Meeting News - February 11, 2008 - (Page 22)

International Ringo Starr Rocks Liverpool Convention Center The ex-Beatle was part of inaugural event for riverfront convention complex intended to shake up the U.K. city’s meetings picture with a 40,000-sf exhibition hall and an arena Liverpool, England—Last month, Ringo Starr headlined a stage show that christened the 10,600-seat Echo Arena, which together with the BT Convention Centre makes up the city’s new riverfront Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool. featured the legendary former Beatle, his collaborator Dave Stewart, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and others—the BT Convention Centre will host its first convention in March while it undergoes final construction touch-up. The convention center Ringo Starr and Dave Stewart perform at ACC Liverpool’s Echo Arena. will have a 1,350-seat auditorium, a 40,000-sf exhibition hall, and 18 breakout rooms; its total event space will surpass 75,000 sf. The British Chambers of Commerce is among the first groups booked at the center, as is a national police chiefs association. Echo Arena will host its share of large conventions and meetings, in addition to concerts and sports events. ACC Liverpool, the brainchild of five organizations including the Liverpool City Council, is part of a redevelopment project on the Mersey River waterfront. While Echo Arena is open for business following the opening event—a musical that IHG is Bullish on Mideast, Plans Second Qatar Hotel Dubai—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is seeding a second hotel in Doha, Qatar, that will debut in March 2009 with 540 guest rooms and a conference facility for corporate and government-related meetings. The property, InterContinental Doha West Bay, follows the 245room InterContinental Doha now in operation and which is also in the West Bay area. The 2009 property will have meeting space (square footage yet to be determined), in addition to three restaurants, a gym, a spa, and an outdoor pool. IHG wants to capitalize on growing meetings demand as the city continues to build its tourism infrastructure and attract foreign business. “Doha has established itself as a key player in the Middle East,” said Andy Cosslett, IHG’s chief executive, noting Doha’s $15-billion capital investment plan. That includes a $2-billion upgrade of Doha International Airport, which will end up having two runways and 25 gates by 2015. Qatar Airways has in place an order for 60 Airbus planes with the intention of expanding service. IHG has 35 properties totaling more than 10,000 guest rooms in the Middle East and Africa. The company has 10 projects in the pipeline for the region. A Taste of the Sun in Egypt For Major American Incentive Reps Sun International Hotels hosts incentive fam at its new seaside resort in Port Ghalib un International Hotels & Resorts, a hospitality company specializing in Africa, recently hosted a VIP group from major U.S. incentive houses, including Maritz, to tour its new, threeproperty resort in Port Ghalib. The group, which included Jonathan Richards, senior VP of sales and marketing for Galactic Meetings & Incentives; Gretchen Anderson, purchasing manager for BI Travel Group; Michael Rego, director of national accounts for USMotivation; and Monica Fasse, product and purchasing manager for ITA Group, took in activities like a beach barbecue, snorkeling S Incentive firm reps and their guide (r.) visit the Egyptian pyramids as part of Sun International’s fam. in the Red Sea, camel and horseback rides, and visits to Cairo and the pyramids in Giza, about three hours away. The Sun International Resort at Port Ghalib consists of the 347room Sahara Sun Sands, the 309room Palace at Port Ghalib, and the 292-room Sahara Sun Oasis. There are 17 meeting rooms and three ballrooms among its event facilities. Sun International claims the resort has the largest private marina on the Red Sea, as well as the world’s second largest manmade lagoon, behind the one at Bahamas’ Atlantis resort. BA’s New Brand Looks to Capitalize On Open Skies London—Taking advantage of the Open Skies agreement, British Airways has created a subsidiary carrier that will begin operation in June with a Brussels–Paris–New York flight. The eponymous OpenSkies airline will initially operate one Boeing 757 for the route. According to an AP report, BA is looking at Milan; Frankfurt; Madrid; Zurich; Geneva; Amsterdam; Boston; Washington, continued on page 24 www.meetingnews.com 22 MeetingNews February 11, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - February 11, 2008

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