The infrastructure at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) is suitable not only for large exhibitions but also for mega conferences to be held with great ease. The large columnless exhibition halls can accommodate more than 20,000 people in a single valedictory session, making it a preferred venue for large conferences.
TMS. What makes BIEC a preferred destination for international conferences and congresses in India?
Ubaid Ahmad. The infrastructure at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) is suitable not only for large exhibitions but also for mega conferences to be held with great ease. The large columnless exhibition halls can accommodate more than 20,000 people in a single valedictory session, making it a preferred venue for large conferences.
Built by the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) the exhibition and conference space at BIEC covers around 77,200 square metres including five halls and an exclusive Conference Centre with six halls spanning an area of 5,600 square metres that can accommodate around 50 to 1,500 people.
Other amenities like a food court with a fine dining area and international food brands, a registration area with over 40 plug-and-play counters, ample parking space, and other facilities make BIEC an exceptional venue of choice for exhibitions and conferences.
TMS. The event and exhibition industry has seen tremendous growth in the current decade and holds immense economic, cultural, and social impact. How do you see BIEC contributing to developing India as a MICE hub?
Ubaid Ahmad. The industry size of the Indian MICE industry is 37,576 crores as per the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (GoI). India which presently ranks 28th globally with around 150 meetings in a year according to the Union Government estimates is evolving as a MICE destination.
The exhibition and conference landscape in India is altering rapidly with new venues being built and existing ones being renovated in various cities. India which hitherto had seven major cities to hold conferences has with the G-20 summits seen every major state opening up its doors for conferences and meetings.
Today many corporate companies are holding large employee engagement programs, dealer meetings, product launches, etc. that require large venues to accommodate visitors besides entertaining crowds under a single roof. BIEC is preferred since it allows organizers to hold multiple events simultaneously. We have seen entities such as Google, SAP, Herbalife, OnePlus, government institutions, etc. regularly organizing their conferences and corporate events in BIEC.
TMS. The recent Kochi incident is an eye-opener for everyone. The world has witnessed catastrophic incidents that have left us to contemplate the safety and security aspects during an event. What are some of the prudential practices adopted by BIEC in this regard?
Ubaid Ahmad. BIEC has always given thrust to the safety and security of internal and external stakeholders for every exhibition and conference held at the venue. It has developed SOPs that are diligently followed and updated from time to time, depending on situations and threats that emerge. BIEC team works closely with various agencies at the government level to ensure that the processes are in place as per security norms. Audits are conducted periodically to ensure that the processes are followed without any glitches.
To be more specific, some of the security measures include ionizing radiation to scan visitors, vehicles, and luggage, and the personnel is equipped with hand-held metal detectors, door frame metal detectors, x-ray baggage inspection systems, sniffer dogs, CCTV, etc.
TMS. Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, and it
has become necessary to balance the use of natural resources. What could be some of the actionable priorities to make a meaningful impact in our industry?
Ubaid Ahmad. Sustainability is at the heart of the very existence of IMTMA. BIEC is designed for self-sufficiency in water, power, and treatment of wastewater for irrigation. The lay of the land was undisturbed for the construction of the exhibition centre. In 15 years, BIEC’s efforts towards rainwater harvesting and sustainability have brought up the water table in the surrounding areas. The exhibition facility is ‘Gold’ rated by both the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Overall, exhibitions and conference organizers need to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices. With greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon footprints, using natural resources in the construction of venues and stalls has become the need of the hour. Opting for sustainable buildings, modular and reusable designs, energy-efficient lighting, digitalizing marketing collateral, and green transportation would contribute a long way in saving natural resources and help us move towards net zero carbon emissions.
TMS. What are your thoughts on the ICCA Congress 2023?
Ubaid Ahmad. BIEC has always been a part of ICCA and this edition is no exception. ICCA is an excellent platform that brings various stakeholders connected to exhibitions and conferences under a common platform. ICCA Congress 2023 will serve to be a unique platform for networking, learning, and for the formulation of future thought processes for exhibitions and conferences.
TMS. BIEC has a reputation for hosting a great number of national and international exhibitions, Highlight some major shows held successfully in the year 2023. How has been the year 2023 for BIEC?
Ubaid Ahmad. BIEC has always had the privilege of organizing some of the leading exhibitions in various industry segments. Even during the difficult period of the pandemic, it hosted the IIJS (gems and jewellery) and the exhibition is scheduled to be again held at BIEC for its future edition.
Likewise, some of the largest shows from various industry segments such as EXCON (construction equipment), IndiaWood (furniture and woodworking), ACETECH (construction engineering), STONA (stones and granites), IMTEX (machine tools and manufacturing technologies) are held regularly at BIEC. Major conferences such as Herbalife (health and nutrition), SAP TechED (information technology), etc. are also held in BIEC. Moreover, the year 2023 has been a good one for BIEC as it had the opportunity to host one of the G-20 summits, the India Energy Week, which was inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. Other major shows such as Electronica India & Productronica India, and Didac India have been bigger, better, and drawn larger footfall of visitors compared to previous editions. The recently concluded India Manufacturing Show inaugurated by Shri Rajnath Singh, the Hon’ble Defence Minister of India was a landmark one as it showcased the latest innovations in defence and aerospace sectors.
TMS. What message would you like to share with the industry?
Ubaid Ahmad. India’s MICE industry has immense potential to reach the top 10 position globally. With India emerging as a major economic power and manufacturing destination, the demand for goods and services is expected to grow. Industries from across the world are eyeing India for establishing business links leading to more exhibitions and conferences. The MICE industry needs to gear up to meet the demands and I hope that the next decade will be more India-centric.
