In this series, we shift the spotlight from client coverage to the PR pros behind the scenes, discovering the destinations they’re traveling to and what they’re bringing with them. This week, we spoke with Julia Perowne, Founder and CEO of PEROWNE INTERNATIONAL; Anne-Cecile Blanchot, Co-Founder of August Twenty Eight; and Lauren Kaufman, Managing Director, Public Relations, North America at MMGY to discover where they’ve been of late, the next locales they’re headed to and the items they don't leave home without.
Julia Perowne, Founder and CEO, PEROWNE INTERNATIONAL
I’m on the road about 50% of the year these days. Essentially one long haul trip per month and several short haul ones. I have 16 flights coming up in the next eight weeks. It’s alot to manage and I need to be hyper organised to get through it. Especially when trips can be across multiple different climates - from Florida to NYC to Colorado in 8 days as I did on a recent trip. Then I’ve just been in Africa which was cold in Cape Town and hot on safari. I was back for a day and then up to Gleneagles. This week I’m at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc hosting a tennis event, then flying up to Baden Baden to relaunch Brenners Park. Next week it’s speaking at a conference with Raffles in Spain, and then to Shanghai and Hong Kong to see Upper House.
My work and home life are completely intertwined and inspired by the places I travel to. So many of my favourite things are those that I pick up around the world – ceramics, clothes, art etc. I adore hotel shops as it’s not just buying something that’s been carefully curated by someone usually with VERY good taste but also that has a memory with it. My favourites are the Gleneagles Arcade, the shop at Eden Rock St Barths and the shop at Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay outside Paris curated by Cordelia de Castellane.
When I travel, I always wear the same thing - a Ghost navy silk dress (doesn’t crease), Joseph cashmere navy jumper, Blaze Milano navy blazer and Chanel pumps. It translates in weather zones, allows me to go straight to a meeting but is ultimately comfortable and versatile. Luggage-wise I use Rimowa for short haul and Brics for long. I’d never put Rimowa in the hold… I’m terrified it will be stolen.
When I’m up in the air I find that I get a lot of headspace to think about work, life, etc., and music helps inspire me. I always ask for gluten free when flying. I don’t have allergies but I find food on board flights often so heavy that I find I get a better, lighter and healthier option if I do this. I often tell hotels I’m gluten free too, just to keep things lighter when I’m on the road. Skincare is essential on board. I love the Emma Lewisham overnight mask which I put on before an overnight flight. As soon as I get on a plane, I take out my contacts, put lots of ultra hydrating eye drops in and cover my face in this divine cream. Also This Works, Rose Water face wipes are genius at making you feel clean and refreshed before and after travel. Seed to Skin face mist is amazing for regular hydrating onboard. And I love working on planes. I get so inspired. I often get home and look at something I’ve written onboard and can’t believe it was me!!
When I land at a hotel, if I’m not entertaining that night, I order a giant plate of vegetables and have a long bath. If I’m not eating out when I’m travelling, I’m either fasting or being healthy to counterbalance the entertaining I do. And I really mean a GIANT plate!! My body demands it when I’m travelling. I am also obsessed with hotels with Technogym equipment in their gyms. I have a bike at home and through the app, I can keep on top of my routine on the road.
I few other things I never travel without:
Anne-Cecile Blanchot, Co-Founder, August Twenty Eight
Travel is something I just can’t shake. While I love the rhythm of being home, my mind is always leaning toward the next adventure. Over the past few months, that’s meant digging into Lima’s rich culinary traditions and artisanship (special shoutout to Klon—best meal of the year!), hiking through Colca Canyon’s emerald post-rainy season landscapes, skiing Tignes’ snowy slopes, surfing in Nosara, savoring Copenhagen’s car-light streets and gorgeous food, wandering Piedmont’s hazelnut groves, and indulging in Île de Ré’s seafood and open-air markets.
One thing I’ve learned: the best packing strategy is live note-taking. Jotting down what I was grateful to have with me—and what I could have left behind—has been a game changer. Those notes from Tanzania in January, Peru in March, Colorado in June, and Copenhagen in August made packing for my recent trip to Fawn Bluff in British Columbia a breeze. And when it comes to places I return to again and again—Paris, Cannes, the Alps (I’m French, after all!)—my notes have become foolproof guides for traveling light and smart.
Here are my biggest “make sure you don’t forget items:”
Lauren Kaufman, Managing Director, PR, North America, MMGY
I’ve been on a lifelong quest to visit 100 countries and territories and am currently at 62. While my career in travel and tourism PR marries my passions, my countless trips have come with a trove of miles and Platinum airline status. Saving up for a major trip paid off at the end of last year when I cashed in to fly to Australia and New Zealand in Delta One. I had planned for many months to take my four-week sabbatical Down Under and it was truly one of my favorite experiences ever. From the Sydney Opera House to the Great Barrier Reef and getting to hold a koala (a true dream come true), I had countless pinch-me moments. And that was before seeing the stunning landscapes of Queenstown, fjord-cut Milford Sound and millions of sheep. (MMGY Global gifts sabbaticals to employees on their 15-year anniversary and every five years thereafter.)
This year I’ve been to Punta Cana, Los Angeles three times, Miami twice, Atlantic City, Kansas City, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Saratoga Springs, Bermuda and Boston with my favorite business trip being a 10-day maiden voyage with my longtime client Oceania Cruises. We sailed the stunning Oceania Allura from Genoa, where she was built, to Trieste, Italy (fabulous hidden gem of a city with a great coffee culture and shoe shopping), Split, Rijeka and Dubrovnik, Croatia (Game of Thrones tourism is very real here), plus Ravenna, Italy (the gateway to Bologna and San Marino) and Kotor, Montenegro (medieval walled city on a beautiful bay surrounded by dramatic mountains plunging into deep, clear waters) before disembarking in Athens, Greece (don’t go in August it’s oppressively hot!).
I then relaxed in my “happy place” of car-free Fire Island, where frozen cosmos flow at sunset and casual barbecues top off days spent reading and sleeping on the beach.
Next, I am heading to Detroit and Albuquerque before attending a family wedding in Panama City, Panama. I am excited to explore Casco Viejo and do some luxury duty-free shopping, as I have my eye on a new Saint Laurent bag. In December it will be time to disconnect and soak up the sun; I’m looking at a villa rental in the British Virgin Islands or being wined and dined on a luxury Caribbean cruise. Let’s see where my miles take me.
My absolute essentials are:
