BUCHAREST, JULY 26 (ONASA – OTS) – The World Trade Center (WTC) Bucharest recently hosted a celebration of the 30th anniversary since it opened its doors to the public.
Its establishment marked the beginning of changes in Romania and is now considered a living proof that the essence of revolutions is not in tearing down walls, but in building bridges to connect people around the world.
Mircea Urzahe, general director of WTC Bucharest, pointed out during the celebration that “30 years ago, in a country where economic decision-making was extremely centralized, a group of investors with a vision of the future opened a revolutionary complex to enable interested foreign investors to enter Romania. From the very beginning, our idea was to choose as a partner a company specialized in management, which, most importantly, has experience in managing a globally successful network. So the Accor Group not only took over the management of the hotel, but also became a shareholder of the company with the WTC license.”
This complex was more than a building for the Romanians. It was a symbol of openness, a gateway to the world outside the Iron Curtain.
The construction of WTC Bucharest was started in 1992, just a few years after the fall of the Ceausescu regime. Architects and builders worked tirelessly to create a modern miracle – a 13-story tower that will redefine the contours of Romania.
Business deals were made within these walls. Entrepreneurs, diplomats and visionaries gathered to discuss trade, investments and cooperation. WTC Bucharest was not only a physical place, but also a bridge connecting Romania with the global economy. As a country affected by privatization and market reforms, Romania offered a platform, a place where dreams meet reality.
“Given the experience gained in the past three decades and the signing of several partnership agreements with other WTC members, we want the WTCA network to expand not only globally, but also throughout Romania and the Republic of Moldova. A larger number of WTC members could even mean a bridge between Western WTC companies and those in Asia,” said Urzahe.
WTC Bucharest encouraged not only business deals, but also cultural events. The works of talented Romanian artists and international masterpieces decorated the walls of WTC Bucharest as part of art exhibitions. This center has become a crossroads of culture – a place where tradition meets innovation. For Andrea Dima, infrastructure and resources manager of WTC Bucharest, “the WTC concept meant a completely new world, so different from everything I had seen before. Every day when I came to work I felt as if I had traveled abroad.”
“The opportunity to host the 45th WTCA Global Business Forum (formerly the “General Assembly”) in 2014 was a very meaningful and unique experience for us, bringing together delegates from WTC locations around the world to explore business opportunities in the Romanian capital. The legacy of WTC Bucharest grew over time. This is not only about trade, but also about ambitions. “Romania looked towards the West, eager to learn, connect and progress,” added Dima.
The team of WTC Bucharest celebrated 30 years of operation of WTC Bucharest this anniversary of successful joint business with French interest groups that have been with it since the beginning of work – the construction company Bouygues Bâtiment International and the global management company Accor Group – which are among the first from the West invested significant capital in Southeast Europe in this “property with a purpose”.
At the ceremony, the teams reflected on the opportunities that WTC Bucharest offered to the local community, as well as to themselves in their private lives. Joan Furmanoar, director of financial control and regional financial director for Africa and Central Europe at Bouygues Bâtiment International, stated that “WTC Bucharest has its roots in the history, culture and natural environment of the city. It reflects Bucharest in terms of modernity and openness to the world.” Jean Vendling, vice president of operations for Eastern Europe at Accor, said the following: “Over all these years, we have created a destination within the city in the hotel and convention center.” Gabriela Mida, ESG project manager at AccorInvest, recalled the beginning of her engineering career at SOCOTEC, when she worked on the Bucharest WTC project, before joining his team as a project quality manager in charge of infrastructure and resources and client relations. She stated that her experience working at WTC Bucharest gave her the confidence and connections she needed when she moved to France and pursued her career at Accor, which has been a partner of WTC Bucharest since the beginning.
The ceremony was also attended by several WTC representatives from francophone countries – including Patrisja Mojnar-Druvo, director of WTC Mec-Sarbriken; Paskal Hervju, senior consultant at EURAGGLO SAS (members of WTC Lil), and Ahmed Tibaui, general director and general manager of WTC Algiers – which confirms the strong ties between the Francophone and Romanian communities.
“WTC Lil has had very good personal relations with WTC Bucharest for years. I have witnessed its development and of course I am here to celebrate 30 years of achievements. There is a natural business trend between Eastern Europe and France that should continue to grow. We are certainly in close contact because WTC Lil cooperates with some Eastern European WTC members in Poland and Romania, and our clear interest is to expand these contacts so that we can offer our members entry into these markets through direct sales, joint ventures or other forms of local presence Hervju commented.
“Through regular meetings at WTCA gatherings, such as the annual Global Business Forum and Members’ Forum, we have made valuable connections that allow us to learn from WTC Bucharest, which received its WTC license long before WTC Algeria. As a result of these relations, in 2008 we organized a successful trade mission in Bucharest, and the following year we received a delegation of Romanian companies in Algeria. Today, thanks to a strong institutional framework, there is great potential for trade and investment between all countries, based on valid bilateral and multilateral agreements in the world. WTCA is a unique organization with members in nearly 100 countries around the world. By enhancing cooperation through trade missions, conferences, seminars and fairs, WTCA and its WTC members around the world can play a key role in promoting international trade and investment, which will ultimately contribute to global economic growth,” said Tibaui.
“WTC Bucharest has been continuously providing exceptional conditions and business networking services to its members for 30 years,” said Mojnar-Druvo. “The WTC Bucharest team is proud to be actively involved in the economic promotion of Bucharest and Romania, which we were able to see for ourselves at the celebration of this anniversary.”
Celebrating three decades of WTC Bucharest business highlighted the importance of the influence of the WTC brand on the economic development of the local community and the unlimited opportunities that arise from cooperation with people around the world through the global WTCA network. (end)