ITP 2013 : August 16 – Mahesh Kalra

Our day began on a different note with mild rains doting our way to the BM from Schafer House. At the British Museum, we sauntered in around 10 a.m. later than most days clutching our raingears. We went to our respective departments; for instance, I headed to the Coins& Medals for an intensive session on picking up collectibles from an Indian hoard of coins with Robert Bracey and used Merlin for the first time to locate the coins.

In the afternoon, we were ushered into the underground auditorium for a tete-a-tete with the BM’s financial wizards, the guys who keep the cash registers jingling from Joseph Crook, International Engagement Manager to Tadas Khazanavicius, Head of International Philanthropy and Katherine Hudson, Head of Membership department.

The most impressive figures came from these people on how the BM manages its finances while keeping its ethics in place. Our colleagues notably Omar Joseph Nasser Khouri raised quite a few pertinent questions keeping the speakers on their toes despite the afternoon drowsiness hanging in the air!

Katherine Hudson's presentation

Katherine Hudson’s presentation

The best presentation as perceived by me, was by Tom Costello, Head of BM Retail section as all the topics related to retailing was discussed in a very minute and precise way. The presentation’s effect was accentuated probably because of the session followed a sumptuous tea/coffee break as well as the goodies bag of the ongoing Pompeii-Herculaneum Exhibition given away to us at the end of the talk! The final event of the day was the week’s proceedings discussed in threadbare fashion with Claire and Shezza by all the ITP participants giving their inputs on various issues facing them in the coming weeks.

Group Discussion of the first week's programme

Group Discussion of the first week’s programme

We finally left the venue perked up by thoughts of our upcoming London tour on the weekend with the ITP team and the odd Saturday holiday preceding it.