldn’t agree more Justin...

You just focus on racing – we’ll sort your travel

Is arranging accommodation for your team becoming a headache? As well as negotiating some seriously good room rates  teams/media/promoters of the WTCC, WEC, GT1 and WRC, we’ve also spent the quiet winter months  working on options for the championships. Not just hotels either – we like to think of ourselves as a one-stop-shop for flights/hire  cars – anything you need to take the pressure off when you want to focus on the important stuff – getting your team on the podium! For a better result than you’ll get from any headache tablet, get in touch with Fiona to help you organize  team accommodation for the season.

 

Bands on the road, and on the red carpet. Media Travel clients are EVERYWHERE this spring!

We’ve got some musical treats in store over the next few months, and are looking forward to kicking back (as if!!)to listen to some real talent. With the BRIT awards just around the corner, we look forward to watching the stars gather. We can’t decide whether we are more excited about checking out the outfits, or finding out who picks up this year’s awards.  Fingers crossed for our clients  Bruno Mars (who will also be playing at the ceremony, Bon Iver, and Foster the People are all nominated this year!

Here is a run down of tours and festivals coming your way very soon

Bruno Mars                                 Brit Awards, UK          February 2012
Shinedown                                 UK & Europe               February 2012
Chris Addison (Comedian)     UK Tour                       Feb & March 2012
Manic Street Preachers            Europe                         March 2012
Foster the People                      UK                                 April 2012
One Night Only                           UK                                 April 2012          
You Me at Six                               UK tour                        March & April 2012

Further afield, Horrors are in Australia in February, then after Coachella in April they head home to kick off their UK tour. Baaba Maal  head for  Australia and NZ for Womadelaide / Womad  in  March 2012, and Amon Tobin and Bon Iver are also USA bound to play Coachella in  April 2012

In other news, The Enemy have a new record label and are bringing out a new album this year. Watch this space for UK tour and festival dates. The Script are in the studio recording a new album

Media Travel clients are hoping to sweep the boards at The NME Awards 2012  - don’t forget to vote for the Horrors, The Strokes, Foster The People, and the Manic Street Preachers - all nominated in various categories

 

Dubai dreams for Media Travel clients United Autosports and JR Motorsport

 Slightly jealous of our motorsports clients, who have migrated to warmer climes this month. JR Motorsport are gearing up for the Dunlop Dubai 24hrs endurance race this weekend (12-14 January) joined by new clients United Autosports, who are also entered into the Dubai event. United Motorsports move onto Abu Dhabi next, with the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit on January 20 firmly in their sights. We wish them the very best of British luck!

 
JRM Racing relishing Le Mans Challenge

Media Travel client JRM Racing has recently announced that it will be putting its stamina to the test in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP1 class. This series includes the legendary and prestigious Le Mans 24 hour race, an event which JRM Group Executive Director James Rumsey is especially enthused at the prospect of contesting: “Having Le Mans included in the calendar is a significant factor for us. It has always represented the pinnacle of motorsport achievement.”

 

The Team will be competing in an LMP class Honda with three drivers who are yet to be confirmed. JRM is also looking at entering the FIA GT1 Championship for the third season in a row pending the finalisation of sponsorship, and would be delighted to be involved again having won the championship for drivers in 2011.

 

Much hard work is anticipated in the build-up to the first event at Sebring in March as the guys at JRM look to get themselves in ship shape for the coming season. Let's hope they can transfer their winning formula to the new format.

 

The schedule for the series will take place as follows:

 

FIA World Endurance Championship

17/03          USA             12 Hours of Sebring
05/05          BEL              6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
03/06          FRA              Test day 24 Heures du Mans
16/06          FRA              24 Heures du Mans Le Mans 24 Heures
26/08          GBR             6 Hours of Silverstone
15/09          BRA              6 Hours of Sao Paulo Interlagos
29/09          BHR             6 Hours of Bahrain
14/10          JPN              6 Hours of Fuji
27/10          CHN             6 Hours of Shanghai

Gearing up for the new motorsports season REVISED DATES!

After seeing 2011 flash by like so much dust in a slipstream, its time to stop staring in our rear-view mirrors and look forward to the year ahead.  2012 promises to offer plenty of incident and entertainment, and will hopefully see further glory for our automotive division.  We’re anticipating a podium laden season as the events come thick and fast and the weeks and months pass.  The WRC Monte Carlo rally will raise the flag on the new motoring year later this month.  Watch this space for further information as the season develops.
 

FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

11/03          ITA          Monza
01/04          ESP        Valencia
15/04          MAR        Marrakech
29/04          SVK         Slovakia Ring
06/05          HUN        Hungaroring
20/05          AUT         Salzburgring
03/06          PRT         Estoril
22/07          BRA         Curitiba
23/09          USA         Infineon
21/10          JPN         Suzuka
04/11          CHN        Shanghai
18/11          MAC         Macau

 

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP


17 - 22/01    MCO   Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
09 - 12/02    SWE   Rally Sweden
08 - 11/03    MEX    Rally Guanajuato Mexico
29.03/01.04 PRT    Rallye de Portugal
26 - 29/04    ARG    Rally Argentina
24 - 27/05    GRC   Acropolis Rally
22 - 24/06    NZL    Rally of New Zealand
02 - 05/08    FIN     Neste Oil Rally Finland
23 - 26/08    DEU   Rallye Deutschland
13 - 16/09    GBR   Rally of Great Britain
04 - 07/10    FRA    Rallye de France - Alsace
18 - 21/10    ITA      Rally d'Italia
08 - 11/11    ESP   Rally RACC Cataluña

