‘To the exact minute’: ACI executive Joe Sulmona wins Dubai Duty Free US$2 billion ‘breakthrough moment’ competition with uncanny prediction : Moodie Davitt Report

Incredibly, Dr. Luigi G. (Joe) Sulmona predicted the US$2 billion breakthrough to the precise minute.

UAE/CANADA. Airports Council International (ACI) Facilitator and long-term aviation sector executive Dr. Luigi G. (Joe) Sulmona has won The Moodie Davitt Report’s competition to predict when Dubai Duty Free would reach the US$2 billion annual sales mark for the first time with an incredible prediction, writes Martin Moodie.

Joe’s remarkable projection – of 00.43 on 29 December, which was correct to the precise minute – was made on 27 December, just after the competition opened (scroll down for our list of other entrants who came close).

As reported, the travel retailer, which this month is celebrating its 35^th anniversary reached the mark at exactly that time, 00.43, 29 December, leading to great celebrations among the Dubai Duty Free senior management and the many staff still on duty in the early hours of the Dubai morning. “Yahoo!” was the simple joyous reaction of Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin seconds later by text (see our main story for subsequent reaction from McLoughlin).

The US$2 Billion milestone was reached in Concourse B on 29 December at 00.43 when Paul and Annelise Christensen, a retired Danish couple, purchased a Nikon D5300 SLR Camera worth AED1,999 (US$544). The couple were transiting through Dubai International for the first time, en route from Copenhagen to Sydney for their wedding anniversary.

Once identified, they were presented with a Dubai Duty Free gift card for US$2,000 by Dubai Duty Free officials including Senior Vice President Purchasing Saba Tahir; Vice President IT & Logistics Allan Chapman; Senior Buyer Kaiser Imtiaz; Operation Manager Salim Ibrahim; Duty Managers Edmond Saldanha and Hazel Punongbayan; and Duty Officer Jasmin Javelosa.

A delighted Paul Christensen said,“My wife wanted to purchase gold and with this US$2,000 gift card she can buy all the gold that she wants.”

If Dubai Duty Free has been swamped with customer demand over the past few days, so The Moodie Davitt Report was overwhelmed with entries in our competition – the most popular we have ever run.

And the celebrations begin moments after the breakthrough figure is reached.

It pays to transit through Dubai International and shop at Dubai Duty Free. Paul and Annelise Christensen (centre) receive their US$2,000 gift voucher.

Could lightning strike in the same place twice? Will Colm McLoughlin and Ramesh Cidambi (pictured with Sinead el Sibai and Salah Tahlak) make Dr. Joe Sulmona a millionaire?

Many predicted the magical mark would be reached on 28 December (including me with a 22.47 prediction, not bad but no cigar…) and some of those, and others who plumped for the early hours of 29 December, got very close, notably Catriona Nisbet of Dufry Hong Kong (see below). But not as close as Dr. Joe Sulmona, who has held his role at ACI World in Vancouver, Canada since early 2011 and is also Principal of Sky Blue Sea Enterprises (and a former Director of Strategic Planning at Vancouver International Airport Authority).

Joe’s brilliant effort headed off a host of other great attempts, some of which we list below. He wins a AED1,000 (US$278) ticket in Dubai Duty Free’s Millennium Millionaire draw, offering the opportunity (not the guarantee) to win US$1 million. Good luck Joe.

Thank you all for entering a brilliant competition that celebrated an even more fantastic feat.

Our highly commended entries included:

Catriona Nisbet, Dufry HK: 29 December 00.35 and 24 seconds (!)

Todd Hancock, Collinson Group: 29 December 00.33

Ray Gray, DAA: 29 December 00.20

Virginie Cordero, Sunny Touch Corp: 29 December 00.17

James Maxwell, Crucial Drinks: 29 December 00:13

Mel Morgan, Zdoze: 29 December 00.12

Manish Seth, Libreville Airport Gabon: 29 December 00.08

Tony Richardson, Alma Media International: 29 December 00.07

Marco Lares , Aspex Eyewear: 29 December 00.05

James Kfouri, Wonderful Pistachios: 28 December 23.57