Entertainment Village, the exciting new series of summer events, which was inaugurated yesterday evening at the Doha Exhibition Centre, created quite a stir with families thronging in to check the wide variety of culture-rich entertainment and fun leisure activities.
Running through August 15, the festival organised by the Qatar Tourism Authority in collaboration with SEQLIA Organizing, Building Exhibitions an Conferences Company is timed to offer families an incentive and invitation to visit during the summer holidays.
The first day of the festival just after it was formally opened by a group of school children saw crowds of children accompanied by their parents turn out in huge numbers. On display were not just a wide variety of games but also a large number of booths- the majority of which representing Chinese companies- selling anything from shoes, bags, toys to textiles.
Inside the sprawling exhibition centre, families strolled between the children games, restaurants and shopping booths. Children some holding balloons and others holding their newly acquired toy were running from one game to another.
Qatargas, one of the sponsors of the event put up an interactive display in support of the National Campaign foe Road Safety in cooperation with the Traffic and Patrols Department. On display were a seat belt ‘convincer’, a device that shows the chock one would receive without wearing a seat belt at 80 Km per hour. The other display is a roll over simulator.
The company also distributed brochures instructing on the proper use of child safety seats, road manners where drivers are reminded among other things to be courteous behind the wheel and avoid anger and aggressiveness while driving. Other advices given to drivers is to keep their car in good condition and to be aware of vehicles around them and to know how to safely share the rod with everything from motorcycles to trucks.
One of the booths that attracted great interest from visitors is La Perla di Torino, an Italian chocolate maker. Mary Anne, Sales Assistant at the booth told The Peninsula that this is the first time that the firm is taking part in an exhibition in Qatar. She said people were curious to know this new brand of chocolates, especially that the Italian town of Turin is considered the chocolate’s capital.
She also said the company will soon open a shop at the Mall, probably before the end of the year since it did not have a presence in Qatar.
On display at the booth are a wide variety of chocolates ranging from chocolate truffles, spread cream, chocolate bars, mixed pralines to coffee beans covered with chocolate to hazelnut’s cake.
Of interest also is the Dubai-based Dar Aoud Gallery Perfume Design booth manned by Saed Al Abbas who is a master perfume maker with 18 years experience.
What is unique about the Dar Aoud is that it offers not only ready-made perfumes but also blend them according to the customer taste. Al Abbas said the company has branches in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but that it participates in exhibitions around the Gulf.
The wide range of activities and events at Entertainment Village will ensure there is something for everyone. The event is open from 10 am to 10 pm from Saturday to Thursday an from 4pm to 10pm on Fridays. Entry tickets cost QR5 for children above 6 and adults, and game tickets start from QR5.
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