 

FIA GT1


08/04    FRA    Nogaro
22/04    BEL     Zolder
27/05    ESP    Navarra
08/07    PRT    Algarve
26/08    CHN   Beijing
02/09    CHN   Ordos
16/09    RUS    Moscow
07/10    NLD    Zandvoort
25/11    ARG    San Luis
TBA       TBA     TBA

 

FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP


17/03          USA             12 Hours of Sebring
05/05          BEL              6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
03/06          FRA              Test day 24 Heures du Mans
16/06          FRA              24 Heures du Mans Le Mans 24 Heures
26/08          GBR             6 Hours of Silverstone
15/09          BRA              6 Hours of Sao Paulo Interlagos
29/09          BHR             6 Hours of Bahrain
14/10          JPN              6 Hours of Fuji
27/10          CHN             6 Hours of Shanghai

 

BLANCPAIN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP


14 - 15/04     ITA    Monza
02 - 03/06    GBR    Silverstone
29.06/01.07 FRA    Paul Ricard
25 - 29/07    BEL    24 Hours of Spa
22 - 23/09    DEU    Nürburgring
October TBC
 

Best Wishes To George Michael

We send all our festive season wishes to George Michael for a super speedy recovery. It’s been a phenomenal tour so far in 2011 which began back in August and we look forward to it resuming pace in 2012.

Not too modest to give ourselves a good old pat on the back...

In a departure from regular form for this news feed, three cheers for... Mediatravel!

Congrats to one and all at the company, as we have been nominated in the “Favourite Travel Company” category for the 2012 TPI awards early next year.  We shall look forward to the ceremony with excitement, and are already optimistically eyeing a good spot on the mantelpiece.  There are also several individuals who are up for awards at the annual event, and we are proud to be represented alongside them.   The nominations are a reflection of the company’s hard work  and dedication to the entertainment industry  – let’s keep it up for 2012.

 

Do not disturb: Rockstars at work!

Who says being a successful musician is all booze, sex and the other thing?  As 2011 comes to a close, we salute the colossal work ethic of Mediatravel’s clients.  Whitesnake recently completed their epic world tour, and can now look forward to putting their feet up for a well deserved break over the Xmas period.  The same can be said of Sade - she’ll be looking to round off her world tour in style later this week in Abu Dhabi, completing what’s been an excellent 2011.  Both have certainly shown the young whippersnappers of the industry a thing or two about stamina and drive, whilst of course having some fun on the way.

 

Of the aforementioned whippersnappers, we should also say a big well done to Foster the People, Bruno Mars, and Bon Iver, who have all been nominated for Grammys.  Similarly, The Strokes and The Horrors can reflect with pride that they top the NME Album of the Year chart, voted for by fans.  The Horrors will be looking forward with excitement to their spot supporting Florence and the Machine on their 2012 tour, and in other news,  Manic Street Preachers rocked their eagerly anticipated one off show at the o2 alongside special guests later this week, and The Naked and Famous currently have a busy schedule underway in the US, where The Script have recently been playing.  We couldn’t possibly forget the funnymen of Mediatravel either – Al Murray will soon be finishing his jam-packed 2011 tour, and Chris Addison will be touring until Spring next year.

 

Last but by no means least, Mediatravel was also very proud to support the recent Justice Tonight tour in honour of the Hillsborough Justice campaign, which sought to promote justice for the Hillsborough 96, and featured Mick Jones playing Clash songs on tour for the first time since 1982.  

 
 

 

WTCC News: RML return triumphant from Macau

 

As the teams return from the World Touring Car’s finale in Macau, RML brought with them the Manufacturers and Drivers World title, courtesy of Yvan Muller. The titles were RML Chevrolet’s before the weekend’s races, but it was in Macau that Muller and Rob Huff had to fight for the all important drivers crown which in the end came down to 3 points.

 

A fantastic performance by Huff over the weekend saw him take pole position, two race wins and a fastest lap. We told you he has made that tarmac his own! It was a nail biter to the end with Muller moving up a place in race two, closer to the leading Brit’s car, that closed the gap marginally enough for him to take the title at the chequered flag. An unfortunate weekend for Alain Menu saw him keep his third place in the 2011 driver’s championship but an incident in race one meant race two was a non starter where he watched form the sidelines. 

 

The weekend for Bamboo Engineering was with mixed fortunes. Yukinori Taniguchi was unable to compete in the famous Macau event due to the damage sustained in the penultimate Shanghai race. His team mate and local driver O’Young put in a strong qualifying performance in his Chevrolet and he started race one on the second row behind the RML Cruze’s. It was looking promising until an incident in race one ended his run. A start from the pit lane in race two saw him take the chequered flag in 12th position and 6th overall in the Yokohama Driver’s Trophy.

 

So that’s another year over for the WTCC, but no rest for Fiona as the 2012 season planning is well underway!

 

WRC News: The 2011 season draws to a close

 Congratulations to Petter Solberg, who pulled off the notable achievement of finishing fifth in the overall World Rally Championship rankings this season. This is all the more impressive as his entry was a private one, finishing just behind the manufacturer entered Citroens and Fords, proving to fans and critics alike that he is still a strong contender for the championship crown. 2011 was the third season that Petter had driven under the banner “Petter Solberg World Rally Team” following the withdrawal of Subaru in 2008.

