A prelude to 9WZCongress

With the next World Zoroastrian Congress scheduled for December 28-31, 2009 in Dubai barely 18 months away, the buzz is that trade and business will get center stage along with the youth. In a missive to Parsiana, Congress chair Meher Bhesania has shared some of the Congress Committee’s plans for the event to be held at Holiday Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dubai with its large shopping arcade, quality food outlets and a night club. "The theme for the first day will be ‘Proud to be a Zoroastrian’ when a veritable Who’s Who from various industries, leaders of different community organizations and delegates from across the globe will attend the Congress,” states Bhesania, adding that the featured speaker at the opening session is this generation’s most prominent entrepreneur, Lord Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer. His keynote address is expected to be "followed by brief presentations and a spectacular cultural show created around an ancient story of Zoroastrians,” writes Bhesania.

The post-lunch session will begin with "Future responsible leaders” showcasing winners from the Youth Leadership Program which was launched in 2007 at the 14th North American Zoroastrian Congress in Toronto and is scheduled to close on April 30, 2009, according to Bhesania. Over 52 participants have enlisted and are expected to do different projects in their respective regions. The first three winning teams will receive cash prizes of US $ 3,000, US $ 2,000 and US $ 1,000 respectively. "Further, they will have the opportunity to interact with top luminaries at the Congress and their names will be forwarded to leading Zara­thushti business houses,” writes Bhesania, providing a strong clue to what the Dubai Congress Committee considers the most important need for the community. The rest of the afternoon will see parallel sessions until 5 p.m. when buses will take the delegates for short shopping trips.

Each morning is expected to commence with a breakfast show, "Good Morning Delegates,” when the media will interview leading businessmen, professionals and youth. "This year’s Congress will have a new feature: the Congress Daily, which will contain a compelling mix of reading, including reports of success stories and interviews with delegates and speakers,” states Bhesania.

The trade show on the second day (December 29) is meant to be a tribute to Dubai as the City of Merchants. Nadir Godrej, managing director of Godrej Industries, will address representatives from the business and professional community (Parsiana expects it will be one of his inimitable rhymed presentations). A UAE cabinet minister, the Indian ambassador to the UAE and an internationally renowned speaker (not yet identified) are then scheduled to speak to the audience. Government officials, international diplomats and regional businessmen will be welcomed to the show. Bhesania is hopeful that the trade show will offer excellent business opportunities to small, medium and large businesses.

A street in Dubai

The World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) will be holding its annual general meeting in conjunction with the Congress and will present their three awards for entrepreneurial/professional excellence in the community that day. Post lunch, while entrepreneurs big, small and would-be network with each other, other interests including science, technology, medicine, advertising, arts, culture, heritage, archeology, education, etc are expected to be addressed in parallel sessions, notes Bhesania. Parsiana readers will notice the veering away from the usual sticking points of the community’s orthodox and liberal lobbies.

There will be cultural shows every evening after dinner, put together and performed by professionals and youth from the community from various parts of the world. "All performances will be outstanding, guaranteed to be remembered by the audience for a long time to come,” assures Bhesania listing the Celebrity Show, the Gala Awards function, the Persian Night, the hand-over of the torch, the Zoroastrian Symphony Orchestra, the Closing Ceremony and the New Year’s Eve party as "not-to-be-missed events.”

Dubai’s spectacular Burj al Arab

Cultural/Heritage, Exhibition, Party, Function and Meeting zones denote the five spaces in which the venue is to be divided, with the main hallway decorated to exude the ambience of an indoor festival. There will also be break-out rooms and conference facilities and ample floor space for exhibitors to display their products and services including paintings, photographs, carpets, jewellery, artefacts, souvenirs and much more. For those seeking career opportunities there will be special bureaus as well as kiosks where delegates could explore investment opportunities in property in Dubai and the UAE. A special desk will be available for handling trade enquiries from entrepreneurs and businessmen interested in setting up small to medium businesses in the UAE. Not forgetting the Zoroastrian comm-unity’s spirit of charity, Operation Eye-sight, so successful at the Toronto Congress, will see another edition. Those attending the Congress are requested to contribute their used and usable spectacles for the benefit of those economically and visually handicapped around the world.

Bhesania says that the Congress website (www. wzcongress.org) will be constantly upgraded and kept au courant. The registration fee will cover the cost of food and cultural events on all four days. Registration will open from August end 2008 at the lowest rate possible. The Congress organizing team is working hard to raise sponsorships to keep the registration fee as low as possible, she notes. Accommodation rates for hotels and apartments are also under negotiation and details will be uploaded soon on the website.