Event inauguration was done in the presence of Amaresh Tiwari, Chairman, India Advantage Foundation (IAF) & Global Destination Expo & Conference (GDEC) and important dignitaries including Maharaj Kumar Sahib Lakshyaraj Singh Ji Mewar of Udaipur & Executive Director – HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur; Mohamad Gulamali Morani, Managing Director, Cineyug Group of Companies; S. Viswanathan, IAS, Managing Director – Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation; Dr. Bharat Pathak – Vice Chairman MGNCRE Hyderabad MHRD, Govt. Of India; and Dr. Nandita Pathak – Founder Director JP Foundation, Udyamita Vidyapeeth.
A premier B2B event, Global Destinations Expo & Conference focuses on the weddings and film production segment and aims to support the Destination marketing and management industry along with the people who make it work i.e. the Global Destination Organizations, Event Planners and Tourism Boards. GDEC is being organized at an opportune time as the industry begins to recover from the unprecedented impact of the pandemic on the Travel and Hospitality sector.
Amaresh Tiwari, Chairman, India Advantage Foundation (IAF) & Global Destination Expo & Conference (GDEC) at the inauguration said, “Our vision with GDEC is to bring under one platform the wedding and film production stakeholders with service providers from travel and hospitality sector to explore business opportunities. We believe these niche tourism segments also need to be brought under the gamut of MICE in order to enjoy the benefits of the industry status.”
He further added, “Our vision is to also position India as an attractive destination for weddings. With over 32mn NRIs residing across the world, we have a large opportunity to explore in this segment.”
Maharaj Kumar Sahib Lakshyaraj Singh Ji Mewar of Udaipur & Executive Director – HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur commented, “The world is becoming smaller yet people are growing distant. While achieving all kinds of professional growth, the pride that one feels to see your country’s name attached to yours is a feeling that cannot be described. I feel people need to work more closely together to ensure India’s image grows globally.”
Mohamad Gulamali Morani, Managing Director, Cineyug Group of Companies said, “While the world is beautiful, there are no dearth of breathtaking locations in our very own country. For weddings or for films, India is brimming with scenic destinations and we must work domestically, join hands with hotels in India, and destinations, to promote our country. The Government too needs to ease the permits needed for shooting, which many states have done already.”
S. Viswanathan, IAS, Managing Director – Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation said, “Madhya Pradesh offers many scenic locations for destination weddings and film shoots. We are aggressively promoting the state as a tourist destination with a special focus on customized experiences for senior citizens and children.”
Dr. Nandita Pathak – Founder Director JP Foundation, Udyamita Vidyapeeth shared, “The government has not just cleared the coastline along River Ganges but is also developing the coastline alongside the Namami Gange in collaboration with ITDC. ITDC is working towards building properties that will enable people to host weddings or events alongside the Ganges shore.”
A one of its kind industry event, GDEC offered the much-needed platform for tourism boards and hospitality brands to connect with key wedding planners and film production houses to explore business opportunities. A series of panel discussions and informative workshops with industry experts spread over the three days of the event to discuss changing trends affecting wedding business and film shoots along with strategies for organizations and destinations to tap the potential of these segments kept the attendees busy.
The GDEC featured panel discussions, addresses and knowledge-sharing sessions on various subjects by renowned names in the industry. To name a few: Maharaj Kumar Sahib Lakshyaraj Singh Ji Mewar of Udaipur & Executive Director, HRH Group of Hotels (Udaipur); Rituraj Khanna, Director – Q Events, Brian Worley, Creative Director & Owner – B. Worley Productions; Angela Proffitt, CEO GSD creative, USA; Monica Balli, Founder Lime SRL, Italy; Martin Emmanuel – Managing Director, Razzmatazz Ventures; Neha Mehrotra – Founder and Director at Foreign Wedding Planners; Devika Sakhuja -Devika Sakhuja Designs; Rajiv Kapoor – General Manager – Fairmont Jaipur; and Mohamad Gulamali Morani – Managing Director, Cineyug Group of Companies amongst others
Day 1 of the event saw a lineup of expert panel discussions on subjects ranging from Indian & International wedding industry collaboration; Technology Integration in the Wedding Industry; Upcoming trends in Décor & Wedding planning and the Changing Trends of Indian Wedding.
Day 2 & 3 comprised one-on-one hosted buyer meetings alongside a number of engaging workshops and training led by seasoned professionals from the domestic as well as global wedding industry. Panel discussions will cover important subjects ranging from the Power of business networking to Challenges and New Opportunities in the Wedding business post-pandemic, and the changing game of the Indian gourmet business.
The inaugural event saw participation from over 50+ exhibitors and 200+ hosted buyers from India and overseas.
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