Time travel

01
Turkey
Time travel
in idyllic Izmir
Go from ancient to modern on the
Aegean coast By Jacqueline Kot
T
he third largest city in Turkey,
Izmir’s location on the Aegean
Sea and Mediterranean climate
makes it a popular destination
for cruises. The city also has a long and rich
history, with thousands of tourists visiting
the area every year to see the ancient
Greek and Roman ruins at Ephesus.
The Izmir Convention and Visitors
Bureau (www.izmircvb.org.tr) plans to
focus on bids for association events in the
coming years and has taken steps to
increase its presence in international trade
shows. It exhibited at GIBTM for the first
time this year and will add Imex America
2013 and ITE MICE 2013 in Hong Kong
to its roster.
To get there from Asia, Turkish Airlines
has daily flights from several cities in
Asia – including Hong Kong, Seoul,
Shanghai and Singapore – to Istanbul, from
which it is an hour by plane to Izmir. There
are then 17 connecting flights between
Istanbul and Izmir on the schedule.
“Izmir presents itself as an attractive
destination for corporate groups looking
at deepening their Turkish experience,”
says Darren Kerr, general manager at
Imagination in Hong Kong. “In many
ways, Izmir’s greatest attraction is that
it isn’t Istanbul, and for the more
experienced event groups, this in
itself can be very attractive.”
Keeping time The ruins at
Ephesus date back to the
ancient world (right);
Izmir’s Clock Tower, in the
Konak area, was built
in 1901 (below)
City attractions
Most of the city’s hotels are located
downtown, including the Mövenpick
Hotel Izmir on Cumhuriyet Boulevard,
which runs along Izmir Bay. The hotel has
185 rooms that all come with free WiFi.
Ancient vines An up-and-coming wine industry is bringing new life to some of the region’s centuries-old vineyards
48 CEI ASIA May 2013
The fine dining restaurant
Margaux serves European
cuisine and can be booked
for groups, while the Mistral
Lounge on the top floor has
great views of the bay and can
also be used for events. There are
10 meeting rooms and its clients
include Schneider Electric and Novartis.
The hotel can arrange a Turkish-themed
coffee break for corporate meetings and
works with the Izmir Development Agency
on sustainability initiatives, such as green
meetings that include Mövenpick’s own
brand of fair-trade coffee.
Within walking distance from the hotel
is the upscale Kordon, a picturesque
boulevard on the waterfront that is lined
with restaurants, as well as Alsancak,
a popular area with plenty of shopping,
restaurant and bar options.
Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir has a
contemporary décor, with 402 rooms on
one side and a large spa and the Grand Efes
Convention Centre on the other, making
it a popular option for international events
from clients like HSBC, Tesco and Roche.
The multiple-level convention centre
includes 10 meeting rooms and the Grand
Efes Ballroom that can fit over 800 guests
for a sit-down dinner. There is also plenty
of outdoor space for events, while the fine
dining restaurant Equinox has a private
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Turkey
Sultan suite Mövenpick
Hotel Izmir’s 185 rooms
include the modern Junior
Suite (above); enjoy a
dip in the indoor pool at
Crowne Plaza Izmir (top)
room for 42 people. The hotel can arrange
cooking classes and Aegean-themed
dinners for corporate groups, along with
tailored treatments at the Amrita Spa.
Also within the city centre is the
380-room Hilton Izmir, one of the taller
buildings on Izmir’s skyline. Its pretty
Zirve function room on the 32nd floor has
sweeping views of the city and room
for 280 guests banquet style, while the
Barbarospasa ballroom can seat up to
700 delegates theatre style.
About 20 minutes away from downtown,
in the Balcova district, is the 219-room
Crowne Plaza Izmir and its impressive,
2,200sqm Agamemnon Spa and Wellness
02
Centre, with a thermal pool, haman, indoor
swimming pool and 22 treatment rooms.
The hotel’s range of meeting rooms include
the Punta Hall that can fit up to 250 guests
for cocktails and the Konak ballroom that
can seat 330 people banquet style.
A popular option for incentive groups is
the Kaya Izmir Thermal and
Convention Centre that is also in Balcova.
Kaya is the largest hotel chain in Turkey,
and the property’s Izmir ballroom is the
biggest in the city, with room for up to
1,500 guests for a sit-down dinner. The
hotel is also renowned for its wellness
centre, where there are hamans, outdoor
and indoor thermal pools and more.
Coming soon is the 110-room
Renaissance Hotel Izmir that is scheduled
to open in August 2013. “Renaissance
Hotels firmly believes that travel is about
discovery and local exploration and we are
excited for guests to discover Izmir’s many
gems,” says general manager George Assaf.
Highlights… Mediterranean surroundings
Within an hour’s drive from
downtown Izmir are several
tourist attractions and villages
that make ideal day trips and
post-event tours for incentive
and corporate groups.
By far the most popular is
the ancient city of Ephesus
that was founded around 1000
BC and is now a popular stop
for Mediterranean cruises.
Impressive landmarks at the
site include the Roman-style
theatre and Library of Celsus.
A 10-minute drive from
Ephesus is Carpetium, a small
workshop for Turkish carpets
that can host groups of up to
100 people for lunch on its lawn
or in a cosy room that seats up
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to 35 guests and is decorated
with traditional carpets.
The workshop doubles as a
weaving school, where visitors
can observe local women at
work on the carpets and learn
more about the origin and
characteristics of this Turkish
trade, as each carpet is unique
and made entirely by hand.
Izmir’s Mediterranean
climate has also fostered an
up-and-coming wine industry.
Corporate groups can head
to the chic Urla Winery, an
hour’s drive from downtown
Izmir. The winery can organise
outdoor dinners for up to 300
people, with catering by the
Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir.
Village life A rustic street in Alacati
There is also an airy, elegant
room for wine tasting events
for 50 people maximum,
complemented with platters
of local cheeses.
The winery takes its name
from the rustic Urla village that
is nearby, where the renowned
Begendik Abi restaurant
serves traditional local cuisine
made from family recipes.
The restaurant can organise
dinners for private groups and
features a homey décor in a
historic building that can fit
120 people in total, with a
covered terrace that can hold
groups of 50 comfortably.
Another village worth
exploring is Alacati, about
50km from Urla. The pretty
village features cobblestone
streets, whitewashed houses
and quaint courtyards, with
an array of boutique shops,
cafés and bakeries lining its
winding lanes. n
may 2013 CEI ASIA 49