Middle East tension prompts BIR convention shift

The US-Iran conflict has forced BIR to relocate its October convention from the Middle East to a European city.

Bahrain had been the world recycling organisation’s first choice but tensions in the region have forced it to switch to the southern Spanish city of Malaga. BIR has also revealed that its convention in May 2027 will be held in Rome.

Kicking off a media briefing before the latest convention in Gothenburg, Sweden, president Susie Burrage acknowledged it was unfortunate that three in a row would now be held in Europe.

‘We had secured a venue [in Bahrain] but due to tensions, we had to pause that,’ she said, adding Bahrain was a wonderful venue which BIR hoped to use in the future.

Pivot

Brian Henesey, who chairs BIR’s convention committee, said Malaga had always been intended as a venue for the future ‘but we had to shift the pivot quickly’.

Ahead of the opening sessions, 1 700 delegates from 57 countries have signed up for the convention, below the record 2 000 attendees at the Valencia convention a year ago. Director general Arnaud Brunet said the military action launched by the US against Iran in late February had hit the rate of registrations, which had been on course for a higher figure. They had since picked up, he added.

‘But we are now way above what we feared; it could have been worse.’

Future conventions

The Malaga and Rome venues had been announced by Henesey who said he hoped to say soon where the October 2027 convention would be held. ‘Knowing where we are going to be [that far ahead] is beneficial.’

Proceedings at the convention in the Gothia Towers hotel and event complex in Gothenburg take place from 1-3 June.