Lights out at new conference center during afternoon deluge
Mérida, Yucatán — Unfortunately for the new convention center, it’s not technically “Powered by Samsung.” It’s powered by the CFE.
That power failed for about a minute today during a powerful afternoon thunderstorm — just as the mayor of the city was giving a speech.
During the Centro Internacional de Congresos’ inaugural expo, on urban parks, two rooms went dark.
The secretary of tourism promotion, Saúl Ancona Salazar, who was present at the event, commented that the power cut happened “because of the rain.”
The blackout couldn’t have happened at a more embarrassing time. It was the convention center’s first-ever event, with hundreds of international visitors and a handful of government dignitaries. Aside from Mayor María Fritz Sierra, there was Gov. Rolando Zapata Bello as well as a member of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s cabinet, Rosario Robles Berlanga, who applauded when the lights returned.
The International Conference Center was inaugurated this month by Peña Nieto after 1.2 billion pesos was invested for its construction.
“Powered by Samsung” is part of the Conference Center’s name under a deal that trades naming rights for the Korean company’s technology.
Source: Desde el Balcón
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