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 Exactly
one year has passed since our team flew down to the heart of the Turkish
Riviera “Bodrum” to the wonderful Marmara Hotel overlooking St.Peter’s
Castle, to celebrate the ending of a successful season. It was time to
rejoice a memorable year not only for ODS but for Turkey, having hosted
many mega organizations with success.
In our annual meeting, we reaffirmed our vision to strive for
Technologically Advanced, Personally Equipped & Creatively Programmed
Services. And with the new year, we did just that. 2006 has been a year
of many exciting ventures for ODS. We have operated many International
Groups and Projects some of which we will share with you in our
newsletters.
We wish all our colleagues in the industry a peaceful and prosperous New
Year.
ODS Team
ODS Turkey Log
 NewsXchange
2006
More than 400 delegates from 50 countries representing a total of 150
news organizations took part at NewsXchange 2006 held in Istanbul
between 2-3 November. The conference was transmitted through satellite
transmission to EBU Geneva, as well as video conferencing enabled
participants from 15 countries to join the discussion through satellite
link that was reflected onto five giant screens installed at the Conrad
Hotel’s Ballroom. ODS handled the land operations of the program.
Meeting Point
ODS and Turkey’s biggest Cinema chain
AFM have teamed up to bring Meetings Closer, Clearer and more Cost
Effective to companies around the country. With over 150 theatres
located in 11 cities, companies can now reach out to their employees &
customers more frequently in a dynamic and Hi-tec setting.
Russian Fam Trip
Our Russian Colleagues e many fun
activities such as “ebru painting” at the old city, food shopping at a
fresh produce market and cooking class with the Turkish / World Fusion
Cook Mike Norman at the trendy 360° Restaurant. Following sight seeing
tours during the day, our colleagues dined at the luxurious “Les
Ottoman” hotel, the new deluxe seaside boutique property. In the late
hours of the evening our guests enjoyed night caps at the famous Reina
Night Club and Q Jazz Club.
Professor Stefano D'Anna in Istanbul
A pragmatic dreamer, a philosopher of action, a figure of visionary
entrepreneurship and the author of three books: Berlusconi in Concert,
The Individual Revolution, and The School for Gods has held his second
workshop on Integrity in Istanbul. Organized by ODS, the 2-day courses
examining the importance of integrity in today’s organizations was held
at the seaside mansion of Sait Halim Pasha, a beautiful ornate wooden
villa on the shores of the Bosphorus.
ODS on the Road Again
CONFEX
Yes, we were there again at the Turkey Booth with Janice and Gulsah.
3D Destinations Road Show
Onur from Incentives Department joined in with our new cruise partners
3D Destinations for a Road Show, stopping in New Orleans for an
inspiring team building event.
Starcite Road Show
Sadik joined the Starcite team along with … for a week long Road Show
visiting Minneapolis, Dallas, San Francisco & Los Angeles. |
International Film
Festival
31 March – 15 April 2007
Having celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006, the Istanbul Film
Festival is still going strong, attracting 85,000 viewers every year.
The program covers everything from art, culture and feature films to
literature, music and theatre.
Anzac Memorial Day
25 April 1915 is the Anzac landing at Gallipoli. Each year there are
Australian and New Zealand memorial services held at the Commemorative
sites Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair.
International Istanbul Music Festival
2- 30 June 2007
A distinguished line-up of musicians will descend on Istanbul in summer
2007. Visitors should make sure to attend a classical or traditional
music concert inside the 4th-century St Irene's Church, the first ever
to be built by Emperor Constantine. For pre-program please
click here
International Istanbul Jazz Festival
4-15 July 2007
One of the best organized festivals in Europe, the International
Istanbul Jazz Festival has brought many renowned artists, including Eric
Clapton, Sting, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Massive Attack, Dead Can Dance,
Suzanne Vega, Bobby McFerrin, Randy Crawford, The Manhattan Transfer,
Ornette Coleman, Marcus Miller, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis, Goran
Bregovich, Tori Amos and Elvis Costello to Istanbul’s music lovers.