 

The Wales rally brought the curtain down on another season, and tricky conditions saw many competitor retirements.  Sadly Petter was amongst the days casualties, and had to bow out due to a broken fuel pipe –the small matter of the car catching fire also played a part in Petter’s withdrawal, but he lives to fight another day!  In some respects this was an unfortunate end to what was the home event for many of the team (notably Team Manager Ken Rees), but they will surely be buoyed by their overall achievements for the season.  This final episode completed an eventful season, which has featured an exclusion in France and three retirements, but also two podium finishes.  

 

This year also saw the Prodrive run Mini Cooper enter six of the thirteen events in the championship.  Results have varied, but the team have certainly given their more experienced rivals a run for their money.  As for 2012, press reports state that the Prodrive based operation may not enter the whole season. Time will tell over the winter months.  Whatever happens, this year’s experience has been invaluable for the research and development of the little speed machine.  We wait to hear what 2012 holds.”

WTCC news: RML Chevrolet take to the streets in Macau
RML’s seventh year in the WTCC series has shown strong results in 2011 with the 3 Chevrolet Cruze’s dominating every race weekend. A few drivers who sit behind them on the grid have been given their moment to shine on the top step of the podium, namely Tarquini, Engstler and Coronel, but Chevrolet aren't giving up the top spots without a fight.
 
The championship heads to the famous Macau street track this weekend, and hopes are high for Rob Huff, who has made this particular stretch of tarmac his own in recent years. Alain Menu is another strong contender for the podium, going by his reputation on the calendar’s street circuits.Let’s not discount the current World Champion Yvan Muller either, who snatched  the crown back from Tarquini in his maiden year with Chevrolet. 
 
RML Chevrolet start the weekend in a strong position, having already won the Manufacturers and Drivers title with  Muller, Huff and Menu sitting at  1, 2 and 3 in the 2011 results table. Menu sits 57 points behind Huff, a gap that cannot be closed, so  all eyes will be on the British and French flagged Chevrolet’s as Huff fights Muller for his first World title. 
 
Sad news for another Media Travel client though. Bamboo Engineering have had a season beset with mixed fortunes, and have just announced that they have been forced to withdraw Japanese driver Yukinori Taniguchi due to damage to his car in Shanghai. Unfortunately, the freight schedule between events was too tight for repairs to be carried out in time, so Bamboo’s hopes rest on Hong Kong based driver Darryl O’Young at his home event. Darryl’s season started really well, and before the team set off for Asia in October, he was a strong contender for the Independents title. The  Asian rounds have not been kind to him though, and he currently sits  44 points behind Poulsen on  the Independents table. Whilst success in Macau will not put him back in contention for the title, he is looking for a strong finish to end his year on a high.
 
It’s going  to  be a weekend to remember, and a nail biting season-closer. We’ll be back to report on the results next week – in the meantime keep following us on  Twitter and Facebook for up to date news from Macau.
 

 

Riding (well...driving!) High...A winning end to the season for JR Motorsport .

Huge congratulations to Media Travel client JR Motorsport, who came home from San Luis, Argentina with  the GT1 Drivers Title in their hand luggage. Starting in pole position, Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr in car 23 wrapped up the title in the first of two one hour races – fortuitously ,as it happens, as the next race saw them their unblemished finishing record spoiled by an unlucky encounter with the wall.

Whilst car 23, with Micheal Krumm and Lucas Lumm aboard were the headliners, the weekend was an excellent one for the team overall, with car 22 (Westbrook & Dumbreck) putting in a stunning performance to  help  JR Motorsport take the runner up spot in the team title.

A great end to a fantastic season, and not just for JR Motorsport. In our first season working with motorsports clients, we are  thoroughly enjoying the challenges of managing travel to some of the worlds most high profile  rally and sports car events. Here’s to pole position in 2012!
 

Roll Up Roll Up. Book your rooms for the Autosport Awards here

We've negotiated some superb rates for visitors to the most glittering motorsports events of the year. You won't find these elsewhere, so get in touch and book your room now.

AUTOSPORT AWARDS 2011 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 4TH

Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London

 
Please find below hotel rates in the surrounding area for the awards night 4th December 2011
 
 
MARRIOTT PARK LANE                              
DELUXE                   £270 inc VAT room only rate
 
MARRIOTT GROSVENOR SQUARE           
STANDARD             £215 + VAT room only        
          
INTERCONTINENTAL PARK LANE              
CLASSIC                  £237.15 + VAT room only rate
                                  £257.15+ VAT includes full English breakfast
 
FOUR SEASONS PARK LANE                  
STANDARD             £275 + VAT room only (14 days advance purchase otherwise £375 + VAT)
DELUXE                   £250 + VAT room only (14 days advance purchase otherwise £460 + VAT)
                                
 
CUMBERLAND HOTEL
GUEST                      £194.00 inc VAT and breakfast
 
HILTON PARK LANE                              
GUEST                       £199 + VAT room only rate
                                                          
METROPOLITAN HOTEL                         
CITY                           £220 + VAT room only rate
DELUXE                      £220 + VAT room only rate
METROPOLITAN        £275 + VAT room only rate
 
To book or enquire about any of the above offers please contact Fiona at Media Travel  or call 0207 6272200 quoting the enquiry for the ASAwards 2011.
 
