Bridge-2010 – Armenian Davos – ill-organized and neglected event
24.02.2010,
01:32
Bridge-2010, seventh international economic forum, was held this weekend in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia.
YEREVAN, February 23. /ARKA/. Bridge-2010, seventh international economic forum, was held this weekend in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia.
Organizers call this traditional remarkable event Armenian Davos.
The forum gathers entrepreneurs, economists, statesmen and economic journalists.
Tsakhkadzor was expected to become the economic capital of the region for these three days, but something was wrong from the very beginning.
Everything began yet long before the forum, when journalists tried to get the note traditionally sent a month before the event.
This time, journalists received the note just a few days before the forum, but the note was incomplete.
There was no information about participants and schedule.
It became known later that the number of media reporters enjoying access to the forum is limited, and photo correspondents had no access at all.
But the worst was still to come. Journalists, who came to Tsakhkadzor in two buses, were denied entry into the hall.
They were left with no option but to “observe” the event staying at the hotel bar before a monitor put here for this very purpose.
Remarkable is that this circumstance did not confuse the bar personnel. They were laying the tables here for a coffee break.
It was vain to find anybody of organizers. Reporters were looking for them, but came back none the wiser, since all organizers retired to the conference hall, and the guard barred reporters from entering it.
Journalists, who were initially embarrassed, still gathered themselves up and embarked on their professional task.
They were waiting for speeches of prominent figures. But a new circumstance emerged then. It became known that neither Armenian Central Bank Chairman Arthur Javadyan nor WB Regional Director on South Caucasus Asad Alam would attend the forum, though their participation was announced beforehand. The latter’s visit to Armenia was over by that moment.
Journalists knew that Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan would speak at the forum.
But to their great disappointment, the premier was absent from the forum because of health problems.
Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan and Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan, supported by Arsen Ghazaryan, chairman of the Union of Armenian Manufacturers and Businessmen, did their best to save this crippling forum.
But another, maybe worst trial was waiting for this disappointed journalism fraternity.
In addition to other troubles, technical problems emerged here – voice amplifiers were out of order.
Therefore some of journalists left the forum after the plenary session and returned to Yerevan.
Organizational committee’s faults were noticed by the forum participants.
For example, Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy minister, pointed out organizational faults.
He said representatives of travel companies were missing in the list of participants, though they were always attending this forum.
That is why there was nobody but Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy minister, Mekhak Apresyan, chief of the economy ministry’s tourism unit, and some representatives of South Caucasus Railways at the discussion over state-private partnership.
Representatives of some companies voiced their displeasure over such an absurd situation. They were unhappy not only about denial of entry for reporters, but also about the lack of normal conditions for the press’ work.
In their conversation with ARKA News Agency correspondent, entrepreneurs said they found it inadmissible to bar journalists from fulfilling their professional duty, especially that the forum is not only an assembly of elite businessmen, but also comprehensive coverage of the event in the press.
Otherwise, the Tsakhkadzor’s event may transform into a mere friendly chat.
However, finance and economy ministers, Davtyan and Yeritsyan, not only thanked organizers of the forum, but also said that the event showed economic development in the country. They said the next forum would place on record higher achievements.
We hope that those in charge of organization of the forum will draw a lesson from it and the next forum will be prepared properly.
Otherwise, shoddily organized event will tarnish their reputation and image of the forum informally called Armenian Davos.
Inna Verlinskaya, ARKA News Agency correspondent ---0---
Organizers call this traditional remarkable event Armenian Davos.
The forum gathers entrepreneurs, economists, statesmen and economic journalists.
Tsakhkadzor was expected to become the economic capital of the region for these three days, but something was wrong from the very beginning.
Everything began yet long before the forum, when journalists tried to get the note traditionally sent a month before the event.
This time, journalists received the note just a few days before the forum, but the note was incomplete.
There was no information about participants and schedule.
It became known later that the number of media reporters enjoying access to the forum is limited, and photo correspondents had no access at all.
But the worst was still to come. Journalists, who came to Tsakhkadzor in two buses, were denied entry into the hall.
They were left with no option but to “observe” the event staying at the hotel bar before a monitor put here for this very purpose.
Remarkable is that this circumstance did not confuse the bar personnel. They were laying the tables here for a coffee break.
It was vain to find anybody of organizers. Reporters were looking for them, but came back none the wiser, since all organizers retired to the conference hall, and the guard barred reporters from entering it.
Journalists, who were initially embarrassed, still gathered themselves up and embarked on their professional task.
They were waiting for speeches of prominent figures. But a new circumstance emerged then. It became known that neither Armenian Central Bank Chairman Arthur Javadyan nor WB Regional Director on South Caucasus Asad Alam would attend the forum, though their participation was announced beforehand. The latter’s visit to Armenia was over by that moment.
Journalists knew that Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan would speak at the forum.
But to their great disappointment, the premier was absent from the forum because of health problems.
Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan and Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan, supported by Arsen Ghazaryan, chairman of the Union of Armenian Manufacturers and Businessmen, did their best to save this crippling forum.
But another, maybe worst trial was waiting for this disappointed journalism fraternity.
In addition to other troubles, technical problems emerged here – voice amplifiers were out of order.
Therefore some of journalists left the forum after the plenary session and returned to Yerevan.
Organizational committee’s faults were noticed by the forum participants.
For example, Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy minister, pointed out organizational faults.
He said representatives of travel companies were missing in the list of participants, though they were always attending this forum.
That is why there was nobody but Ara Petrosyan, deputy economy minister, Mekhak Apresyan, chief of the economy ministry’s tourism unit, and some representatives of South Caucasus Railways at the discussion over state-private partnership.
Representatives of some companies voiced their displeasure over such an absurd situation. They were unhappy not only about denial of entry for reporters, but also about the lack of normal conditions for the press’ work.
In their conversation with ARKA News Agency correspondent, entrepreneurs said they found it inadmissible to bar journalists from fulfilling their professional duty, especially that the forum is not only an assembly of elite businessmen, but also comprehensive coverage of the event in the press.
Otherwise, the Tsakhkadzor’s event may transform into a mere friendly chat.
However, finance and economy ministers, Davtyan and Yeritsyan, not only thanked organizers of the forum, but also said that the event showed economic development in the country. They said the next forum would place on record higher achievements.
We hope that those in charge of organization of the forum will draw a lesson from it and the next forum will be prepared properly.
Otherwise, shoddily organized event will tarnish their reputation and image of the forum informally called Armenian Davos.
Inna Verlinskaya, ARKA News Agency correspondent ---0---
