The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Baha Mar convention centre is “100 per cent ready” to host the annual general meeting of the boards of governors of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), according to local project coordinator Janeen McCartney.

Ahead of this weekend’s conference, project directors led local media on a tour of the stalled $3.5bn Cable Beach resort’s convention centre, contending that area was ready to host the world-class event.

In recent weeks, teams associated with the project had to convert the convention centre’s ballrooms into seminar halls, meeting and conference rooms, offices and a mega plenary room.

In addition to physical adjustments that were made to the property, organisers had to ensure that facilities and systems in the centre were working and technical capabilities were in place to broadcast and host the conference.

Additional spaces developed on the property include a cultural village that organisers say will deliver an authentic Bahamian cultural experience to those in attendance.

“It’s a good effort to pull it all together and to manage it, because we are a developing country and I think we have demonstrated in our planning that we understood and were able to meet the requirements of the (IDB), which were very high,” said Mrs McCartney.

According to Mrs McCartney, a joint investment of $11m - $6m by the Bahamian government and $5m by the IDB - has allowed organisers to prepare for the event.

Clarifying the government’s investment, Mrs McCartney stated that most of the materials used would be put to further use within the public sector after the conference.

Additionally, Mrs McCartney said operations to prepare the convention centre for the conference employed 200 Bahamians.

She said the government did not pay a rental fee for the site.

When asked if the government paid a rental fee for the centre she said: “There is no rental fee.”

She indicated that IDB-IIC representatives have already toured the facility and signed off on its preparedness.

“(The IDB has) commended the Bahamas because normally, they are not this ready, this far out. The bank came in on Easter Sunday afternoon and we were ready. The little things we tweaked, moved a desk here, turn a chair there, but nothing major that had to be done,” she added.

When the government first bid to host this year’s conference, it expected that the mega-resort would be open. However, the property is currently in receivership.

Mrs McCartney said conference guests are staying at other hotel properties around the island.

The conference is expected to have an estimated 3,000 participants.

She noted that while there were some cancellations in the wake of the Baha Mar opening delays, many persons have recommitted to attending this year’s conference. She added that in terms of international guests, about 2,000 persons have already registered to attend.

Meanwhile, environmental advocacy group, Raising Awareness about the Bahamas Landfill (RABL), has organised a peaceful protest against recurrent fires at the Harrold Road dump on Sunday, which will take place outside the resort during the IDB meeting.

The landfill site is located roughly two miles southeast of Baha Mar.

Addressing the planned protest, Mrs McCartney said that project executives remain hopeful that it would not affect the conference.

“I think what we must realise (is that) at most international meetings there are protests of various sorts. It’s worldwide you have demonstrations. Once persons have their permits, there is nothing you can do about that. So, we are prepared to the degree that it wouldn’t impact the procedures going on (within the resort),” she said.

“We are prepared and the police are prepared to ensure that this conference goes on without an issue,” she added.

Last year, the conference was held in Korea, while next year’s event has been scheduled for Portugal. The IDB-IIC annual meeting is held in late March or early April of each year in one of the IDB’s member countries.

The meeting will take place from April 7 to 10. A series of seminars on topics of interest to participants will be held prior to the opening of the meeting.