We'll sleep when we're dead... No sign of a lull in the Media Travel calender!

Well, what an exciting couple of months we have ahead!

Festival season may be over, but here at Media Travel we’re looking forward to a busy Autumn, working with the likes of You Me At Six, Bruno Mars and Whitesnake as they embark on their respective jaunts across the UK and Europe. Congratulations are in order for all these guys on the success of their tours so far, especially Whitesnake, who are currently riding especially high after their latest album, Forevermore, saw the legendary rockers outsell Britney Spears!

We will also be supporting George Michael on the European leg of his massive Symphonia tour, including a four night run of sold out performances at the Royal Albert Hall. 

In the world of motorsport, we would like to wish the best of luck to Peter Solberg in this weekend’s French leg of the World Rally Championship, as well as JRM Motorsport, who will be taking their new Nissan GT3 to the British GT Championships for the first time.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Manic Street Preachers will be celebrating the release of their new album with a one-off Christmas Extravaganza at the O2 on the 17th December, we’re sure it’ll be a night to remember!
 

Howdy Partner

It’s that time of year - time to start thinking about SXSW 2012. 

Why leave your travel arrangements to the last minute, book early to avoid disappointment.Media Travel will  save you time and give you the widest choice of travel options, with greater flexibility, increased baggage allowance and out of hours emergency contacts.

 

Examples of some airfares currently available are: -

 

British Airways from London to Austin via Houston or Chicago: -

 

World Traveller (economy) / £266.00 plus £309.00 airport taxes

 

World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) / £979.00 plus £370.00 airport taxes

 

Club World (Business class) / £2977.00 plus £463.00 airport taxes

 

Continental Airlines from London to Austin via Houston:-

 

Economy class / £299.00 plus £327.00 airport taxes

 

Business class / £3189.00 plus £481.00 airport taxes

 

Departures also available from other UK regional airports or Europe

 

Hotels : In Austin, we can only offer hotel accommodation in conjunction with flights on a first come first served basis 

 

We are waiting to hear from you, so please email our SXSW specialist gill@mediatravel.com for the latest availability on hotels and flights, and for full details of the services we provide please visit our website http://www.mediatravel.com/ 

 

Where will you raise your glass at 17:59 on the 22nd of September?

That’s right, it’s back, Guinness’ Arthur’s Day is set to be bigger than ever on its third outing, with a fabulous line-up of internationally acclaimed artists playing in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Belfast. Music fans from other nations will have their chance to experience Arthur’s Day too. Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Caribbean nations, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea will all join in the celebrations to mark the philanthropic legacy of Arthur Guinness

Here at Media Travel, we are proud to be a part of this monumental event again – we’re back by popular demand for the second year as official travel management company, and are looking forward to taking care of the travel arrangements. This year artists include the Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics, Calvin Harris, Tiny Tempah, Plan B, Kelis, Eliza Doolittle, KT Tunstall, and Ash.  With all ticket proceeds from the day going directly to the Arthur Guinness Fund, this event has had a significant and positive transformational impact on local communities in Ireland, and we feel privileged to be involved

Happy Birthday

Congratulations to Media Travels Med, the go-to girl for anything finance related. Today she celebrates her 10th birthday (as a Media Travel employee...obviously!!)

It's raining - must be time for Glastonbury!

With true british fortitude, several of our bands are packing their tents, and jumping into their campers to head south for the annual mud fest that is the Glastonbury Festival. Ok - so they won't be slumming it (It's our job to make sure that doesn't happen!) but if Mother Nature doesn't sort herself out soon - they will definitey be embracing welly wearing. Here's where to find who's where, doing what, and when...

 

Friday

Naked & Famous - The Other Stage 13.30 - 14.20

Beardyman - East Dance 13.30 - 14.30
Billy Bragg - Leftfield 21.00 - 23.00
Big Audio Dynamite - The Park 18.15 - 19.15

 

Saturday

The Horrors -John Peel Stage  18.10 - 19.00

The Chemical Brothers - The Other Stage 22.30 - 23.45

 

Sunday

Laura Marling  - Pyramid 15.00 - 16.00

 

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where them rock stars is...
We’re looking forward to being a part of some historic music action this summer. As has been widely reported, for the first time in 17 years, British musical icon Sade will be going on tour. Exciting news for her legions of fans, but doubly exciting for us, as we have been engaged to manage the tour travel. “Made up” doesn’t even begin to describe how we’re feeling right now!
 
Also making some noise are legendary rockers and Media Travel clients Whitesnake. Not only are they planning a gruelling 50 date tour, but sales figures for their new album have absolutely smashed those of a certain pop princess, who released hers at the same time. The North American leg of their epic tour starts in New York City on the 11th May, they then take a short hop across the pond to take in Russia, Northern and Southern Europe and the Uk, before heading for South America, winding up the tour on the 3rd Oct in Mexico.
 
