JEDDAH, 19 February 2005 — The Hilton Hall has been transformed in the last 40 hours into a sophisticated conference venue. Serried ranks of chairs, geometrically precise squadrons of tables each equipped with minutely aligned pads, pens and water glasses cover the floor.
Sniffer dogs with their handlers patrol the entire complex while outside, security is very much in evidence with approach roads blocked off and heavily armed security forces stationed strategically around the building and inside.
Dominating the whole conference hall is a gigantic proscenium arch with a huge display screen where, just 14 hours before the first session opens today, test runs of the ultra sophisticated visuals are under rehearsal. At the rear of the hall, the glass translators’ cubicles stand high above the huge light and sound control center. A mass of cables and connectors lead to banks of computers and serious looking black-clad technicians and producers from Adventure Entertainment — the event organizers — work with quiet intensity and muted conversations as the light and visual displays flicker across the screen.
“No problems so far,” said CEO Chris Williams. “We’ll be running three rehearsals tonight to iron out any wrinkles.”
This year’s forum has changed up a gear from the past. Adventure Entertainment was founded as a company in the Kingdom only last October. Already established around the world as an event organizer producing spectacular opening events, they made a massive financial commitment to Saudi Arabia bringing in all the equipment needed for the JEF and more. “It’s here now, the whole show is organized from resources inside the Kingdom,” said Williams. “We have a strong team with us and have achieved 30 percent Saudization already.”
The new level of professionalism is evident in the consistency of the signage, artwork and displays that form the fabric of the event. Experience gained from major events around the world has come together to add a completely new dimension to the forum.
“Our brief,” said Williams, “was to emulate the World Economic Forum in Davos. That’s a big challenge in a short time, but Sheikh Abdulrahman Sharbatly and the board of Adventure Entertainment took it up.”
The other members — engineer Hassan Sharbatly, Dr. Khaled Abdulghani and Dr. Abdullah Rashid — were necessarily heavily involved in getting the equipment, finance and planning implemented at enormous speed. “It’s all come together well,” said Williams. He added that the extreme pressure of event organizing in the Kingdom under his mantra “do it once and do it right” was new to many of the local staff. “But they have taken to the pressure brilliantly — and with our experienced staff acting as mentors, the show will go on. And there is a whole new generation of events coming; this is just the first.”
