 |
|
||
 |
|
||
Debbie Costa,
Volunteer
|
Dateline: Tokyo and Nagano, Japan Transportation during the Nagano Olympic Games is a sometimes fun and sometimes challenging endeavor. Debbie Costa of Meeting Management is responsible for the coordination of ground transportation from the John Hancock Operations Center in Tokyo. This includes scheduling seats on the new "Shinkansen" or bullet train, dispatching motor coaches, vans, and sedans, scheduling guides for tours and interpreting, and arranging for airport transfers. Debbie, along with Hancock volunteer Michael Giordano, are working closely with JTB, the Japan Travel Bureau, the largest travel agency in Japan. Koji Otsuka, our main JTB contact has dedicated himself to ensuring that John Hancock's transportation needs are met in every way. Koji never seems to sleep, is always available and is considered an important part of the John Hancock team. Koji and his staff are terrific to work with and will truly be missed when John Hancock returns to Boston. Michael and fellow volunteer David Caterino are responsible for making Debbie's plans run smoothly in Nagano. Michael and David can be seen greeting and directing guests as they exit the train station on their way to Olympic events and coordinate all the transportation for guests while they are in the Olympic region. Debbie says that Michael's most important job is to make sure that all the guests and staff members make it back to Tokyo! The transportation team's job is very rewarding, but can also be hard work. Their day can start as early as 4:00 a.m. when preparing to send a group out to visit the fish auction and lasts well into the early morning with some buses returning as late as 3:30 a.m. Another challenge is language and cultural differences. Although the JTB employees all speak English, our Boston accent and frequent use of slang terms can sometimes pose a problem (especially for Michael who has a tendency to speak extremely fast anyway!!). Aside from a few traffic jams, transportation has been running smoothly and we plan to keep it that way. Michael stated, "Debbie Costa and the rest of the Meeting Management staff have really done their homework. We, as a team, are prepared for any possible travel problem that may arise. We are all working to make the Nagano Olympic experience a wonderful memory for all of our guests".
|
||
