Istanbul is ready for
ASTA International Destination Expo
Attendees of ASTA's International Destination Expo (April 19-22, Istanbul) will kick off the event with a casual reception on the Bosporus on the evening of April 19.
The following evening, attendees will celebrate the official kick-off with a sit-down dinner held at the 1,700-year old Binbirdirek Cistern, the second-largest covered Byzantine cistern in Istanbul. Both events are courtesy of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
"There is no better way to become an expert in a destination than by experiencing everything it has to offer. The Suada represents one of Istanbul's most popular destinations and offers a spectacular setting from which to view Istanbul by night, while the setting of the ancient Binbirdirek Cistern embodies Istanbul's rich history," said ASTA President and CEO Chris Russo. "They will both be evenings to remember."
Suada Istanbul is nestled between Asia and Europe, located at Kuruçeşme. It is a private island and home to three restaurants, a beach club and nightclub. It is the only island on the Bosporus and features 360-degree panoramic views of both continents and both sides of Istanbul. Guests will begin their evening with a leisurely 30-minute Bosporus cruise before arriving in Suada. There, they will be greeted by live music, spectacular views of Istanbul as well as a broad sampling of the cuisine that has made Turkey famous.
The following evening, guests will find themselves in the elegant setting of the Binbirdirek Cistern featuring 212 large stone columns throughout. Attendees will again experience the best of Turkish cuisine and music as they kick off the 2010 International Destination Expo.
Shane Hodges, area director of sales and marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts/Greece, Turkey & Cyprus, will be a featured speaker at the general session at ASTA's International Destination Expo (April 19-22, Istanbul) on April 21. He will speak to the topic of "Owning the Upswing," examining how the current global economic crisis has caused the travel industry to rethink its business strategies and processes. Hodges will speak to travel agents about how they can ensure they have momentum in their businesses, specifically addressing ways to innovate, transform and create new business opportunities.
Kay Urban, president and CEO of Amadeus Americas, will also be a speaker at the general session. She will address the topic of "Finding the Upside in the Downturn: Travel Trends That Could Impact Your Future," examining three important trends - increasingly expert travelers, the ever-more technological trip experience and the growth of niche travel - that are poised to reshape the travel industry and ways in which travel professionals can take advantage of opportunities on the horizon.
Check www.ASTA.org/ide to register for IDE and see which hotels are available. For more information or to register, go to ASTA.org/events.
Istanbul hosts LG Hausys Europe’s Annual Strategic Meeting
LG Hausys Europe, based in Switzerland, held their successful “HI-MACS® Strategic Meeting 2010” from 28 to 29 January in Istanbul.
The two day event featured presentation of new products, technical improvements and the latest marketing tools, and brought together nearly 100 professionals from across Europe and Asia. Istanbul’s status as 2010 European Capital of Culture and its attractive offering of accommodation, heritage and convenience helped win this year’s meeting, which in previous years had been held in Marakkesh, Morroco and Rome, Italy. LG Hausys (www.himacs.eu), which belongs to the LG Group, produces HI-MACS® Natural Acrylic Stone, “an innovative material for Architecture and Design”, which is distributed throughout Turkey and Europe.
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The conference was held at Conrad Hotel Istanbul, whose staff was appreciated for their helpful and professional hospitality. Attendees enjoyed typical Turkish cuisine at Kebaphouse Kosebasi (one of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" as voted by the 14,000 members of Conde Nast Traveler magazine) and at the charming Feriye Restaurant, located on the Bosphorus shore. A team scavenger hunt in the Grand Bazaar rounded out the Istanbul experience for the attendees.
The meeting site selection was conducted by HelmsBriscoe (
www.helmsbriscoe.com) – the world’s largest venue finding company with 1000 associates located in over 40 countries. Turkish destination management company ODS provided transportation and entertainment support for this successful event.
Istanbul Film Festival to take place in April 3-18
As Turkey's largest film activity, the International Istanbul Film Festival drew an audience of 162,000 last year. This year the programme is, once again, packed to the brim.
The International Istanbul Film Festival sustains its leadership in Turkey with the quality and diversity of the films screened, and its wide coverage of the production of international film industry. This year, the Festival will host more than 200 films under 23 categories, screening new features from 2009 and 2010 along with unforgettable classics of film and selections from filmographies of master filmmakers. The festival will bring in a truly carnivalesque atmosphere to the city for two weeks with new categories, famous guests, workshops and panel discussions with masters of film, film seminars and parties.