Of course we feel incredibly honoured to be involved with the gods and goddesses of the music scene, but we also love working  with younger bands, and it’s always particularly exciting when we’re around to witness something really special happening. In the case of One Night Only, we predict that they are about to go stellar, following the news that they are responsible for the track on the new Coca Cola ad. Nice work boys…
Hot dates for petrol people!
This is where you'll find our motorsports clients in 2011
 
 

FIA World Touring Car Championship:

20th March           Curitiba, Brazil
24th April              Zolder, Belgium
15th May               Monza, Italy
5th June                Marrakech, Morocco
19th June              Brno, Czech
3rd July                  Porto, Portugal
17th July                Donington, UK
31st July                Oschersleben, Germany
4th Sept                 Valencia, Spain
23rd Oct                 Suzuka, Japan
6th Nov                  China TBA
29th Nov                Macau, China
 

FIA GT1:

26th March           Abu Dhabi, UAE
10th April              Zolder, Belgium
8th May                 Sachsenring, Germany
5th June                Silverstone, UK
3rd July                  Nevarra, Spain
17th July                Paul Ricard, France
4th Sept                Ordos, China
23rd Oct                Curitiba, Brazil
6th Nov                  San Luis, Argentina
 

FIA World Rally Championship:

4-6th March        Rally Guanajuato Mexico
25-27th March    Rallye de Portugal
14-16th April      Jordan rally WRC
6-8th May            Rallye d’Italia Sardegna
27-29th May        Rally Argentina
17-19th June       Acropolis Rally of Greece
28-30th July         Neste Oil rally Finland
19-21st Aug        ADAC Rallye Deutschland
9-11th Sept         Rally Australia
30-2nd Oct           Rallye de France – Alsace
21-23 Oct            Rally RACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada
11-13 Nov           Rally of Great Britain
 

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011:

19th March           Sebring, USA
8th May                 Spa, Belgium
11 & 12th June     24 Heures du Mans, le Mans                 
3 July                     Imola, Italy
11th Sept             Silverstone, UK
1st Oct                  Road Atlanta, USA
12th Nov               China TBC
              
RML Chevrolet choose Media Travel to keep them on the road

 
The RML Chevrolet WTCC team have engaged our services to manage their complicated travel arrangements in 2011. We have been moving bands and brands around the world for 19 years, and this year, we've turned our attention to the WTCC circuit, appointing former RML Chevrolet WTCC Co-ordinator Fiona Rees to develop the motorsports side of the business, and putting in some successful practice laps towards the end of 2010, arranging RML’s travel to the final WTCC race of the 2010 season in Macau, where they won both the Manufacturers Championship and the Drivers Championship .
 
Fran is really looking forward to seeing the motorsports division develop “We’ve diversified a few times over the years. We originally just worked with bands, but nowadays we also co-ordinate travel for big brand events, including Miller Miami, Guinness and Bacardi. We’ve moved orchestras, dance companies and comedians, so touring car crews are just another string to our bow – the only difference being a slight whiff of petrol” she said “Fiona has several years experience of working in World Rallying and World Touring Cars and is the ideal person to have on board to develop a specific motorsports service”.
 
Ron Hartvelt, Project Manager at RML Chevrolet said “Getting people moved around the place is just one more headache for an already frazzled co-ordinator. We’ve chosen to use Media Travel because unlike a normal travel agency, they are available 24/7, they have a little black book of contacts that can solve any logistical problem, they take unusual requests in their stride, and they can be left to just get on with it. We tell them what, where, who and when, and then leave them to it. Every team should have a travel management company...
 

Last call for passengers travelling to SXSW

With less than two months to go before the 25th SXSW Media and Music Conference in Austin Texas, the Media Travel team are at full stretch making sure attendees from the UK and Europe get there on time, hassle free and within budget. As SXSW official travel partners, we have been able to secure some excellent deals on flights and accommodation, and we can deal with your excess baggage requests - really useful for an industry which is bursting at the seams with kit!
 
SXSW is a must-attend for those in the music, film and interactive industry. Nine days of full on immersion in everything that’s good about the industry. Live performances from hundreds of bands, workshops, expert speakers, and the greatest industry trade show on earth. If you’re in the business, can you afford to miss it?
 
The deals we have struck are only available if you book through us, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to benefit! As ever, a Media Travel booking gives you the added bonus of peace of mind. No more last minute panics because things are going wrong and you need to reschedule everything, or realising that it’s 10pm and you’ve forgotten to book a connecting flight. Every booking comes complete with your own account manager, available 24/7 to deal with pretty much anything you can throw at them. We have many years of experience moving stars around the world, and there’s not a lot that fazes us. Visit the designated SWSW page for more information, or to book your trip.

Ten .... Legendary Hotel room "revamps"

We take you on a tour of excess, shenanigans and good old fashioned rock star bad behaviour. Click here to read our top ten stories of how not to treat your hotel room
 

Revving Engines and Squealing tyres - Media Travel get the race-car bug

We are really excited to announce a new direction for Media Travel, and the arrival of a new person to help us make it happen. We are looking forward to donning our grid-girl outfits to celebrate a new venture -  our new specialist motorsports travel division.
 
Fiona Rees, formerly Team Coordinator for the RML Chevrolet Team competing in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), has been brought on board to make it happen. She joins us to delve deeper into the world of motorsports and help us to add some overall-clad petrol-headed types to our client list.
 
We have already worked with RML Chevrolet on the final WTCC race of the 2010 season in Macau (where the team won the Manufacturers Championship and the Drivers Championship!) and also for a trip to China as part PR for Chevrolet and part recce for 2011. Both were thoroughly enjoyable experiences – so we are really looking forward to revving up the new division in 2011.

