The transformation process

From the Milan Pavilion to the Loumbila Centre

2015 : Crucial planning

• In Ouagadougou, the business plan has been established with the help of experts from the sector and potential clients. Our expatriate representative is working with the Burkina Faso Red Cross on a market study and project planning (status, size, type of activity, resources necessary, products and services offered, cost, communication and distribution strategy…). An accurate assessment of the centre’s cost-efficiency was necessary. The pavilion also had to be rethought, taking into account the technical and cultural adaptations that had to be made.

• In Monaco, our teams, in cooperation with the Government of Monaco, actively sought partners who supported us in this venture. A partnership charter and strategy were adopted. Presentations and communication tools were created. Efficient planning and communication enabled the project to be implemented successfully.

• In Milan, the project was presented in the exhibition hall, as well as at a “national” day on 9^th June 2015. Several partners were involved in this, including the Condé School in Nice, the Facts and Fiction Agency, the Federall Agency and Monaco Inter Expo. The Expo Milan 2015 host staff were authorised to welcome visitors and provide them with information about the project.

2016 – 2017 : Transfer of pavilion, construction of the centre

• During this phase, the Monaco Pavilion at the Universal Exposition was dismantled and shipped to Burkina Faso where it was re-assembled. The host site is a plot of land belonging to Burkina Faso, located in Loumbila, close to Ouagadougou’s future international airport. At the same time, the other elements of the future multi-purpose centre were gradually put in place.

• In Monaco and Ouagadougou, the teams were busier than ever looking for the last few partners for the project. The running of the centre was planned in detail, the staff were hired, and the interior and exterior layouts were created.

2018 and beyond: a multi-purpose centre operational in Loumbila

• In 2018, the adventure begins! Time to get their bearings and achieve their profitability targets, the two Red Cross societies will be working hand in hand in order to make the project a success.

• Subsequently, the Burkina Faso Red Cross, the sole owner and manager of the centre, will rely on profits to address the many humanitarian challenges it must face…

Crédit photo : Jean-Marc BERNARD / CRM