At the press meeting of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival that took place in Salon, the performance venue of the new IKSV building, Murat Göllü, Head of the Corporate Communications Department representing the Festival Sponsor Akbank stated: "Bringing together life with dreams for the last 29 years, İstanbul Film Festival is one of the most prestigious artistic events in Europe. We would like to congratulate İKSV for this success. We, as AKBANK, are glad to announce that we have decided to continue our support to this very important festival, for the following three years."
Can Fişek, from the Communications Directorate representing the Council of Europe for the FACE Council of Europe Film Award, which is given to a film in the Istanbul Film Festival section "Human Rights in Cinema" stated:
"The Council of Europe centres its efforts around the basic objective of improving human rights by sustaining the principles of democracy and rule of law. Moreover, the Council does not only regard film as an art from that disseminates ideas through narratives that engender laughter or tears, but also considers the art form as an important medium that contributes to raising individual awareness on certain issues, primarily on fundamental rights and freedoms. The Council of Europe Film Award FACE was founded with this principle in mind. The FACE Award will go to a work that examines successfully the theme of human rights and will be awarded for the fourth time at the International Istanbul Film Festival."
The 29th International Istanbul Film Festival will be inaugurated with an opening ceremony that will take place at the Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday evening April 2.
Tickets for the International Istanbul Film Festival will be on sale on Saturday March 20. Film buffs may purchase tickets at ticket boxes in the theatres Atlas and Yeni Rüya in Beyoğlu, the Kadıköy Theatre in Kadıköy, the İKSV Building (Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No: 5 Şişhane, every day 10:00-19:00) and Biletix.
Film lovers will once again have the privilege to watch the Festival films at convenient prices. As in the last two years, reduced admissions will continue this year as well. Regular tickets are 10 TL, reduced admission for students and senior citizens over the age of 65 are 7 TL. Tickets for all weekday daytime screenings are only 3.50 TL. Tickets for the Akbank Galas are 15 TL. Films from the Turkish Cinema category of the festival are 3.50 TL for every screening.
As always, Tulip cardholders have the opportunity to purchase tickets on pre-sale periods and with reductions... This year, university and high school students will obtain exclusive privileges through a special PasoFilm! card starting this year. Akbank's Axess card holders will benefit from a 20% reduction off all ticket prices of the Festival (except Turkish films and weekday daytime screenings).
Once again, the press and hospitality centre of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival will be Akbank Sanat. As in previous years, Teknosa will continue to provide technological support to the Press Centre, which is open to all accredited members of the press and the Hospitality Centre, prepared for distinguished guests to the Festival.
Festival screenings will take place in 7 movie theatres including Atlas, Rüya, Beyoğlu, Sinepop, Pera Museum theatres in Beyoğlu, the Kadıköy theatre in Kadıköy and the Nişantaşı CityLife Cinema (City's) during weekdays at the 16:00-19:00-21:30 screenings and on weekends.
Istanbul hosts Puppets of the world
Having been organized for 13 years the International Istanbul Puppet Festival is going to be realized as an event of 2010 European Capital of Culture events, spread in three terms this year with the support of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency:
1- 21 March: We are celebrating the World’s puppet day 21-27 March
2- The 13th International Istanbul Puppet Festival 4-16 May
3- World Puppets Exhibition 21 March-16 May
21 March the World’s puppet day celebrated in the entire world will be celebrated in Istanbul with a mini festival for the first time as this year Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture.
This mini festival to be realized under the art directorship of Cengiz Özek will be opened on Sunday 21 March 2010 at garajistanbul. One f the distinguished puppet groups of the Netherlands, Duda Paiva Company will attend the opening as guest and perform the show “Morningstar” which s interpreted by a mix technique featuring video, dance, puppets and actors.
At the opening of the festival three masters of Karagöz, Tacettin Diker, Orhan Kurt and Metin Özlen will be presented special awards. These three masters were assigned as “living cultural heritage” since UNESCO acknowledged the Karagöz play as a “verbal cultural heritage”.
Furthermore the “World Puppets” exhibition will be opened on the same day at the Taksim entrance of the Istanbul Metro and Kukla Istanbul where sample puppets of various techniques will be on display.
