TMS. How did you land up in the travel industry? Give a brief overview of your background and your role in the organization.
Hemant Mediratta. I grew up in Army cantonments and moved from one city to the other changing schools every few years due to the transferable nature of my father. When you grow up in this environment, discipline, hospitality, and travel becomes second nature. I have spent close to 30 years in the hospitality and the travel industry. My last tenure in a job was with Oberoi Hotels where I spent 16 beautiful years of my career. During my time there I was fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to work with great leaders who shaped me as a professional. I had the privilege of handling international sales for one of the best hotel brands in world which meant interacting with people from different cultures, nationalities and thought processes.
Given the rich experience I gained while working in the industry, I now lead HMC which is an advisory, management and private equity firm with several business units namely MICeverse, One Rep Global and Eleven Inc. MICEverse is a shining jewel which is India’s first and only representation company focussed on MICE and Weddings business.
TMS. A travel business launch in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic is not a move most entrepreneurs would make. We are curious to know how One Rep Global, which launched over two years ago, has been able to expand its footprint across the country in such a short amount of time?
Hemant Mediratta. I took the decision to turn an entrepreneur in early 2020 when Covid was still unheard in India. While many would say it wasn’t the right time to start a new business that too in the travel and tourism space, I feel in hindsight, it was a great time to start. Not only did Covid-19 teach us how to work with a leaner team and use limited resources but it also pushed us to think out of the box. While travel was shut worldwide, we still managed to get representation clients during lockdowns. Currently at HMC we have 100+ hospitality and tourism customers and 50+ team members with offices in UAE, India, and Japan. We are aligned to expand and grow our portfolio further in this year.
TMS. What are some of the innovative approaches that the company has come forward with to bring a new experience for its clients?
Hemant Mediratta. MICEverse is India’s first and only representation company in the MICE segment which puts us in a unique spot as we have narrowed the focus to just the MICE and Wedding business, and this seems to have struck a chord with a lot of hotels and tourism organisations that look at India as a big source market for MICE and Indian weddings. Sales is all about reach and distribution. With our international offices and India offices across Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata we cover 8 countries and 35+cities. In due course of time, we’d like to expand our presence to 100+ cities.
TMS. What are some of the current developments affecting the travel industry, according to you? Two things you would like to change in the industry.
Hemant Mediratta. I believe the world is now recognizing the potential of the Indian market. The Indian consumer is open to spending money on unique experiential travel. 70% of Indians are under the age of 35 years which makes them millennials and GenZ. Both these generations are looking for highly personalized and curated experiences which is where the luxury travel and tourism industry is heading. Two things I strongly believe everyone should incorporate in their business is Learning and Development as that is important for the industry’s growth and Responsible Business which should be close to everyone’s heart as we have to preserve our environment and time seems to be running out. We all should in our own way take the necessary steps to preserve resources and conduct business responsibly.
TMS. Is there an author or a quote you live by…either in business or your personal life – something that really resonates with you?
Hemant Mediratta. In business or in life there has to be a differentiator in either the products or services you provide. Our guiding philosophy for the organisation is “To be number 1 or only one in what we do”. This pushes us every day to do better for our team, our clients our organisation and ourselves.
TMS. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work? Please share your hobbies, what keeps you busy when you are away from work?
Hemant Mediratta. Fortunately, our business is so much fun that it doesn’t feel like work. Work takes us to different countries where we get to stay in nice places and as a result, we end up meeting people from various nationalities and perspectives. One should never underestimate the power of human connection as that’s what helps our clients to connect with us, feel seen and understood and return to us time and again.
TMS. How would you summarize the year 2022?
Hemant Mediratta. Rocking! It was a very good year for us. We grew phenomenally in our business. We got appreciated and loved by our clients and partners.
TMS. What would you say to the industry if you had one message and one piece of advice to give?
Hemant Mediratta. I believe that together as an industry we can achieve a lot. Wherever possible, one must follow an all-inclusive approach and work together to achieve something big. As I always tell my colleagues, “Individually we are one drop but together we are an ocean.”
