QNCC all set to host mega climate change conference

The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) has set up over 125 well-equipped meeting rooms and two halls that can seat up to 2,000 delegates for the plenary sessions besides other top grade arrangements to host the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change 2012 (COP18/CMP8).   With less than three weeks to go, the award-winning centre has intensified its preparations to present an ideal venue for climate change delegates while hosting Qatar’s largest conference to date, QNCC said yesterday. The conference starting November 26 and concluding December 7 will see an unprecedented number of delegates. Top officials from the United Nations, its specialised agencies and related organisations, governments, non-government and inter-government agencies, civil societies and media will be arriving Doha from all over the world. All the spaces and meeting rooms in QNCC will be utilised during this conference, including 40,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space and the 3,500 square metres outdoor exhibition area. This is equivalent to a little less than four-and-a-half football fields. While the centre is already equipped with 52 meeting rooms, an additional 76 meeting areas will be erected to accommodate all the delegation offices and work areas, making a total of 128 meeting spaces. There will be two halls reserved for plenary sessions for up to 2,000 delegates each, two auditoria as press conference rooms and 21 food outlets located in the centre with a further 18 service areas around QNCC. General manager of QNCC Adam Mather-Brown said, “Looking closely at the logistics and floor plans, this is definitely a substantial event considering that many meetings will run simultaneously and will require a level of efficiency from our staff to ensure that tight turnarounds and event requirements are delivered. “We have been planning this event for almost one year now and we are currently setting up many of the venues to ensure that we bring the event to life on schedule. We look forward to creating the platform and environment within QNCC where relevant and historic decisions will be made and we are immensely proud to have been chosen as the venue for this prestigious gathering.” Some of the meetings are expected to run past midnight, and, as a result, the QNCC will be operating on a 24-hour basis. To ensure a seamless service delivery, there will be approximately 5,000 staff on duty round-the-clock including volunteers and support staff who are currently undergoing intensive training. Since opening in December last year, QNCC, a member of the Qatar Foundation, has hosted 205 events, attracting more than 136,000 visitors who have generated an economic impact of more than QR112mn to Qatar’s economy. These events include large scale international conferences such as the three-week long 25th Universal Postal Congress, 20th World Petroleum Congress, World Innovation Summit for Education (Wise 2012) and three separate United Nations events as well as banquets, regional workshops, training seminars, product launches and theatrical productions. The QNCC features a conference hall of 4,000-seats theatre style, a 2,300-seat theatre, three auditoria and a total of 52 flexible meeting rooms to accommodate a wide range of events. It also houses 40,000 square metres of exhibition space over nine halls, and is adaptable to seat 10,000 for a conference or banquet. The centre’s stunning architecture and cutting edge facilities are ideal for hosting local, regional and international conventions and exhibitions, gala events, theatrical productions and banquet functions. The QNCC was planned with a focus on sustainability. The centre was successfully built according to gold certification standards on Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED), endorsed by the US Green Building Council. The QNCC has won the following awards, ‘Middle East’s Leading Exhibition & Convention Centre’ by World Travel Awards 2012; ‘Best Congress and Convention Centre, Middle East’ by Business Destinations Travel Awards 2012; and “Best Convention Centre in Middle East” by MICE Report Awards 2012.