Jungle Jenny - Our very own grumpy old Woman goes bush

Our clients are flocking to the jungle - with Grumpy Old Woman (She's not, but don't tell anyone we told you!) Jenny Eclair joining Aggro and his fellow celebrities on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here". If they continue to book our stars, we'd better be asked to organise their travel next year! See how Jenny is getting on here

Our Man Down Under

Here at Media Travel, we’re rooting for rapper Aggro Santos, who is currently deep in the Australian jungle, fending off creepie crawlies, rats  and.... Gillian McKeith. The I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” contestant has remained cool whilst paddling through croc infested waters, eating  unmentionable bits of kangaroo, and finding out that the boys won’t get to share camp with the girls. See how he’s getting on here, and  get voting. We think he’d look lovely in a crown...

No rest for the Wicked

Although it’s good to be able to stop and take a breath after a manic festival season, we’re still sad that it’s over. We love that time of year, it’s busy, but really satisfying, and of course – we get to see and hear our bands doing what they do best.
 
Whilst things are less hectic, they haven’t slowed down completely. Joe Cocker is still touring, and proving night after night that oldies are still goodies. Divine Comedy are about to finish off the year with a whistlestop tour of the UK, and The Manic Street Preachers are on their way to Australia. Billy Bragg is still hard at it in the USA, and the world premiere of Papa Roach’s new music video “Burn” went down a storm on Youtube whilst the band take a brief break before their European Tour kicks off. Carl Barat is already in Europe, playing gigs in France and Italy – so when we say quiet, we mean it in the loosest possible sense of the word!
 
We’ve got plenty of excitement planned for the rest of the year – watch this space for our take on various industry awards, some exciting news about a new direction we will be taking (Don’t worry – we know what we do best, and nothing will change in that department!) and we’re going social media crazy with big plans for our blog/Facebook and Twitter accounts. Keep visiting to get the lowdown on what we’re up to, or follow us on Twitter, or befriend us on Facebook ... you know it makes sense

A new face at Media Travel

G’day!! We’ve imported our latest recruit from Down Under, and after a trouble free probation period, we’re happy to announce that our new Sheila (sorry!) Dominique Olshina is now an official member of the team. Dominique brings youthful enthusiasm to the team (not that the rest of us don’t of course!) and it’s bonza to have her on board.

Media Travel are THE place to go for UK/European visitors to SXSW 2011

Events producers SXSW have confirmed us as their preferred travel partner for visitors to the internationally renowned SXSW Music and Media, Film and Interactive Conferences & Festivals, which take place in Austin, Texas from March 11-20 2011.
Let us know if you’re planning to travel there in 2011. Now is the time to secure your preferred travel options, so if you have a particular hotel in mind, or need to know which airline is offering the best deals – you know where to come. We can take care of all your travel arrangements, so you can concentrate on enjoying the trip.
The first SXSW Music and Media Conference and Festival took place in 1987, followed in 1994 by conferences and festivals for the film industry (SXSW Film) and for interactive media (SXSW Interactive Festival). All three events now take place over the course of one week, bringing a great diversity of creative talent to the capital city of Texas.
Further details about SXSW can be found on their website, or to book your travel from the UK and Europe, please contact us here 

The end of summer’s festival celebrations

We know that it’s time to hide those festival wellies and camping essentials somewhere deep in the closet and accept the ending of a long summer of music. But, what an amazing summer it has been! We went all the way to Japan to witness the best in British, American & Japanese indie, dance and world music festival – Fuji Rock, where the stage was taken by storm by Codeine Velvet Club.
 
We also saw one of the most exclusive performances this year at Reading - the reunion of The Libertines and the showcase of fresh new emerging acts such as New Young Pony Club. Furthermore, at V festival we had not one, but two great venues not forgetting to mention the great performances brought by Pixie Lott, Scouting for Girls and The Prodigy.
 
It's been a good stretch and an emotional summer for all of us, but there is no doubt that everyone is probably somewhat relieved that it’s the end of the season. 

Louder, better and with even more surprises than ever before - Guinness Arthur's Day is back!

When you are one of the most successful beer brands worldwide you cannot just lay back indolently whilst making billions, you've got to give a bit back to society! There is no better gift than the gift of music, or at least Guinness thought so, when they announced a celebration of Guinness Arthur's Day to mark their 250th anniversary in 2009.
 
This year the worldwide toast will begin at 17:59 (GMT) in Ireland on 23rd September with major nationwide live music performances taking place simultaneously in the Guinness Brewery at St. James’s Gate and in pubs and venues throughout Dublin, Cork and Galway.  Among the many internationally renowned acts performing will be Snow Patrol, Jay Sean and Paolo Nutini who will kick off the global celebrations by raising a GUINNESS at 17:59 before entertaining their fans with a live set.  

After the festivities commence across Ireland, the global celebration will continue at 17.59 local time in the Caribbean, Africa, North America, Asia and throughout Europe as GUINNESS fans around the world join in on the celebration by raising a GUINNESS to Arthur and his remarkable legacy. 

After being in the travel management industry for 18 years you think you've seen it all, but I bet that the Arthur’s day events will be a musical showcase.
 

The place to be: Reading Festival Friday 27th - Sunday 29th August 10

Ignore the statisticians. August 27- 29 will be the hottest days of the year . Rock, alternative, indie, punk, metal, big names, breaking acts, and exclusive performances – you name it, Reading Festival has it!

