Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) staff rolled out the red carpet to welcome the country’s president, Joko Widodo, who officially opened the centre's first stage today (August 4).
Operated by Deutsche Messe, the 3.8 trillion IDR (US$281m) centre is billed as one of the country’s largest exhibition and conference venues.
Stage one features 10 grand halls with a combined floorspace of 50,000sqm, a grand convention hall, outdoor space spanning 50,000sqm, a 295-room four-star hotel and parking area.
Further stages of the development will expand the convention and exhibition centre, add three-star and budget hotels, and office buildings.
Developing the 22ha site, at BSD City in Jakarta’s south, is Indonesia International Expo, a joint venture between property developer Sinar Mas Land and Kompas Gramedia.
“With various facilities and world-class service, we believe that ICE will be able to fulfill organiser needs, whether in Indonesia or international,” said Deutsche Messe president director of venue operation Mark Schloesser.
He added that the centre was one of the largest exhibition and conference venues in south east Asia.
“We hope that ICE will be the pride of Indonesia in the world level,” Schloesser said.
The centre has progressively staged exhibitions and events, including concerts by entertainers Michael Buble and Katy Perry, as construction neared completion.
Deutsche Messe officials said the project’s green credentials and transport links made it an attractive choice for organisers.
