ISTANBUL
, TURKEY , Sept. 22, 2005 – The scream of the
engines of the world’s fastest cars reverberated across two continents
when Formula 1 came to Istanbul
for the first time Aug. 19 – 21. However, McLaren, Ferrari and the
Formula 1 stars are not the only things going fast in Istanbul these
days – so are prime dates for meetings and conventions, as Turkey shifts
into high gear as one of the world’s most exciting and competitive
conference and incentive destinations.
Turkey
and Istanbul have always
attracted purposeful gatherings, but hosting world-class events such as
Formula 1 and the 25th Summer Universiade university games is
raising that profile. Witness the list of top international conferences
already booked through the next decade. Indeed, over the next four years
11 international conferences expecting at least 3,000 attendees each are
scheduled in
Turkey
. One, 2006’s 31st Biennial Congress of the
European Society of Medical Oncology, anticipates 8,000.
Formula 1 brought more than 50,000 international visitors to Istanbul , where they not
only saw an exciting race but had the chance to discover a city that
effortlessly blends the modern with the ancient. One example is the new
Istanbul Modern, a globally acclaimed modern art museum housed in Istanbul ’s historic port
area, which has welcomed vessels from all over the world for nearly
1,000 years.
The largest event in Turkey
’s history, Formula 1 was a testimony to Istanbul ’s ability to accommodate tens of
thousands of guests in style, not to mention a major boost to the city’s
Olympic dreams. Another important showcase for Turkey ’s Olympic aspirations was the
25th Summer Universaide university games. Held in Izmir, the
world’s second largest amateur sporting event (next to the Olympics)
brought more than 5,000 athletes, plus nearly another 5,000 referees,
coaches, managers and administrators, not to mention more than 1,000
media representatives, to the Aegean coast.
Nearly 60,000 conference delegates have already come to Istanbul this year, as have millions of leisure
travelers for what has been a truly outstanding year in tourism. From
the city’s 5-star hotels to the legendary Grand Bazaar, the signs of Istanbul ’s growing
popularity are everywhere. In fact Travel + Leisure named Istanbul as one of the top 10 cities in the
world to visit in the magazine’s 10th annual World’s Best
Awards readers poll.
ISTANBUL
Istanbul
is fast becoming
one of the world’s most popular international congress and exhibition
destinations. The city - a fantastic confection of East and West, the
antique and the contemporary straddles two continents, while overlooking
three waterways and boasts a fascinating mosaic of museums, mosques,
palaces and bazaars. For entertainment, Istanbul is home to venues that showcase
everything from ballet to traditional folk dancing, plus modern
discos, cabarets and jazz clubs. There are 270 hotels ranked from five
stars to “special” category translating to approximately 25,000 rooms
and some 400 restaurants, which represent a vast culinary specter, from
traditional
Turkish cuisine to globally recognized fast-food outlets.
Adding to Istanbul ’s landscape of
venues is the $150 million, 130,000 seat stadium, the Istanbul Otodrom,
which broke ground on Sept. 10, 2003 to accommodate Formula 1. Istanbul also boasts six
independent convention centers with capacities ranging from 500 to
10,500, totaling more than 40,000 seats. The opening of the Istanbul
Lutfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) in 1996 doubled the
capacity of the city’s congress facilities. ICEC's Rumeli Fair &
Exhibition Hall features a 22,000 square foot ballroom, which
includes simultaneous translation in eleven languages, full audio-visual
support and divides easily into two smaller ballrooms using soundproof
separators. The Anadolu Auditorium seats 2,000 in armchair comfort and
offers full 16 mm and 35 mm projection facilities to professionally
tuned acoustics. Furthermore, the ICEC’s five-star in-house food
service is the only venue in
Istanbul
where 3,500 delegates can sit down together for a five-star gala
dinner.
The Tuyap Fair,
Convention and Congress Center is one of Istanbul ’s largest exhibition centers with
500,000 square feet of covered space. The center provides 15 function
rooms accommodating 100 to 10,000, secretarial services in English,
Turkish and German, six multi-ethnic restaurants and a shuttle service
from various points around the city to and from the Center.
