Flying the flag for the Middle East, the Sultanate of Oman has been selected as one of the finalist to host 1,500 delegates at one of its first large-scale international congresses in 2017 to be held at the new Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Muscat.Oman is competing against some of the world’s best convention destinations of Turkey, Singapore, India, Malaysia and South America to host the 37th annual congress of the International Association of Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR).
The new Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, due for completion in 2016, is set to become an iconic landmark for Muscat and the Sultanate of Oman. Surrounded by nature it overlooks a wadi that is a haven for Oman’s exotic bird life.
Chairman of the IAHR Middle East North Africa Collaborative Committee and Director of Centre for Environmental Research and Studies at Sultan Qaboos University, Dr. Mahad bin Said Baawain said if the Sultanate bid was successful, it would be the first time the Middle East or North Africa region would host this congress.
Following on from the successful hosting of the Arabian Coast Conference at Sultan Qaboos University in 2010, Oman is well placed to host this prestigious event, due to its World Heritage-listed Falaj systems, extensive dam and ground water monitoring systems, seawater desalination and water supply systems as well as water resources management tasks and associated training programs.
“We have received an excellent response and support from IAHR members in Africa, China, Japan and Korea who have welcomed Oman’s bid to place a global spotlight on fields related to hydro-environmental studies and its complexities and open new avenues of research collaboration not only in Oman but in the Middle East and North African region,” Dr. Baawain said.
The opportunity to bid for this congress was identified during the launch of Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre at the global meetings industry, trade show EIBTM in Barcelona in November 2011.
Since its appointment as venue manager, AEG Ogden has received positive feedback from both international and regional organisations to consider Oman for future congresses, and is being supported by the Omani community to bid for these lucrative events.
The new Auditorium in Oman
AEG Ogden’s Group Manager, Convention Sales Development, Rochelle Uechtritz said being the only Middle East destination chosen as a finalist is testament to the Sultanate’s diversity and destination appeal as well as the commitment of the Government and Omani individuals who have been actively involved with international and regional organisations for decades.
“While 2017 was a long way off, most international organisations planned five to eight years ahead and IAHR would be no exception.
“We have had enormous confidence in Oman as a convention destination, we cannot bid for these events alone. They must be supported by the Omani member, association or society to become the local host.
“That support will again be crucial in another bid soon to be lodged soon for a world medical congress for 3,000 delegates in 2018,” Ms. Uechtritz said.
She said during the pre-opening phase of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, AEG Ogden would continue to identify and target potential congresses which are suited to the Sultanate’s key economic sectors.
“We will continue to approach Omani specialists, such as Dr. Baawain and utilise our expertise to prepare world-class bid submissions to meet the stringent criteria and compete on a global scale,” Ms. Uechritz said.
This is only one of many large-scale convention leads that AEG Ogden is in advanced stages to secure for the Sultanate and the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre right through to 2024.
The successful host country for 2017 will be announced at the 36thAnnual IAHR Congress in Chengdu, Korea in September this year.
About the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre
Due for completion in late 2016, the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is located in its own fully integrated precinct only four kilometres from Muscat International Airport.
The design of the Centre will ensure a flow of the meetings space to suit the most discerning conference and exhibition organisers. It also incorporated expansive concourse areas to enable ease of large delegations with floor to ceiling windows overlooking landscaped gardens and water features.
The Centre will feature an elaborate tiered auditorium to seat 3,200 while the exhibition halls will feature 22,000 square metres of column-free exhibition space. Halls 1 and 2 will have a superior fit out, specialised acoustic treatment, advanced lighting and rigging requirements to act as a multi-purpose space for plenary sessions, concerts, performances, gala events on a larger scale of up to 10,000 seated, theatre-style.
The Centre will also include an additional 14 meeting rooms for 70-360 delegates, two well-appointed ballrooms to seat up to 2,360, VIP Pavilion, a spacious food-court and a multi-storey carpark with capacity for 4,000 vehicles.
The Precinct will provide the infrastructure necessary to host successful international, regional and local events and for the enjoyment of the community. These include a five star hotel linked to the convention centre, two four star, and a three star hotel and apartments with a combined total of 1,000 rooms. A business park, retail shopping mall surrounded by a nature reserve which will be a haven for Oman’s exotic birdlife, parklands and wadi (valley) park are also part of this picturesque precinct. www.omanconvention.com.
AEG Ogden is a joint venture between Australian interests and AEG Facilities of the United States.
AEG Ogden manages venues throughout the Asia Pacific region, including the Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur,Qatarand Oman (under construction) Convention Centres and is the preferred operator for International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and live theatres including Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre and the Perth Concert Hall. Sydney’s Allphones Arena, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, and the Perth Arena. In Western Australia, AEG Ogden also manages the State Theatre Centre, Albany Entertainment Centre, and Subiaco Arts Centre.
Monday 25 March 2013
For more information contact:
Rochelle Uechtritz
AEG Ogden Group Manager, Convention Sales Development
E: ruechtritz@aegogden.com | M: +61 400253392 | +968 9221 3154
To download imagery to support this release visit http://www.omanconvention.com/Gallery/Centre_Images.aspx
