Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
| Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall | |
|---|---|
බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්යාන්තර සම්මන්ත්රණ ශාලාව | |
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| Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Convention center |
| Address | BMICH Colombo, [Customer Services], Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07 |
| Town or city | Colombo |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 06°54′06″N 79°52′22″E / 6.90167°N 79.87278°E |
| Construction started | 1970 |
| Opened | 1973 |
| Owner | Sri Lankan Government |
| Grounds | 16,000 sq |
The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), (Sinhala: බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්යාන්තර සම්මන්ත්රණ ශාලාව) is a convention center located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Built between 1970 and 1973, the convention center was a gift from the People's Republic of China in memory of Solomon Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) from 1956 to 1959.
The construction of the Hall was carried out by a joint Sri Lankan and Chinese workforce with a considerable portion of the building materials being imported from China.
In 1998 a small Exhibition Centre, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre, was built on the grounds as a gift from China.
The BMICH premises is managed by the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation (BNMF) which is chaired by the President of Sri Lanka.
The BNMF has an academic wing specialized in International Relations, Languages & Cultural Studies named "Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)" located within the BMICH premises.
Facilities
With over 16,000 square feet (93,000 m²) of space, the BMICH is located in the Cinnamon Gardensarea in the heart of Colombo. An up-to-date library with volumes of literature on almost all subjects is available for the use of research for delegates visiting the BMICH. To facilitate with banking needs, a Bank is located near the main hall. Due to the high profile events taking place within the venue the Sri Lanka Police maintains a permanent detachment and the Mount Lavinia Hotel has a restaurant. The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre has floor area covering 4500 sq. m. consists of two exhibition halls, lobby, dining room, lounge, kitchen and other VIP amenities.
Events
Several high-profile events and exhibitions have been held in the venue, including the Non-Aligned Movement Summit August 16–19, 1976, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013, and the WORLD CONFERENCE ON YOUTH 2014. It is host to the annual EDEX Expo.
Local Events
There have been some local events and exhibitions held in Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center(SBMEC)such as
- BMICH Life Style Shopping Expo (April and December)
- Colombo International Book Fair
- Wedding Show
- Bridal show
- Pro Food
- Facets Gem
- Motor show
- Kedella (Architectural and furniture)
- Architect
Organizations
Found within the large grounds are several government and private organizations. These includes:
- Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
- Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
- LankaCert - Computer Emergency Response Team of the Sri Lankan Government
- National Police Commission
- Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Security Ltd.