The
CNR International Exhibition Center
boasts a 452,000
square foot exhibit area with a 46-foot high ceiling,
five restaurants,
four
seminar rooms
and a business
center. The site, serviced by a city shuttle, also includes
Mydonose Showland,
a giant show center established on a 172,000 square foot open area and
an 86,000 square foot closed area with 5,500 seats. It has
hi-tech stages, a 37,000 square foot foyer area with shops, cafes and
bars and room backstage to accommodate long vehicles.
The Abdi Ipekci Sport
Center is the city’s
largest indoor arena, suitable for both sporting events and music
concerts for up to 10,500.
For smaller
gatherings, the Sepetciler Kasri Pavilion recently renovated by the
Swissotel offers function space for intimate dinner parties to formal
business receptions. The pavilion combines 16th century
majesty and the modern luxury of Swissotel standards. Poised to
accommodate those seeking maritime adventures, exclusive sails on the
Bosphorus are offered on Swissotel’s two luxurious private yachts which
depart from the Sepetciler Kasri; they can accommodate up to 500.
Another restoration, this of an ancient royal palace, the Sait Halim
Pasa Mansion consists of nine spectacular halls, each with an elaborate
theme from hunting to harems and availability for banquets, meetings and
receptions up to 1,000. The
Ataturk Cultural Center which houses a multi-purpose hall
with a 1,307 seat capacity for opera, ballet and theater performances, a
second hall with 502 seat capacity for meetings and conferences and a
13,000 square foot exhibition hall. The
Harbiye Cultural Center located opposite to the ICEC, has a
main auditorium with 550 seats in amphitheatre style and three meeting
rooms with capacities from 150 to 250.
Istanbul
’s luxury hotels,
including all of the major international chains such as the Conrad,
Kempinski, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Hilton and Hyatt Regency also
provide function venues on a smaller scale than many of the
free-standing centers and have experienced sales and catering staffs to
assist planners. For instance, the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul offers 25,986
square feet of meeting and convention space with a Grand Ballroom
accommodating more than 800 people, eight separate meeting rooms seating
from 10 to 70, a permanent boardroom for exclusive 10 person gatherings
and several small pre-function areas overlooking the Bosphorus.
To facilitate
planning, there are a number of experienced professional destination
management firms that assist with local information, promotions, ground
transportation, day-trip arrangements, program suggestions,
accommodations, space availability and booking.
IZMIR
Izmir
, Turkey ’s third largest city, boasts a port
second only to that of Istanbul . Commonly referred to as "Beautiful
Izmir," it is situated at the head of a long, narrow gulf lined by ships
and yachts. Izmir
offers a wealth of first-class accommodations with its 59 hotels and
some 7,900 rooms, 51 multi-ethnic restaurants, contemporary conference
facilities, beautiful settings and unequalled sightseeing attractions.
The legendary cities of Troy ,
Aphrodisias, Pergamon and the world’s best-preserved classical city, Ephesus , are easily accessible for day trips.
The Izmir
Efes
Convention Center
presents the most complete conference facilities including a stately
1,750-seat auditorium. Reminiscent of the magnificent architecture of
the Antique Theater in historic Ephesus, it is outfitted with a full
range of audio-visual equipment and three sophisticated cameras that
photograph from six different angles, enabling programs to be observed
equally well from the foyers and the banquet halls. It also houses
smaller meeting rooms, such as The Ephesus Hall, seating 700, The
Pergamum Hall, seating 400 and The Didyma Hall, seating 350.
For smaller events, Izmir offers convention
centers and hotels with function spaces on a more intimate scale. The Aegean
University Ataturk Cultural Center has three halls with a total of
1,600 seats, the largest seating 654. Dokuz Eylul University Sabanci Cultural Center has two halls accommodating 538 and 124
respectively. There are also major four and five star hotel chains that
have meeting and exhibition capacities ranging from a few hundred up to
1,000.
ANTALYA
With its full range of
accommodations and activities, warm hospitality and beaches basking in
sunshine 300 days a year,
Antalya is
another sought-after meeting and conference destination. Located
on the Mediterranean, Antalya also offers
bargain shopping for local treasures, 42 international
restaurants, a diverse terrain affording endless sporting pursuits and
ample opportunity to explore neighboring ancient monuments and cities such
as Olympos National Park , Aspendos Theater and St.