The festival hosts:
Unia Teatr Niemozliwy with “Toporland” with Tadeuzs Wierzbicki with “Male i” from Poland
Dresdner Figurentheater with “Psycho” and “The Story of the Little Much” from Germany
Slon Theatre with “The Bewitched Phaeton” from Bulgaria
Yumehina Group with “Unjo” from Japan
Velo Theatre with “The Postman” and Arkitel with "L'oeil du loup" from France.
Participants from Turkey are as follows:
Tacettin Diker with “Double Witches”, Orhan Kurt with “Dinghy”, Metin Özlen with “Ferhat and Şirin”, Anse Karagöz and the Puppet Theatre with “The Stingy Aga and the Turtle”, Kurmalı Salyangoz with “Four Seasons”, Cengiz Özek Shadow Theatre with “Magical Tree”, “Garbage Monster” and “Magic Lamp”.
Plays that take place in the festival will be staged on the French Cultural Center, Kukla Istanbul, garajistanbul and Notre Dame De Sion High-School. Additionally puppet making workshops will be opened for handicapped children with the support of the White Crescent (Beyaz Ay) Association.
Treasures of the Moscow Kremlin at the Topkapi Palace
The exhibition “Treasures of the Moscow Kremlin at the Topkapi Palace” was opened in cooperation among Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, Topkapı Palace Museum and Moscow Kremlin Palace Museum.
The exhibition is open to visitors until June 7, 2010, every day except Tuesdays between 09:00 and 17:00 at Topkapı Palace Has Ahırlar.
The protocol opening of the exhibition was realized on 11 March with the participation of Minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Ertuğrul Günay, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ankara Mr. Vladimir Ivanovski, the General Manager of the Moscow Kremlin Museum Dr. Elena Gagarina, Istanbul 2010 Europen Capital of Culture Agency Chairman of Board Mr. Şekib Avdagiç, and the Topkapı Palace Museum President Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı. Prominent names from the Turkish and Russian art and culture communities came together with important political figures of both countries during the exhibition opening.
Photographs from 3 Countries are at Istanbul Modern
The Istanbul Modern Photography Gallery is mounting an exhibition, “Time Within Us”, which will consist of works by photographers from Turkey, Russia and Greece. A collaborative effort on the part of 3 museums, “Time Within Us” is the first show of its kind opened jointly by the 3 countries.
The exhibition’s photographs were selected by the following: Engin Özendes, the Curator of Istanbul Modern Photography Exhibitions; Olga Sviblova, Director of the Moscow House of Photography; and, Vangelis Ioakimidis, the Director of the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography. The same photographs have been printed in 3 separate sets, with dimensions befitting the different galleries in which they will be shown.
Additionally, the photographs will be exhibited with comments by each of the 3 curators.
The exhibition will display photographs by artists from the 3 countries, as follows:
• from Turkey, Berk Bilgin, Tolga Özgal, Burcu Göknar, Deniz Açıkalın, and Yusuf Sevinçli;
• from Russia, Petr Lovigin, Georgy Pervov, Tim Parshikov, Natasha Pavlovskaya, and Ivan Mikhailov;
• from Greece, Paris Petridis, Panos Kokkinias, Yiorgos Kordakis, Stratos Kalafatis, and Christina Dimitriadis.
“Time Within Us”, consisting of 151 photographs by 15 artists (5 from each country), will be held at Istanbul Modern Photography Gallery, from 27 January to 16 May, 2010. It will also open at the Moscow International Photography Biennial in March 2010 and at the Thessaloniki International Photography Biennial in April 2010. As a result of this schedule, the show will be running concurrently in all 3 countries in April and May of this year.
“Time Within Us” does not aspire to present a comprehensive survey of current photography in Turkey, Russia or Greece. Rather, the aim is to give viewers a closer look at work by artists who are already well established in their own countries, as well as some who are just starting to make themselves known. By showing that all of us possess a time and space of our own, within ourselves, “Time Within Us” invites viewers to discover their own “personal time and space”.
At the same time, in the context of the relationship between life and art, the viewer will realize that each of the show’s 15 artists also have “an inner space” of their own, as well as their own individual temporalities and rhythms.
