Myanmar set to ring in the New Year

Index Creative Village, the country's largest event organiser, will host Myanmar's first countdown in Yangon, expecting to draw 50,000 to the celebration.

The company, through its subsidiary Myanmar Index Creative Village (MICV), will spend 35 million baht to stage the first countdown in the neighbouring country on the 40-rai Myoma Ground in the heart of the former capital.


"We're bringing a new trend and a joyful celebration to Myanmar. People there have no idea about countdowns, as the country has never celebrated this before," said co-chief executive Kriangkrai Kanjanapokin.

During the Myanmar Countdown 2013, Shwedagon Pagoda, the symbol of Yangon, will be illuminated as the celebration's backdrop.

About 80% of visitors will be city residents and the rest from other cities.

The countdown will gather a host of celebrities and artists in Myanmar, and the event will be broadcast live on local TV. Forever Group, the big media group in Myanmar, is the media partner with MICV.

Mr Kriangkrai said MICV also received permission from Yangon to organise the countdown event and a licence from the Defence Ministry to use the venue.

It will seek assistance from the country's military to provide security during the celebration.

Index, the world's seventh-largest event organiser, will ship world-class equipment such as light and sound systems to Myanmar.

"We're investing to showcase this countdown and set a new standard for Myanmar's event-organising industry. We hope advertising agencies there will be eager to sponsor our new events," he said.

Last weekend, American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz rocked Yangon as the first international star to perform in Myanmar and drew a crowd of 50,000 to the base of Shwedagon.

The event-organising industry in Myanmar is worth 300 million baht and will grow at least 20% next year.

After the countdown, MICV next year will organise at least two more major events in the country.

source: Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/327041/myanmar-set-to-ring-in-the-new-year