It was, however, not the same without our MCEI friends from Japan, Taipei , Brussels, Rome, Australia or Liverpool (or even US) whom we missed terribly, but we had to welcome the brand new MCEI Moroccan family ... our first chapter on African land. Landed in Fez at 03:00 a.m., we were greeted by the Berber (Atlas shepherd) musicians with their nay (flute) and their riqq (tambourine) and were offered the traditional welcome camel-milk and dates. We barely had any time for sleep as we left early morning by bus to Ifrane's new university site called Akhawayn where the Congress was to be held. Mike Fani, President and Founder of the Casablanca Chapter with an important delegation of Moroccan members gave us a very warm welcome. Together with our world President, Dr. Prof Paul Genton, he opened the Congress meeting followed by the greeting message given by His Excellency Karim Kassi Lahlou, Governor of Ifrane.
The theme for this new Congress "Morocco: its marketing, its communication" was widely and diversely treated by eminent personalities such as Mr Omar Bennani (director of development and investment at the Ministry of Tourism and Artcraft) who gave us an insight on "vision of 2010, balance-sheet of stopover and future perspectives"; Mr. Mohssine Semmar (director of studies and industrial planification within the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and New Technology) who told us more about the "emergency plan, communication of an intentional strategy for investors"; Mr. Bachir Rachdi (President of the TIC Association and offshoring) who explained how offshoring made use of "information and communication technologies" for its promotion. At coffee break all members and visitors made further acquaintance.
During the second session, Mrs Youssra Benchrif (in charge of Communication within the university) explained how this noble institution is in fact "an important factor of development and progress". The closing presentation was entrusted to Mr. Mohamed Berrada, eminent world-known personality, previous CEO of Royal Air Morocco, and honorary lecturer at this university. He started off by a presentation of the "liberalization policy in Moroccan air transportation" which rapidly gave way to a general debate involving a good number of participants.
During the luncheon held on the premises, we were able to further develop acquaintances with the ritual visiting card exchange and promises of mutual business development.
At the end of the congress, we explored the imperial cities, classified as Unesco World Heritage Sites: Fez, Meknes, Salé with their historical monuments, Roman remnants in Volubilis, the inevitable souks, the making of "Moroccan leather" dyed traditionally with no chemicals, and ended up in a wine cellar in Meknes where, after a visiting guided tour, wine tasting of noble home vines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Chardonnay was an elegant fullstop to our journey. Golf-players where enchanted by the various "greens" offered to them in Fez, Meknes and Rabat.
A memorable congress indeed in a country which stands out by the diversity of its origins: Arab, Andalous, Berber or African. This diversity and internationalism is recognizable by the facility the Moroccan population expresses in the use of French, Spanish, Arabic, various dialects and now even English. But most of all, we wish to thank our Moroccan friends for their natural enthusiasm, their empathy and their kind and gracious welcoming attitude extended to their hosts all along.
A warm welcome to the MCEI Casablanca Chapter. Gracie Beiner
MCEI Geneva |
