Indian Convention Promotion Bureau on 8th March organised Girish Kwatra Memorial Lecture in the loving memory of Late Sh. Girish Kwatra at Hotel Pullman Aerocity, New Delhi. Girish Kwatra was an expert Professional Conference Organiser, & he managed several renowned healthcare as well as scientific events. He was the Honorary Secretary to India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB). He was also a key member of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) India group. He was a much revered consultant to various National and International associations. He was also certified incentive specialist (CIS), from SITE GLOBAL.
Flagging off the memorial event, Mr. Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman, ICPB spoke on Girish Kwatra’s contribution to the industry, Mr. Amaresh said “He worked very hard on bringing the positive change in the lives of people around him. Beyond his goal as a professional conference organizer, he played a role in shaping and advancing the conference industry. We will forever cherish the memory of Girish. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide us.”
Speaking on tourism and hospitality industry, Mr. Amaresh said “the industry generates employment across the globe including India. The tourism segment includes hotels, aviation, restaurant, entertainment, leisure etc. Tourism fuel the economy and has direct and indirect impact of more than 15% of market sectors.”
On this occasion, Noor Ahmed, CEO, PATA discussed on India as a MICE destination.
“India can go beyond what it is today. Many international events have a focus on some of the key destinations which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. India is a big country, hosted PATA India Chapter and SATTE, the South Asia’s Globally Leading Travel Event. India is not the best destination in the world but it can prove the world wrong because it is one of the best destinations in the world.”
Ashish Gupta, CEO, Faith, gave his speech on Risks in MICE Management. He categorised the risk in two parts, country risk and company risks. Few of the risks he mentioned, includes: reality check, sophistication risk, branding risk, taxation risk, risk of supply mismatch and facts risk.
Mr. Rajeev Kohli, Joint MD, Creative Travel, mentioned a few challenges that are faced in the MICE industry. He stared by asking a question: “Are we really an incredible India?” In response he said, “I say yes, I’m really proud on our country as who we are today. Our market share is significant. For the challenges, we need to have a targeted strategy for MICE.” He concluded “India may not be a destination for everybody but it is a destination for many.”