Of particular interest to Libertines fans everywhere is the news that Pete Doherty and Carl Barât have put aside their differences and will be playing together for the first time since 2004.

Headliners at Reading include Guns N' Roses, Arcade Fire, and Blink 182, but as ever at Reading, there is always something new and exciting to get the crowds jumping. Hot new band New Young Pony Club play a set on Friday (27 of August) showcasing tracks from their new and much talked about album - The Optimist.

We all agree that there is no better way to say goodbye to the summer than packing your tent and heading to Reading

Celebrating its 12th anniversary, V festival is back!

When Pulp’s front man Jarvis Cocker revealed that he would love to play two outdoor venues in two days, we bet he didn’t expect the dual venue V Festival to become one of the most successful outdoor events ever - attracting top performers from all over the world.
 
Celebrating its 12th anniversary, V festival is back in 2010 with a great mix of old school artists and fresh newcomers, including Scouting for Girls, our new favourite.
 
Festival veterans Prodigy return this summer to remind old ravers and young rockers alike just how fierce they are. The band will be revving up the crowds with tracks from their latest album “Invaders must die”. We may be biased, but we think they’ll be a hard act to follow.
 
V Festival is also bringing us a whole Lotta of Pixie. Since the release of her first single “Mama Do” in June 2009, our favourite Essex girl has received three Brit nominations, sold 1 million singles and more than 500,000 albums globally. Pixie was one of the most exciting acts to emerge in 2009 and she just gets better and better.
 
What more could a dedicated festival goer ask for. Two great venues, a fabulour line-up of musical talent, and a lovely summer weekend(we hope!)... See you there!
 
 

Wareware ga kite iru ( We are coming ) Japan !

A stunning mountain setting and the best in British, American & Japanese indie, dance and world music. The Fuji Rock festival remains a relatively undiscovered gem on the world festival circuit, but the legendary stories of amazing performances from the festival are spreading all around the world and it rapidly becoming known as one of the must-visit festivals for music lovers worldwide.
 
In its first year the festival was struck by a typhoon. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' headline set was played through a major storm despite Anthony Kiedis having a broken arm. We suspect that the biggest storm of 2010 will have something to do with our friends Codeine Velvet Club.
 
 Fuji Rock festival is all about surprises and unexpected performances and who else fits this category better than two-time National Beatboxing Champion – Beardyman. The Artist decided to do it all this year: a new album, a podcast series, collaboration with an orchestra and a herculean tour that sees him popping up at festivals across Europe, North America and finally Japan!

No rest for musicians this summer

We love summer! It’s festival season, and although that means some interesting challenges for us, we really enjoy doing our bit to bring the UK’s finest to a stage near you.
 
Media Travel clients The Strokes have just finished their European tour, but there’s no rest for the wicked – they’re off Down Under at the end of July, before heading Stateside in August. As well as Julian’s solo set at Glastonbury, the band played the Isle of Wight Festival and Rockness Festival in Scotland before heading for Germany and Switzerland.
 
Billy Idol is still heating up European crowds. Even though, the 80's rocker’s 2010 summer gigs have almost finished, there are still couple of dates to play in Germany, Switzerland and Holland.

Prodigy have been hard at it on the tour circuit since early June, and will be maintaining top speed throughout the summer, playing pretty much everywhere from Ibiza to Milton Keynes.

Orbital have also had a busy year, recently playing Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight and Guilfest. The end of August signals the start of a well earned break for the reformed duo, who got together again in 2009 after five years apart.

The Pixies head off for a whistlestop tour of the Southern Hemisphere at the end of July – playing Australia, New Zealand and Japan in quick succession before heading back to the US for a monster month of touring in September.
 

Get your ear plugs out: Leftfield are back

Great news for dance and progressive house fans – legendary electronic dance wizards Leftfield have dusted off the sound system that nearly got them arrested ... several times, and are coming to a stage near you this summer. Neil Barnes is joined by several of the original line up -- although sadly Paul Daley will not be one of them.
The dance music pioneers are looking forward to introducing a whole new audience to old favourites like the iconic “Phat Planet”, used for the Guiness “Surfers” ad. Despite nearly 10 years in retirement, they sound as fresh as ever, and are still cranking up the bass to stratospheric levels. Leftfield are playing several dates in Europe in July, before heading back to the UK for Relentless Boardmasters and the LED Festival

Media Travel does Glastonbury

It’s been a busy Glastonbury for some of our clients, and we've seen some amazing sets from people who we don't work with (yet!), but wanted to talk about anyway!
Orbital headlined “The Other Stage” with a guest appearance by the new Doctor Matt Smith, who introduced their special closing number – a dance version of the Doctor Who theme.
Strokes front man Julian Casablancas took to the John Peel stage ahead of headliners Ash, amidst rumours that the band were due to play a surprise set. The rumours were just that, but the lack of his regular stage mates didn’t appear to put Julian off his Stroke!
Sunday night saw a storming set from Groove Armada. The “most twittered” band of the festival headlined the John Peel stage with their blend of house, electro and pop. Much bouncing ensued..
Not a Media Travel client, but as avid muso’s, we can’t NOT mention this. Glastonbury was rocked to its very core by a very special collaboration. Legendary space rock trio  Muse were joined by U2’s The Edge - closing  their set with a version of “When the streets had no name” which turned into a mass singalong.
No Glastonbury talk would be complete without mention of the legendary Stevie Wonder, who closed the festival with a set packed to capacity with some of his greatest hits. From the moment he wandered on stage with a keytar in his hands, his audience were enthralled – the perfect end to a fantastic weekend.