The “Time Within Us” project was initiated by one of the exhibition’s 3 curators, Engin Özendes. He has also identified 7 headings for the works to be displayed: “Observing”, “Remembering”, “Dreaming”, “Using The Light”, “Going Back”, “Enjoying” and “Celebrating”.
Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Asia
The Rezidor Hotel Group announces their third hotel in the European Capital of Culture Istanbul: The Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Asia featuring 194 rooms is scheduled to welcome the first guests in Q4 2011.
"I'm delighted to add a further property to our expanding portfolio in Turkey. Besides two other Radisson Blu hotels in Istanbul we are managing a Radisson Blu hotel in Ankara as well as a new Radisson Blu resort in Cesme, and control a total of 1,150 rooms", comments Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.
Ant Yapi, the owner of the new property, is one of the 70 biggest construction companies in the world, based on the ENR results 2009. With a high level of professionalism and entrepreneurship, Ant Yapi has a well known reputation all around Turkey and in the Eastern Europe. The new residence of Istanbul, Anthill; an astonishing project in Cesme, Port Alacati and the highest building in Moscow, Moscow City are recent works accomplished by the group.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Asia will be a spectacular new-build project on the Asian side of the city - located in the heart of the booming Atasehir district which is home to many international companies (also the Turkish Central Bank will be re-locating in the near future) and upscale residences. Besides 194 contemporary guest rooms with signature services such as free high speed internet access, the hotel will offer an all-day-dining restaurant, 2 bars, 10 function rooms (including a 375 square metre ballroom), a large health centre and a parking.
Turkish Airlines Launched Direct flights to Bologna
Turkish Airlines launched new flights between Istanbul Ataturk and Bologna, Italy. The daily service started on Monday March 1st, 2010.
With the start of Bologna flights Turkish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, offers a network of over 157 destinations and the airline flies to more than 120 international destinations worldwide.
The planned schedule will be as follows;
| Istanbul-Bolonya |
Departure/Arrival |
Daily |
10:40 12:20 |
Bolonya-Istanbul |
Departure/Arrival |
Daily |
13:20 16:50 |
All times are in Local Mean Time (LMT).
Tickets will be on sale from 115 Euros (without taxes) between 1st-31st March through thy reservations on 444 0 849.
To search the rest of the information please stay on our web site by clicking on
www.thy.com.
Picasso Engravings Exhibits At Pera Museum
Pera Museum in Istanbul hosts a collection of Pablo Picasso's engravings collection "Suite Vollard" from February 16 to April 18.
The exhibition presents entire collection, 100 pieces, considered the most important engraving series from the first half of the 20th century.
The engravings were a result of the collaboration between Picasso and his close friend, an ardent admirer of his work, an extraordinary editor and also a famous art dealer of the period, Ambroise Vollard.
Picasso - Suite Vollard, engravings exhibition, is one of the most marvellous series of engravings of all times. The exhibition is collaboration between the Pera Museum, Fundacion MAPFRE and Instituto Cervantes.
“Michelin Star” Dinner Experience at midtown hotel
midtown hotel welcomes Giuseppe Mancino, the Executive Chéf of PICCOLO PRINCE RESTAURANT. Giuseppe Mancino's delicious work has won his restaurant the prestigious Michelin Star in 2009.
Between March 15 and 21, the Executive Chéf of Michelin star PICOLLO PRINCE RESTAURANT will be serving a prestigious menu at midtown hotel.
Istanbulities and visitors of Istanbul can award themselves with a "Michelin Star" dinner.
"Michelin menu at midtown" by Giuseppe Mancino
March 15 - 21
- Creamed chickpeas and rosemary, paired with red shrimp and topped with caramel lobster sauce
- Panzanella Toscana, roasted scallops and crispy vegetables seasoned with vinaigrette
- Traditional ''Calamarata'' pasta From Gragnano served with green asparagus and variety of shell fish
- Sea Bass, with braised artichokes in fish soup
- Crema Cotta Caramel flavoured with soft mousse of mango and mint
Once in a lifetime opportunity!
On Thursday, March 18th between 4.00 pm till 7.00 pm Giuseppe Mancino will be giving a 2 hour workshop to Turkish Chefs at "Hobimle Mutluyum Lezzet Okulu." Do not miss this event. For Reservation: Seda Uzhan (0212) 361 6767
