Event 42nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Venue Bali International Convention Centre (BICC), Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
Organiser ADB and Government of the Republic of Indonesia – Ministry of Finance Education
Agency Royalindo
Delegates 3,500 participants from 67 countries
Date May 2-5

The brief
ADB’s annual meetings are attended by government officials from its 67 member countries. The meetings aims to bring together ADB governmental organisations, international organisations, media and the academic and private sectors. This was the second time Indonesia hosted the event. The first was in Jakarta in 1976.

Challenges
There were last-minute requests and changes on-site. Space was also tight due to the number of simultaneous meetings and social functions. Coordination and collaboration was required of the team, comprising organisers, the PCO and venue staff. The Indonesian police and army controlled security at the event.

Execution
More than 17 meeting rooms were used during this event. An elaborate tent was erected in front of the convention centre to provide a media centre for hundreds of international and local media, as well as an exhibition area. To avoid pulling up the trees, a temporary site was constructed so the trees looked like a small plantation inside the tent.

Westin’s lobby was used for the president’s reception – something that had not been done before – without disrupting routine operations at the hotel. 

Approximately 600 staff from BICC and Westin were involved in handling the ADB meeting. Other Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Bali, and students from the local hotel school, also assisted with the event.

Comment
Simon Baily-Gibson, head of ADB’s Social Events Unit, says: “The event was one of the best annual meetings ever. We faced many challenges, but we won through in the end. This was due to the extraordinary cooperation and assistance we received from general manager Bipan Kapur and the brilliant team at Westin.”