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Grand Prix Istanbul
24-25-26 August 2007
Don’t miss the race of the year. |
International Istanbul Biennial
8 September – 4 November 2007
The 10th International Istanbul Biennial, organized by the Istanbul
Foundation for Culture and Arts, will be open in the city from September
8 - November 4, 2007, under the curatorship of Hou Hanru, currently
Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs at San Francisco Art
Institute.
Party Destination of the Year
“Amid the minarets of Istanbul, Club music pulses” is the name of the
article written by Seth Sherwood and published in the New York Times
which highlights the increasing affluence of under-30 population in
Istanbul and the rise in numbers of trendy night clubs like Reina,
Blackk, Sortie, making Istanbul one of the leading music centers of the
world. To read the article please
click here
REINA is celebrating its sixth year in one of the most beautiful
locations of the Bosphorus and is continuing to serve “the best” to its
guests by co-opting with the most successful restaurant brands.
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SORTIE located a few hundred meters from Reina, another very
popular hot spot with a dance floor surrounded by superb restaurants
serving traditional to Japanese cuisine
And the Nobel goes to
Orhan Pamuk, the celebrated
Turkish novelist, won the Nobel prize for literature for his multitude
of works that deal with the symbols of clashing cultures. Pamuk's work
inhabits the shifting ground of an increasingly dangerous cultural and
religious overlap, where ideologies as well as personalities collide. |
Park Hyatt
Another landmark turned Hotel
The historic Maçka Palace will be transformed into Park Hyatt Maçka
Palace by late 2007. The luxury boutique hotel will have 85 guest rooms.
Sheraton in Istanbul Again
Former Mövenpick now The Istanbul Princess Hotel located at the new
business district of Maslak is getting ready to re-open as the Sheraton
Istanbul Maslak following an extensive renovation. The new will have 305
guestrooms.
Accor Group
The French hotel group "Accor" has announced that it plans on investing
300 million Euro in Turkey by the year 2015. Of the 50 hotels to be
built by 2015, 40 will be Ibis hotels, and 10 will be Novotels.
Mövenpick Hotels
Following Mövenpick’s first boutique property at Istanbul’s business
district in 2003, the Swiss international chain will open its second
property Mövenpick Suites & Spa in the prime residential district by mid
2008 followed by a Resort property in Bodrum.
W Hotels
Heads for the heart of Istanbul
W hotels will open in late 2007 at the historical row of buildings
located near the Dolmabahce Palace, constructed by Sultan Adbulaziz in
the 1870's The W Istanbul will have approximately 130 rooms, including
suites and duplex suites, many with their own private gardens.
Historic Pera Palace
Hotel for the distinguished guests of the Orient Express, has closed its
doors for the first time after 132 years. The hotel will go through an
extensive renovation after which it will open as an ultra luxurious
hotel.
Pope Visits
Turkey
Pope Benedict XVI visited Turkey between 28 November – 1 December 2006.
During his 4 day visit, the Pope held a mass at the House of Virgin Mary
at Ephesus where it is believed that Mary spent her last days having
been escorted here in 37AD by St.John. The spiritual leader of the
Catholic Church also paid a special visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque
where together with the head cleric of Istanbul Mustafa Cagrici held a
moment of quiet meditation.
The image of the two men representing two very different faiths but
sharing a moment of individual prayer was seen as highly significant.
Perhaps “a way of peace for the good of all humanity," the Pope said
during the visit.
Whirling Dervishes
One of the most enduring and exquisite ceremonies of spirituality,
called Sema carried out by the “whirling dervishes,” unites three
fundamental components of human nature: the mind (as knowledge and
thought), the heart (through the expression of feelings, poetry and
music), and the body (by activating life, by turning). These three
elements are thoroughly joined both in theory and in practice as perhaps
in no other ritual or system of thought. |