Miller Miami 2010

Miller Miami 2010 kicked off with a bang in March. The three day party extravaganza was the climax of two and a half years of rigorous planning and a year-long global competition by Miller Genuine Draft, focusing on up & coming territories such as South America and Russia. The event provided a platform for some of the best emerging electronic artists and DJs to showcase their talents to an audience of competition winners, brand managers and press.
Media Travel arranged accommodation in the trendy Catalina Hotel, South Beach as well as organising flights and transport. Media Travel MD Fran Green jetted off to Florida for the event to manage the travel and accommodation ‘on the ground’ as well as helping with anything and everything. Being the only one who knew the details of every guest meant Fran was ‘drafted’ in to help run the production office and oversee the organisational challenges that tend to come with three days of non-stop partying.
The jam-packed schedule consisted of six parties over three days including the Tikki Beach Boat Cruise and the Miller House Party. Held during the Winter Music Conference (WMC), Miller Miami 2010 also allowed guests the added bonus of attending certain WMC seminars and parties.
Miller Miami 2010 was managed by Splendid Events with the help of event production company DesignScene which developed and set up the parties. The main gathering was the Miller House Party on the final night. The warehouse venue was set up as a beach-house with a cinema, vintage Cadillac and a DJ booth beach-tower overlooking the pool.
Fran was delighted to see the event go off without a hitch. She loved getting involved and seeing everyone work together to make Miller Miami 2010 a true success.

Client News - World Cup Fever

 World Cup fever has hit Battersea! Media Travel recently arranged travel to the tournament in South Africa for Baddiel & Skinner. The footie-mad comedy duo are re-uniting for a series of exclusive podcasts and live shows for Absolute Radio. Media Travel has organised flights and hotels for the comedians and their entourage in South Africa. The much-loved comedy pair who released chart-topping footie-anthem ‘Three Lions’ will be in South Africa for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

MIDEM: 24th - 27th January 2010

MIDEM - the destination for music business connections and knowledge - will soon be upon us and rooms are selling fast we still have a few rooms available, please find below our  recommended hotels in Cannes:

EDEN HOTEL CANNES - 133 Rue D’Antibes, 06400 Cannes. Located in the heart of Cannes, on the rue d’Antibes, the Eden Hotel offers 115 rooms all equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV and broadband internet access. Hotel amenities include a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, pool and fitness room.

HOTEL MARTINEZ - 73 La Croisette, 06406 Cannes. Occupies an eminent position on the sea front and on the famous boulevard de La Croisette in Cannes. Offering 412 rooms and suites with excellent facilities including complimentary WIFI, air conditioning and 24-hour room service. Hotel amenities include a spa, fitness centre, pool and private beach.

HOME BUSINESS CANNES CROISETTE - 12 Rue Latour Maubourg Is ideally situated, between the Martinez and the Carlton, 100 metres from La Croisette and a short walk from rue d’Antibes. It offers 110 luxury air conditioned apartment suites from 25 to 100m2. Amenities include 2 swimming pools, indoor and outdoor bar and well being centre.

INTERCONTINENTAL CARLTON CANNES - 58 Bd. La Croisette BP155, 06414 Cannes. Located on the famous Croisette Avenue and close to the Cannes Palais des Festivals, which offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. All 343 rooms and suites offer WIFI, satellite TV and air conditioning Amenities include business centre, health and fitness centre.

South by Southwest: 11th – 20th March 2011

Media Travel is the preferred travel partner for South by Southwest (SXSW). We are an independent travel agency specialising in the travel needs for the music and media industry. We understand the specific and, sometimes unique, requirements of our clients and have established relationships with a number of airlines to enable us to meet these requirements effectively. Experience tells us that an online flight reservation is not always the most economical way to make your booking. We can save you time and give you the widest choice of travel options, with greater flexibility, increased baggage allowance and out of office hours emergency contacts.

By using our services our clients benefit from the following:
 

  • We can efficiently find flight options to suit your specific needs considering all factors such as the fares available, the timings and the selection of the right airline.

  • We can hold flight options for up to 72 hours whilst you finalise your itinerary.

  • We will look after your meal/seating requests where available.

  • We have established relationships with a number of airlines and are have negotiated rates which can offer flexibility*

  • Most online flight bookings are non flexible. We have an agreement with Continental Airlines that allows each of our clients to take 3 pieces of luggage (instead of the normal two)*

  • Most importantly we can also help out if you encounter any travel problems and provide an emergency cover.

(*Conditions apply.)

Click here for SXSW info.

 

Media Travel Launches New Website

We have decided to do a bit of spring cleaning here at Media Travel and one item that needed refreshing was our website. Although, our old star-studded site had done us proud we wanted to update it so it would be easier for YOU, the user, to navigate and would allow you to understand more fully what we do and how we can help you. Not only is the site more user-friendly, it is also more interactive; we will be updating the blog more regularly and as you can see there are links to our new Twitter page and Facebook group so you can really become part of the Media Travel community.