Paul Holmes: The Tsunami Below The Peaks of Davos

Maxim Behar, CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc. and a representative of Hill + Knowlton for Bulgaria, shares another exciting personal story in his author's series "Priceless Lessons" for BGLOBAL magazine.

The Tsunami Below The Peaks of Davos

Paul Holmes captivates the attention of managers around the world. They listen with bated breath to each of his words and write them down on their tablets without even looking at him.

... Zurich Airport is not one of the largest, and often, while taking a few walks for about a hundred meters to stretch your legs after the flight, you can quickly meet someone familiar, have a conversation, and you can suddenly find yourself sitting with that person at the meeting point cafe without even realizing.
 
However, this time, I'm by myself. I'm traveling to Davos for a few days for the World Communication Forum, and while I'm ordering another espresso, someone timidly pats me on the shoulder and whispers: "Hey, Max, take one for me. I'll return the favor when we arrive in Davos. “

Ah, I recognized that voice at once! Anyone in the PR business who had even the tiniest experience outside Bulgaria and had the chance to explore the industry's international trends would recognize this voice with a blindfold. It was Paul Holmes!

Our real acquaintance began years ago while he was hosting his global Sabre Awards ceremony in the great Nobel Hall of Stockholm City Hall. I felt part of a large group representing the American international PR company Hill & Knowlton Strategies for the first time.

I had another chance to hear more from the extravagant Paul in the company of my American friends at the no less extravagant top-floor restaurant in the Reichstag building in Berlin a year before. I diligently wrote his predictions and watched them come true over the years. However, among the drinks and full plates in the restaurant, even the notes were not as complete as when talking to Paul in private.

So… at the end of the gala dinner in Stockholm, while my Hill & Knowlton colleagues were walking around the other tables, I was sitting by myself in front of a cup of hot coffee. Suddenly, someone pulled up a chair, sat down next to me and said:

-    Hi Max, I'm Paul; I'm organizing all this here. I know you, and I just wanted to tell you that I want to visit Sofia in the coming weeks and meet you there...

Paul came to Sofia and met the whole Bulgarian PR community. We became good friends and spent time together in piano bars and other places, which made him fall in love with Bulgaria. We had many more forum meetings and discussed and even argued respectfully sometimes, but we got to know each other well. And what was most satisfying at these meetings was that Paul often listened to me very carefully.

So, we found ourselves together in the taxi from Zurich to Davos, which was quite a challenging experience late at night because the road was an endless series of sharp turns and deep snowdrifts. As he was surfing on his iPhone, Paul suddenly looked up and asked, "Max, what do you think about social media? Is it going to change your business?" The pronoun “your" was very appropriate. Paul is a well-known analyst, a futurist, he makes accurate predictions, but he is also known for the fact that he has never done a single PR project in his life, nor has he worked in an agency. "Paul," I answered, "there's going to be a big change, a huge one." This was back in 2009, and I was cautious about my predictions.

The next day, already on the stage of the Davos Forum, with his favorite jeans and American plaid shirt, Paul was walking back and forth with a vast stride along the stage. He suddenly stopped, spread his arms, and said: "Last night, Max said there will be a change because social media is rising. But here's what I'm going to tell you - get ready for a change, get ready for a tsunami - a real tsunami. Your whole business will be swept away, and a new one will come."

He was more than right. As always!

Late one evening, about two or three years later, I received a strange text message from my colleague Sconaid McGeachin, who was managing the entire Asian region of Hill & Knowlton from Dubai back then.

"Max, congratulations! Your company has been named The Best Company in Central and Eastern Europe. We should celebrate! “

I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was impossible... there are tens of thousands of PR companies in this region. I immediately went online and checked the news on The Holmes Report. Oh my God, it was true. I had a glass of wine and went to bed. Of course, I couldn’t sleep much longer... woke up at five in the morning and returned to my computer. I went to the site again, and our company was still there. In first place… Barely waited for the morning hours in New York and I called Paul and almost scolded him: "Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you ask, how come we are there when we never applied?" "Max," he replied, "this category does not require companies to apply. It is won by the one who shows best results during the year. I came and checked right on the spot. That was enough for me!"

That was enough!