Saloni Bhatia – New Delhi
India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) is undergoing major changes in order to promote India as a convention country. The bureau is set to host the ninth Convention India Conclave from October 13 to 15, 2016, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi. The flagship event, themed ‘Harnessing the Potential’, will be a platform to network with MICE specialists from across the world. There will be around 150 international and domestic buyers who are decision makers and planners. The three-day convention will see sessions and buyer meets along with the exhibition.
In an interaction with Express TravelWorld, Chander Mansharamani, vice chairman, ICPB, informed, “We have approached the states to become lifetime members of ICPB. Five of the states namely Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana and New Delhi have agreed. Even the ministry now sees the potential in this segment and it is high time; things are taken forward in the right manner. In line, we will soon be starting the state chapters to work cohesively with the government. We plan to start bidding within the states and then pitch for international conferences. There is also some money that the government is willing to contribute to the process.”
“After a successful meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, we have decided to host a convention in Mumbai in March 2017. It will be a B2B trade show where only convention centres, hotels with a capacity of more than 500 and service providers will participate. We will also invite international buyers,” added Mansharamani.
When asked about whether the infrastructure supporting conventions is in place, he opined, “I feel that the infrastructure is in place, but we need aggressive marketing to promote the destinations. With cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad emerging as MICE destinations, it is best now to market them in a correct manner. But everything now will come into place through ICPB and support of the ministry.”
Another game changer, Mansharamani indicated, would be the introduction of a MICE policy by the ministry of tourism, which will be planned with assistance from ICPB.