By Bob Nicolaides
The snow and extreme cold of Sunday, January 18, 2004, as well as the Boston Patriots football game on television did not keep the sixty-odd invited Bostonian Greek Americans from attending the first of a number of nationwide presentations of the Hermes Expo International event, sponsored by the world-wide companies under the umbrella of Europhone.

The presentation was held at the Dionysos restaurant inside the Radisson Hotel in Cambridge, and it began with an introduction by Hermes Expo International president and founder Paul Kotrotsios who thanked all for coming under such adverse conditions.

The audience appeared eager to hear about this trade organization under the name of Hermes Expo International, and demonstrated collective willingness to participate in its functions. Despina Mitropoulos, the president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies in greater Boston, and a friend of Hermes Expo president Kotrotsios for 20 years, taking the podium, she exclaimed that she and all her Bostonian colleagues were there to listen and learn what Hermes Expo is all about and what it has accomplished.

Next to take the podium was Joshua Shainberg, head of ICT Technologies, who noted that the Chairman of the Europhone Companies Vassilis Koutsobinas, of which ICTT is part, would’ve liked to be there, save for the fact that other duties kept him away. Mr. Seinberg went on to explain how the Chairman, who was initially involved in motor scooters and electronics put his 25 years of cooperation and experience of trading with China, to work towards creating a new cellular phone empire.

The next speaker was Constantine Drougos, who has founded the Wine company called Amerikus, which distributes some of the most exclusive wines imported from Greece. Mr. Drougos also runs the Restaurant Round Table radio show on which he interviews foodies and executives associated with the production and distribution of wines. Some of the products he imports are products of a man who worked in France for Chateau Margo and then came to Greece to try his luck with a better quality of wines.

Mr. Kotrotsios closed the meeting after having the audience view a short TV documentary on the accomplishments of Hermes Expo international, its networkings and the benefits of exhibitors and visitors derive from its many programs and sessions. Those in attendance, including Consul General of Greece in Boston, The Honorable Konstantine Bikas and Press and Information Office director Dino Siotis.