The 17th edition of Project Lebanon closed on Friday, June 8. It took place in parallel with The International Trade Exhibition for Power, Electricity, Lighting & HVAC, Energy Lebanon 2012, as well as The International Trade Exhibition & Conference for Environmental Technologies, Sustainability, Alternative Energy, Water Technology and Clean Energy, EcOrient 2012. The events saw the participation of over 800 local, regional and international companies from 28 countries.
The events attracted businessmen from Lebanon and throughout the region. It boasted a considerable and constant influx of 25,000 professionals during its four day run.
The exhibitions created business opportunities for exhibitors and visitors alike. Many agreements and contracts have been signed during the event, as international companies consider Beirut as a springboard to the regional markets.
Mr. Alkiviadis Kalabokis, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Greek Foreign Trade Council (HEPO), commented: "we know that Lebanon is the ideal entry point to all markets in the region. Our participation in Project Lebanon bears this in mind. By finding Lebanese partners, we find the ideal link with other regional destinations. "
Sixteen international pavilions participated in Project Lebanon. Similarly, many direct bilateral business meetings were held, bringing together representatives from commercial institutions with large numbers of men and women from Lebanese and Arab businesses.
The Italian pavilion, one of the largest at the exhibition, celebrated National Italian Day by organizing a grand business event. Mr. Amedeo Scarpa from the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) described these meetings as fruitful: "Many Italian companies are participating in the fair for the first time. They were prompted because companies that attended previous editions of the fair managed to find representatives and partners in Lebanon, and thus participate independently. This is proof of the calibre of opportunities open to participants at the exhibition."
The sessions of the EcOrient Conference, organized in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP), has also ended. The two day conference hosted more than 30 renowned speakers from the environment, sustainable development and energy sectors and received around 200 delegates.
The conference distinguished itself with the support and participation of several local and regional organizations, especially the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon; the Order of Engineers and Architects of Beirut; the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation; the Lebanese Solar Energy Society; the Lebanese Council for Green Buildings; the Arab Association for Sustainable Development; experts from the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP); the International Bureau of Water; the International Finance Corporation; and a large number of engineers, experts, and environmental consultants in Lebanon and the region.
The Chairman of IFP Group, Albert Aoun expressed satisfaction with the results: "Once again, Project Lebanon has broken all records, and proves the relevance of our vision for the future of construction and building in Lebanon and the region. Participants and visitors were satisfied with the exhibition this year. We promise to continue our efforts to excel next year. We have already started planning new events that are more specialized."
