The second phase of the Mazatlan Convention Center
55% of the general construction is done, but some areas such as the parking lot are 95% completed
-it will be up and running on time by the second half of 2009
-it will be run by SMG, a North American company that specializes in operating convention centers
-over 50 million dollars will be invested according to general director Einar Broden Ibanez
 Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, January 26, 2009.- Mazatlan: while everyone around the world talks of the economic crisis and imminent recession, the good news never stops here in Mazatlan. Large public investments have been announced such as the Costa del Pacifico in Las Cabras near Escuinapa in addition to all the construction in Mazatlan, including the convention center.
The state government, along with the Hotel Association in alliance with restaurant owners and service providers and the Secretary of Tourism are doing extraordinary public relations such as welcoming the members of the Food, Wine and Travel Writers’ Association and offering them a party and food fit for kings in the center of town. All these distinguished guests left very happy and surprised by the food and tour attractions that Mazatlan has.
A few days later, the Society of American Travel Writers passed through Sinaloa, staying in Mazatlan and visiting the state’s tourist attractions and in a national meeting of tourism functionaries in Durango, the National Secretary of Tourism, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, announced that for the first time Mazatlan will be one of five travel destinations that the CPTM strongly promotes.
And to top off the good news, Antonio Ibarra Salgado, state of Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism, announced in a press conference that “in spite of the forecasts to the contrary, 2008 closed superior to 2007 as far as travel to the state goes and he said that the first 1, 200 million pesos have been officially made available for the first stage of the construction of the Escuinapa CIP project (Costa del Pacifico). He said that the next day Juan Carlos Hurtado was going to take his position as a delegate of FONATUR in Sinaloa and that the Mexican president was going to announce the opening of construction at CIP between February 3 and 6.
Such was the whirlpool of activities that that it was impossible for us to materially publish the interview that we had with Broden Ibañez, Director of the Mazatlan Convention Center. It is worth noting that as is his custom, Broden Ibañez welcomed us cordially and agreed to fill us in on details of this phase of the convention center. He said that it is 55% finished in a general way and that some areas such as the parking lot are at 95% completed.
Talking about the effects that the world financial situation could have on this project, the general director said that no doubt there are some businesses affected by the situation but also said that each one of these businesses will take the necessary measures to face the problem. “In our case, we had to do a revaluation of the engineering of the construction of the place and now we don’t depend on just one company but various. Different jobs are done by different companies that specialize in that certain area.” He said that is was determined to rearrange the engineering of construction in order to guarantee that the construction was finished on time.
Speaking about the anchoring impact this project is having on the area, the director said that the impact is multiple; both for the city and the construction zone and that it will be transcendent for the destination. “As an anchor for attracting people, there are already many investors looking around in the area and as a destination for Mazatlan, the convention center will open the opportunity to have access to more markets that previously had no place to go for a convention .”
Talking about post construction, Broden Ibañez said that SMG was going to run the convention center. He added that it is a North American company that was a leader in operating convention centers. They have a strategic alliance in order to guarantee a flow of conventioneers from all over the world and that they have drawn in various conventions for the second half of 2009 and for 2010.
Finally, he extended an invitation to all associations, hotels. Doctors and unions all over the country to take the time to check out the convention center, hoping it will become the venue for their functions.
|
ESPAÑOL
