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ICCA Congress 2018 to support Dubai eyesight charity |
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Delegates at the 57th International Congress and Convention Association, ICCA, Congress, taking place in Dubai later this year, will have the opportunity to support a local charity that works on preventing visual impairment globally, with organisers partnering with Noor Dubai Foundation on a number of initiatives. The annual flagship event of the ICCA, which comes to the Middle East for the first time from 11th-14th November, will witness meetings with industry professionals from around the world. As with previous editions of the event, a strong corporate social responsibility, CSR, element has been incorporated, allowing members to contribute to and raise awareness of a global cause. On 12th November morning, the ICCA Charity Run’N’Walk will take place along the Arabian Gulf coastline at La Mer. Meraas, the developer behind La Mer, will be the official venue sponsor for the event, which is building on the first run at last year’s ICCA Congress in Prague. With the choice of a 3-km run or a 1.5-km walk, participants will be encouraged to donate to Noor Dubai Foundation. In addition, throughout the congress, delegates will have the opportunity to donate old pairs of glasses, including prescription glasses and sunglasses to Noor Dubai Foundation who will re-lens and distribute it to those in need through its mobile eye clinic campaigns. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, "When Dubai bid for the ICCA Congress, we made it clear that there would be a robust CSR element and partnering with Noor Dubai Foundation on these initiatives ensures we are able to live up to that promise. In choosing a charity to work with, the Local Host Committee was eager to select an organisation that has an international reach and can make a direct impact on people’s lives, and crucially, we wanted to make sure that delegates could easily get involved. With these initiatives in partnership with Noor Dubai Foundation, we will be able to ensure that the event leaves a strong legacy and enables delegates and organisers to make a lasting impact." Dr. Manal Taryam, board member and CEO of Noor Dubai Foundation, said, "Funding prevention of blindness programmes is a great opportunity for CSR and we would like to thank ICCA and the Local Host Committee for their support. Their contribution will greatly improve both the social and economic conditions of the individuals who will receive treatment through Noor Dubai programmes. "According to the World Health Organisation, 80 percent of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured and about 90 percent of the world's visually impaired live in developing countries. Through our international mobile eye camp outreach programme, Noor Dubai Foundation provides eye medical care in the form of vision screening, surgeries, and medication to those living in remote areas with minimal access to primary healthcare facilities." Dennis Speet, Acting CEO of the ICCA, said, "Ensuring our annual congress contains a strong, meaningful CSR element has long been a central aim of our event planning strategy. As a result, we partner with charitable organisations in every congress host destination, both to support local causes and allow our delegates the chance to give something back to the community that is so graciously hosting them. "Our Local Host Committee and Noor Dubai Foundation have outdone themselves with the variety of initiatives they have planned for our 2018 Congress; they have made it incredibly easy for delegates to get involved in supporting the foundation’s work at home and abroad. To maximise our impact on the charity’s cause, we will also make donations to Noor Dubai Foundation, replacing speaker and Local Host Committee gifts." |
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