By now, I’m sure you have heard of the infamous event that MTC Dome Namibia hosted in 2022. Yes, we’re referring to the WorldSkills Africa Swakopmund 2022 (WSAS2022) three-tier event under the auspices of the Namibia Training Authority, of course. 

The vision of WSAS2022 is to raise the profile and recognition of skilled people and to show how important skills are in achieving economic growth and personal success.

The action-packed six-day event took place from the 28th of March 2022 to the 2nd of April 2022 and included a Skills Competition, a Careers Exhibition, and an International Conference. At the heart of it all was the MTC Dome team. Let’s check out this magnificent facility and how they helped bring this continental event to life. 

MTC Dome Namibia Overview

The MTC Dome is a high-performance, multi-functional international standard facility that prides itself in hosting world-class events, facilitating sport and youth development and has state-of-the-art conference facilities. In addition, the MTC Dome is conveniently located minutes from the town centre and within walking distance of the beach.  

It has five floors (24,100m²) and amenities, including a modern hotel, restaurants, sports bar, a high-performance health training center, conference and breakaway venues, offices, an indoor sports centre (6,100m²), spa, sauna, a heated indoor swimming pool and a rooftop deck.

MTC Dome Responsibilities at WSAS2022

MTC Dome was the host of the WorldSkills Africa event and also helped with the planning. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to pull off such a prestigious affair. 

Skills Workshops Setup and Support

The team constructed the mobile partitions and supplied utilities (water, compressed air and electricity) to all Skills Stands. 

These Skills Area’s construction started on the 7th of March and was ready by the 18th of March 2022. They set up two additional tents to accommodate the number of vocational stands, and another was added as a dining tent to serve food to participants. 

Namibia Training Authority was responsible for the set up of the competition zoning, preparation and organisation of operational activities. 

The participant categories at the WSAS2022 included: 

• Competition Organisers
• Competitors
• Conference Moderators
• Conference Participantsa
• Conference Presenters
• Country Representatives
• Event Organising Partners
• Exhibitors 
• Media Crew
• National Experts
• Observers
• Skills Assistants
• Sponsors
• Team Leaders
• VIP’s
• Volunteers
• Workshop Managers
• WSI Experts

Catering

The MTC Dome was involved in the catering for the event. These meals amounted to a total of:

Regular meals	16,476
Conference meals	1,001
Conference breaks	1,643
Pre-opening & pre-closing ceremony meals	1,164

The first floor of the MTC Dome was used as a VIP Lounge for the WSI Experts, VIPs, visiting Ministers, country representatives, national experts and team leaders. Taste Restaurant catered for all participants and a variety of meals were served at a VIP Lounge, The Dome Restaurant, an adjacent Dining tent and at the Rooftop Deck during the event. Each section could accommodate the following number of seats at a time. 

• VIP Lounge: 50 seats
• Dome Restaurant: 104 seats
• Dining Tent: 420 seats
• Rooftop Deck: open seating

Alongside the Dining tent were 11 informal vendors that offered local cuisine to visitors. 

Meanwhile, the Rooftop Deck (located on the 3rd floor) was used as a recreational area for Competition participants. It can accommodate up to 300 guests when seated and 500 when standing. 

Photography and Social Media Coverage

The MTC Dome provided photography, social media content, and digital marketing services for all the main and side events. They helped participants with their brand awareness and exposure to ensure growth after the event closed. 

TVET Conference Coordination

In addition to all the other unique features that the MTC Dome offers, they also have a Conference Centre on the 4th floor. This conference room seats 600 delegates in a cinema-style seating arrangement.

For the WorldSkills Africa Swakopmund 2022 event, this room was used to host the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Promoting Skills Development in the 21st Century for Sustainable Economic Growth and African Ownership,” and it took place on the 29th, 30th, and 31st of March, making it a three-day conference. The conference attracted 360 delegates consisting of educators, ministers, government officials, leaders of business and industry, and youth.

They used high-quality audio-visual equipment and accessories for the conference, a high-speed Wi-Fi connection for live streaming throughout the conference, and simultaneous translation services for English, French, and Portuguese. There were also reporters present that facilitated notes of the main points of discussions. Not to mention that all the presentations were available within 24 hours of the TVET Conference. 

Setup of Special Lounges, Meeting Rooms and Venues

The MTC Dome also set up seven otherworldly executive boardrooms and VIP business suites, of which four offers a 360-degree view of Swakopmund, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the attendees. 

These rooms were used as special lounging areas and meeting rooms during the WSAS2022 and even included delicious refreshments to take the experience to the next level. 

Medical Services

The MTC Dome ensured the safety of each delegate by providing premium medical services and emergency procedures during the WSAS2022. What are a few of these medical services? Let’s take a look. 

On the 2nd floor of the MTC Dome, there was a medical centre to assist in any emergencies. It supported the Logistics and Procurement Committee and COVID-19 Committee Members. 

The MTC Dome also appointed EMed Rescue 24 to supply basic life support medical services on-site, including: 

• Two medical crew members from 08:00 – 17:00 daily. 
• A primary ambulance was on standby. 

All areas (work and skills) had first aid stations too. These stations included essentials such as eyewash bottles; and fire blankets for hot work and cooking areas. Furthermore, they ensured that all supervisors and workshop managers were trained in basic First Aid. 

Each first aid station was signposted, and the emergency procedures and evacuation plans were posted in all areas. As for the emergency exits, they are all clearly marked throughout the facility.

If an emergency were to occur, and a patient would need to be evacuated, an emergency evacuation plan was put in place and would follow the initial First Aid. 

Health, Safety And Environment

A prerequisite condition of participation within the WSAS2022 was adherence to the Health, Safety, and Environment rules. These rules were not ignored, even for the sake of expediency.  

The Dome conducted risk assessments to prevent and mitigate incidents, injuries, health exposures and environmental impacts on all facilities, activities, processes, equipment, and services related to the WSAS2022. Furthermore, the MTC Dome has a risk assessment and safety management system, which includes the critical control systems to mitigate and control risks by applying management policies, processes and procedures.

They also took extra precautions by doing introductory briefings on safety measures, production control, site examination for the absence of harmful environmental impact, primary firefighting equipment, etc. All of this helped ensure the absolute safety of each delegate that attended the WSAS2022 event. 

Conclusion

The WSAS2022 event was an extraordinary experience that took a lot of precise planning and dedication. We now know what it took to pull off the WSAS2022 event and how the MTC Dome assisted in the success of this gathering. So, are you ready to book your next event at the MTC Dome? Contact us to find out how we can help you.  

Email us at bookings@thedomenamibia.com for a quotation or call +264 (64) 400 301 for more information.