SPOTLIGHT ON: IMCC Sultanate of Oman

Jared Mensah, Director of Greenway Associates and our cultural industries expert, recently attended the International Museum Construction Congress (IMCC) in the Sultanate of Oman in February this year. The main purpose of the visit was to spend time with fellow professionals and stakeholders at the IMCC, to explore the rich history of Oman, and to visit cultural sites and museums including the Oman Across Ages Museum. Greenway Associates were the cost consultants for this project.

OMAN ACROSS AGES MUSEUM

The Oman Across Ages Museum hosted Day 2 of the congress, providing an opportunity for us to look around the impressive galleries again. It was a chance to reflect on the immense costing work that was done. Greenway Associates worked alongside lead designer Esteban and his team at Event. Jared was part of a team of attendees who were given an exclusive preview to visit Al Mirani Fort which is closed to the public. This 16th Century Fort built by the Portuguese, has historic significance and forms part of the impressive view of Muscat.

AL MIRANI FORT

Jared was pleased to present on a subject which is fundamental to the specialist service Greenway Associates provide to their clients. The presentation was well received and resonated with many in the audience. Discussions with the audience carried on well into the post-congress reception. The question that instigated the most reaction from the audience was “What are the benefits of being transparent when discussing cost?” It was interesting to hear viewpoints and experiences from different stakeholders in the museum industry including clients, designers, architects, consultants and contractors. These viewpoints are helpful to understand how others felt about this subject and what could be done to reduce the risk of inaccurate forecasting.

JARED’S PRESENTATION