KAHINI CHAKRABORTY – Bengaluru
The Food Hospitality World (FHW), India’s leading hospitality trade show, organised by Global Fairs & Media (GFML), held at Tripura Vasini, Palace Grounds, Bengaluru from June 21-23, 2012 saw participation of above 300 national and international exhibitors. GFML is a joint venture between The Indian Express and Hannover Milano Fairs, Fiera Milano Group. The exhibition was inaugurated by His Highness Srikanta Datta Wodeyar of Mysore; Jose Dominic, MD and CEO, CGH Earth; Thomas Ramapuram, joint director-Sales, Orange County Resorts; Paul Reid, deputy head of mission & head of Trade & Investment, UKTI, Bangalore; Ian Felton, British deputy high commissioner, Bengaluru. Also present at the inauguration were Anuradha Agrawal, VP, The Indian Express and Mehul Lanvers-Shah, MD, Hannover Milano Fairs India.
Aiming to be the right channel allowing both, vendors/ suppliers and hospitality professionals to come together to tap mutually beneficial business opportunities, the exhibition witnessed visitor participation from importers, distributors, F&B managers, hotel and restaurant purchase managers, food service professionals, chefs and sommeliers, purchasers and trade bodies, hoteliers, restaurateurs, caterers, food service professionals, F&B directors, hospitality interiors specifiers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, and more.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Wodeyar said, “Being in the hospitality industry I usually visit many exhibitions. As this industry keeps witnessing innumerable changes there is always scope for improvement. I am looking forward to explore the FHW exhibition as well.”
Reed added, “It looks like a vast exhibition and I am happy to be a part of the inauguration. Since India is an important market for UK’s food and hospitality industry, I am looking forward to exploring the offerings at this exhibition.”
One of the key highlights of the three-day exhibition were the panel discussions – ‘Building Blocks: Challenges of Hotel Development’ as part of the Hospitality Think Tank; ‘Wellness Foods: Fad or Fact?’ as part of Chefs Connect; and ‘Smart Housekeeping: The Changing Landscape’ during Hospitality Knowledge Exchange. Power of Purchase, a seminar was conducted by members of HPMF (Hospitality Purchase Managers Forum). FoodFood was the television partner for the show.
On the first day of the exhibition, a panel discussion for Chefs Connect: ‘Wellness Food-Fad or Fact’? was moderated by Chef Vikram S Udaygiri, owner, Excuisine Food & Beverage. The panel members for the session included: Naren Thimmaiah, executive chef, Taj Gateway Bangalore; Sudhir Pai, executive chef, Holiday Inn Mumbai; V Vijaya Baskaran, executive chef, Le Meridien; television chef Rakesh Sethi of FoodFood Channel. The second day witnessed two panel discussions. The session on ‘Building Blocks: Challenges of Hotel Development’ as part of the Hospitality Think Tank was moderated by Mandeep Singh Lamba, president & founder, TEN Hotels & Hospitality Solutions, while the other panelist included: Param Kanammpilly, chairman and MD, Concept Hospitality; PK Mohankumar, COO, Taj Gateway Hotels; Amit Goenka, national director, capital transactions, Knight Frank India; Vineet Verma, CEO, Brigade Hospitality Services and architect Ranjit Naik from Satish Naik and Associates.
The session on ‘Smart Housekeeping: The Changing Landscape’ during Hospitality Knowledge Exchange was moderated by Reema Lokesh, editor, Express Hospitality and Express TravelWorld, while the other panelist were Kiran Kumar, executive housekeeper, Ista Bangalore; Amit Kumar, operations manager, Premier Inn Bangalore; Karthik Anand, executive housekeeper, Taj Gateway; Sarfarz Ahmed, executive housekeeper, Lemon Tree Premier, Ulsoor Lake; Amartya Chakraborty, executive housekeeper, Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway; Suman Bakshi, executive housekeeper, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Mumbai.
