What will make your facility a top meetings and convention destination?
We are part of the Qatar Foundation's Education City, which includes top universities, the SIDRA Medical and Research Center, and the Qatar Science & Technology Park. And the fact that we have AEG Ogden (one of the largest facility and entertainment companies in the world) as managers gives us access to a great amount of expertise. Using that - and a building that is a benchmark in global venue design - we intend to make it one of the most spectacular facilities in the world.

What kinds of groups are you targeting?
We are looking to capitalize on education, health care, sports, financial and legal services, and - obviously, since Qatar is oil- and gas-rich - oil and gas conferences. We are very close to signing five or six major international conventions. Our largest purpose-built plenary will seat 4,200, and we've got a 2,500-seat theater. But with ingenuity and flexibility, we could potentially put in 10,000 people, using three of our exhibition halls.

How are you marketing your destination?
We feel it is all about relationships. Our team at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) are experienced meeting industry professionals, and we all have solid business relationships with many business associations, corporations, meeting planners and exhibition organizers, PCOs [Professional Conference Organizers], and other major organizations. What we're trying to do now is increase those relationships by exposing ourselves to North American markets. What I've learned is that there is a great deal of interest in the Middle East from North America.

What will make your convention center stand out as a good value in a competitive environment?
Qatar is a more cost-effective alternative, especially compared with some neighboring countries. There's a good range of hotels, from three-star to six- and seven-star hotels. We are just going through the process of setting the convention center venue rates, and we intend to be very competitive as well.

What makes the destination an attractive option?
Qatar is ranked as one of the world's most peaceful countries. It's a relatively new option for many organizations, so it has a novelty value. And a lot of associations are recognizing that they have members in this area and are putting the Middle East and Qatar on their rotational patterns. Qatar also is increasing its awareness through the wonderful Qatar Airways, which is a five-star airline, now flying to more than 80 destinations, including Washington, D.C., and New York City.

And Qatar is a more authentic Arabian destination than some of our neighbors, which are quite glitzy. We've maintained the souk, which is the marketplace. While it's been modernized, it's been modernized in the old style. We've also got some new buildings coming online, including the I.M. Pei-designed Islamic Art Museum, on the corniche, or waterfront.

Where has your career taken you?
I started my career in Ireland as a trainee hotel manager with Jurys Hotel Group, and spent 15 years with Intercontinental Hotels in London, Paris, and Sydney. I joined the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in 1994, and spent nine years there in various roles, including deputy chief executive. I opened the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre in western Australia and ran it for two-and-a-half years. And then this opportunity in Qatar came up, and I thought: one more opening in an exciting destination.