TTGmice's weekly round-up of MICE developments outside of Asia-Pacific.
HIA outlines second expansion phase
Hamad International Airport (HIA) will improve on capacity and passenger experience in its second expansion phase, with plans for additional wide-body aircraft stands, a new transfer area, and more retail and F&B space.
Split further into two phases, the first round of works will commence by early 2020 to add a central concourse linking concourses D and E and expand the airport’s capacity to more than 53 million passengers annually by 2022.
The second round, which will be completed after 2022, will extend concourses D and E to further enhance the airport’s capacity to more than 60 million passengers annually.
The expansion plan also includes 11,720m2 of landscaped greenery with flora brought in from sustainable forests from around the world, retail and F&B space, a new transfer area which will help shorten passengers’ connection times, as well as nine additional wide-body aircraft stands in the central concourse.
Passengers can look forward to the 9,000m2 Al Mourjan lounge located above the retail space with views of the tropical garden. The lounge will offer spas, fitness facilities, restaurants and business centres, and more.
Global Wellness Summit goes to Israel next year
For the first time in its 14-year history, the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will head to the Middle East, with an Israel edition from November 10 to 13, 2020.
A consortium of companies will serve as host sponsors, such as Welltech, a wellness innovation hub and microfund in Tel Aviv; Comtecgroup, an international event production company specialising in medical/scientific conferences; and Geneva-based L.RAPHAEL and R.RAPHAEL in Israel, a luxury beauty brand and technological innovator in anti-ageing skin care.
Susie Ellis, GWS chair and CEO, described Israel as an “extraordinary location – one with deep spiritual significance and also firm roots in wellness, including its proximity to the Dead Sea, one of the earliest known wellness destinations”.
Nancy Davis, GWS chief creative officer and executive director, noted that Israel, which is home to the highest concentration of start-ups after Silicon Valley and known for its cutting-edge technology, is often referred to as “The Start-up Nation”.
Against this backdrop, the 2020 Summit will include an Innovation Pavilion, which will give delegates the opportunity to meet with the many and varied start-ups in the wellness industry in Tel Aviv and around the world.
This year’s summit was held in Singapore.
Glasgow to host COP26 climate change conference
The Scottish Event Campus (SEC), Glasgow has been nominated to host global climate change event, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26).
The conference is due to take place in November 2020, and over 30,000 delegates, including up to 200 world leaders, are expected to attend.
The UK bid worked in partnership with Italian colleagues to clinch the event, which was designed to produce a response to the climate change emergency. Glasgow will host the main conference with the preparatory and youth events being held in Italy.