Nicholas Church.
Just opened this year,
Kempinski Hotel The Dome, is located directly on the beach and the
perfect destination for small to mid sized events. Boasting a nearly
6,000 square feet grand ballroom and two separate conference rooms,
approximately 730 square feet each, in the heart of Turkey’s most
historic region, the new addition to the Turkish Riviera is also
nicknamed “Golfer’s Paradise,” with the rare privilege of access to
Europe’s most sought-after and challenging courses, “The Sultan course”
and “The Pasha course,” set at the foot of the hotel as an added bonus
for guests.
For larger events the
Talya Congress and Exhibition Center is located in the center of the
city’s business, cultural and commercial districts and within walking
distance of many historical sites. The facility offers planners 10,000
seats and more than 18,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting
facilities.
Av.
Hasan Subasi
Cultural Park , located in Antalya ’s culture- and tourism-oriented area of the
Konyaalti district, houses the Antalya Cultural Center , the Glass Pyramid Sabanci Congress and Fair Center , as well as semi-covered and open
air exhibition areas, an amphitheatre for 1,000 and recreational areas.
The Antalya Cultural Center is home to a 97,000 square foot closed area,
an 11,000 square foot exhibition space and two halls; Perge Hall,
seating 338 for conferences, seminars and panels and Aspendos Hall,
seating 822 for theater performances, concerts and similar cultural
activities. The Glass Pyramid Sabanci Congress and
Fair
Center was opened in
October 1997. Within this area are three different levels of
coffeehouses and restaurants, a children's amusement park and a running
track. There are five halls in the building, the largest on the ground
floor seating 2,400. The park is seven miles from Antalya Airport and in close proximity to 12
five-star hotels with more than 4,000 rooms, including the Sheraton
Voyager’s 409, complemented by a 3,000 square foot exhibition area and
the 483 at the Dedeman, which has 5,000 square feet of exhibition space.
The Antalya
Expo
Center was established by
Anfas (Antalya Fair Management and Investment, Inc.) in April of 1999.
Situated on 700,000 square feet of land with a 70,000 square foot
enclosed area, the Antalya Expo
Center can accommodate up
to 10,000. The center is host to fairs, sports activities, concerts,
theatrical performances and congresses, but can also accommodate smaller
meetings with its three main halls and 18 committee rooms of various
sizes seating up to 600. In addition, the
Antalya Expo Center
is less than two miles from Antalya ’s international airport.
Turkey is the
birthplace of civilization. It is no wonder that it is now where
civilizations meet. It is the site of two wonders of the ancient
world, a present-day marvel, the very center of world history
and a modern Westward-looking republic. It is a country of
fascinating contrasts where antiquity is juxtaposed with the
contemporary, the familiar with the exotic; where sun-swept beaches
beckon less than an hour away from snow-capped mountains and everywhere
visitors are treated to the extraordinary warmth of the Turkish people.
For additional
information on convention planning in Turkey , please visit booth number 3802 in the
Europe Section at this year’s Motivation Show in
Chicago
. In addition, please contact the Istanbul Convention & Visitors
Bureau at +90 (212) 343 0000 or on their website at
www.icvb.org, the Izmir Convention & Visitors Bureau at +90
(232) 464 0348 and the Antalya Convention Bureau +90 (242) 322 4697 or
at
www.antalyaconvention.org. Additional
individual convention center information can be found at: ICEC,
www.icec.org; Tuyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center,
www.tuyap.com; CNR International Exhibition Center,
www.cnr.net; Glass Pyramid Sabanci
Congress and Fair Center, http://www.altinportakal.org.tr/; Talya
Congress and Exhibition Center,
www.talya.com.tr and Antalya Expo
Center,
www.antalyaexpocenter.com
For information about travel to Turkey, call 1-877-FOR-TURKEY
or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourism Offices in New York at
212-687-2194
or in Washington D.C. at 202-612-6800 or in Los Angeles at 323-937-8066
and visit
www.tourismturkey.org
or
www.kulturturizm.gov.tr
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