BMICH rolls out new plans as conference facility
View(s):The landmark conference facility BMICH is planned to roll out as a host for international concerts and an eco-friendly hall with an amphitheatre in the future, its Director/ CEO Sunil Dissanayaka said in a media release. Mr. Dissanayake has outlined a number of ‘exciting’ plans in the pipeline, stating “We created our business plan for the next three years.” Among them is the need to showcase the impressive facilities including the “unique and sophisticated ‘orchestra pit” at the platform in the main conference and concert hall, to attract hosting of international concerts, he said.
He added, “We want to refurbish and re-launch the Nuga Sevana and also the Mihilaka Medura, the eco-friendly hall and we are even looking into the possibility of constructing an Amphitheatre.” Staff training and learning initiatives were carried out, he noted, “We have implemented continuous learning initiatives. We just launched an English language programme and next month we are conducting a series of service excellence programmes on quality, management and delivery. We are also highly safety conscious and all staff has completed very extensive training in safety and fire prevention”.
The BMICH was completed in 1973 as a gift to Sri Lanka from the Chinese Government in memory of late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and despite undergoing many refurbishments, with all costs met by the Chinese Government and a resident Chinese technical team, the media release stated. According to Mr. Dissanayake, the BMICH today is “a state-of-the-art conference and international convention centre with advanced and sophisticated equipment including the simultaneous translation facility for 32 languages and has 16 different venues spread across 42 acres of land catering to every possible occasion”.
Owned by the Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation (BNMF) and incorporated by an Act of Parliament whose line ministry is the Presidential Secretariat it is governed by a Board of Management led by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as Chairperson, the release said. The BMICH has its own dedicated kitchen with about 100 employees which include Catering, Operations and Restaurant Managers, an Executive Chef and Chefs and Waiting staff. The venue offers accommodation as well and works with its catering partner Mount Lavinia Hotel Catering Services (MLHCS).