Istanbul Congress & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) and Energy Management Regulatory Authority of Turkey (EMRA) are pleased to announce that, through a joint effort, they have won the prestigious WFER conference for Istanbul. 

Together, the two organizations brought Turkey’s burgeoning role as a major energy corridor, with several oil pipelines and supply routes crisscrossing the country like a modern-day Silk Road, to the attention of International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER). Regulation is an important factor in the proper management of these routes and resources, and EMRA, as the architect of the energy regulation policy in Turkey, was well-positioned to make the case for Istanbul. 

ICVB helped make EMRA’s bid to hold WFER VI in Istanbul successful by offering its expertise in highlighting the appeal of holding an energy forum in the historically dynamic city. In winning this bid, Istanbul beat two other cities, Mexico City and St. Petersburg, presenting in Quebec for the distinction of hosting this prestigious event. 

Working closely with its agency, WordSmith Advertising, ICVB prepared a film, presentation, bid book and select gifts as part of a successful bid for WFER VI 2015. ICVB offers this extensive consulting to select clients, examining proposed congressesto ensure it meets certain criteria. 

Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu, general manager of ICVB, travelled with Hasan Koktaş, President of EMRA, and Gulefşan Demirbaş, advisor to Mr. Koktaş, to Quebec City, Canada, to present Istanbul and lobby for its selection in front of ICER in May 2012. A Turkish coffee set was presented to each director of ICER’s boardas a token of Turkish hospitality. 

A deciding factor in the bid’s success was undoubtedly Istanbul’s extensive congress facilities, which make the city an increasingly attractive choice to host the largest and most prestigious congresses. In 2010, Istanbul broke into the Top 10 Congress Destinations, ranking 7^th worldwide. According to ICCA’s most recent data, Istanbul entrenched itself in the Top Ten by hosting an increased number of congresses in 2011, 

Another factor in Istanbul’s success as a congress destination is its easy accessibility from anywhere in the world.Turkish Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, offers almost 200 direct destination flights between Istanbul and five continents, meaning that two billion people live within six hours’ flying time of Istanbul.With two airports, one on the Asian side of the city and the other on the European side, Istanbul is served by nearly 300 international airlines. 

According to Ms.Fisunoğlu, This victory is another reflection of Istanbul’s having put down roots in the Top 10 most popular congress destinations worldwide. We are very pleased to see that Istanbul is increasingly the venue of choice for the most prestigious international congresses. 

About ICVB: Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, founded in 1997 as a public-private joint venture within the framework of TUGEV, the Tourism Development and Education Foundation, is a non-profit, non-aligned destination marketing organization. ICVB’s members consist of Istanbul’s leading hotels, convention centers, exhibition centers, DMCs and PCOs, and it is chaired by the Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. ICVB is an active member of ICCA, ECM, DMAI and PCMA.