The Day I Met Yasser Arafat

You don't see much information regarding personal stories like mine about the late Yasser Arafat, Former Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. I just don't think people were able to get that close. I did by mistake.

The year was 1988. I was asked to perform a two week stint in Varna, Bulgaria which is situated on the Black Sea. I was one of the first "Western" entertainers to play at the massive outdoor casino on the beach. I could write a book about those two weeks and this story would qualify for one of the "WHAT??" chapters.

The outdoor casino I was going to be performing at every night was a family summer destination and there were other well known performers from around Eastern Europe performing as well, but I was the headliner. The casino held around 2000 people and it cost less than $2 to eat and drink all night. Because it was outdoors and somewhat primitive, as was most of the East Block countries at that time, there was nothing but a two foot wall and some fencing around this huge complex. The first couple of nights there were hundreds of people standing around the perimeter of the casino who couldn't afford to pay the 2 bucks entry fee. I think it was after the third night the fenced wall was covered so no one could see in. I wished I could have paid for all of them to enjoy themselves inside, however, I was not allowed even if I had the means.

I was staying at a Swedish hotel on the main drag and in walking distance from the sea. It was also the most modern and had amenities that I needed like a bathroom in my room. That wasn't common in most European countries much less the poorer, Eastern Block countries. This was the only hotel that offered a private bath.

It was about 9 in the morning and my husband, my manager and his wife and I decided to go to the beach before I had to do a sound check in the early afternoon. There were circa 40 steps from the front door to the street. I start walking down the steps and I am talking, the way most Italian/Lebanese Gemini twins do, basically not to anyone in particular, so I wasn't paying attention. I stopped on the first landing which was about 20 steps going down and I turned around and started to say, "hey, am I talking to myself?!" But I was alone. The others were at the top of the stairs and there were armed soldiers in front of them. I looked around slowly and saw there was no one; not one person in the street. No cars, no animals, no hustle and bustle of a beach resort town. Only me.

I looked up on the top of the roofs of the buildings surrounding me and there were sharp shooters posted on each one.

I looked back up at my husband and the guard motioned for me to go down the steps. As I get to the bottom of the stairs an armed guard came out of nowhere and stood next to me. I was now on the street. I could see a cavalcade of black stretch limo's coming my way. They had what looked to be little flags on the front of each car. The first car goes past very slowly.The second car stops directly in front of me. The backseat window slowly rolls down. I see two men sitting there. The one closest to the window motions for me to come closer. The guard nudges me forward so I go up to the window.

I realized at that point who this man was that was looking at me and all I could think of was...... crap... I'm half Lebanese.

He says in a very thick middle eastern accent in English, "How are you?" I said, "Good thanks and you?" He said "Good". He said, "You are American?" I said "Yes, how did you know?" He looked me up and down and kind of half smiled. I guess my blond in a bottle hair, aviator glasses, Levi cut-offs and my Contempo beach bag was a dead give-away.

He said "My name is Yasser Arafat", and he introduced me to the other gentleman. He said his name but I didn't understand it.

He was a high highfalutin politician like the General Secretary I was told later. Mr. Arafat asked me my name and if I was having fun on the beach. I told him my name while thanking God it ended in a vowel and said I was having a great time. He said it was a pleasure talking to me and thanked me for taking the time to speak to him, like I had a choice. He rolled up the window and the cavalcade drove away. As soon as they were out of view the guard let me go, the streets filled with people and life went on as if nothing had occurred. I just stood there thinking what the hell just happened....

If my experience would have taken place today and not 26 years ago, it would have been all over social media with pictures taken from a hundred cell phones. What a great marketing tool it would have been for the hotel and for me as an entertainer! But sadly, I don't even have a picture. It took three days to "book" a phone call from Varna to Las Vegas so I could tell my parents who I just "met". Without the internet, social media and the likes of LinkedIn you wouldn't be reading my post and I wouldn't be sharing this interesting tidbit of information.

So, the point in posting my adventure is that Marketing and Social Media are two very necessary combined components for the success of most individuals and businesses today. Because of the internet I was able to share a pretty damn good story that most people will never experience, and I am able to see how extensive Varna, the small beach resort town where I was, has grown into a booming resort destination with many hotels, restaurants, music and opera festivals and much more.

Even for the former East Block countries, the old adage 'build it and they will come' doesn't exist anymore. Every business needs a marketing plan that includes some kind of social media connection regardless if you are in Varna, Bulgaria or Las Vegas, Nevada.

Remember Nikki Beach at The Tropicana Resort Las Vegas? Not many people do. They closed less than 4 months after the fabulously lavish White Party Grand Opening on May 26, 2011 and was also part of the $165 million renovations made to the Tropicana Resort. I was on the red carpet doing interviews on opening night for What's On Magazine and Highway Radio. SEE PICS HERE A week or so later I had a meeting with Nikki Beach regarding advertising in the magazine and on the radio and utilizing our combined social media efforts. It was made clear to me that Nikki Beach didn't need to advertise. They were "Nikki Beach" and people would come because of their name. I don't blame their promotions and marketing team A5 Group either for ending their relationship with them a month before the announcement they would be closing was made. You can only bring the horse to water, you can't make him drink.

All individuals and businesses, big and small, successful or not yet successful, should set aside a budget for internet and social media marketing. Become familiar with how it works before you start interviewing prospective marketing firms. Do your homework and due diligence so you know what to listen for and what questions to ask. Have an idea of what you are trying to accomplish and always remember that a call to action is only as good as the path it leads the consumer to and their "action" once they get there.