ALL SET TO HOST THE INDUSTRY

India’s one of the largest B2B hospitality expo, the four-day IHE2021, opens on September 24, at IEML, Greater Noida

The India Expo Mart & Centre (IEML) in Greater Noida is all geared up for the 2021 edition of the India International Hospitality Expo (IHE2021), which has emerged as one of the biggest B2B show designed exclusively for the hospitality and food sectors in the country.

The Expo, to be held on September 24-27, 2021, will be a 100 percent ‘physical show’, and it is filling up with exhibitors representing verticals that are relevant to the hospitality sector, notably, amenities, F&B and kitchen equipment, furniture and furnishings, housekeeping, laundry, and tableware.

It is their goodwill that gives Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, IEML and DG, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), the confidence not to move away from the idea of organising a 100 percent ‘physical show’ and its full complement of concurrent events:

• Four-day conference loaded with knowledge-based discussions by industry leaders on emerging market opportunities, new technologies, and sourcing alternatives

• Masterclasses where the country’s leading chefs will share their recipes and expertise

• A mixology workshop that promises to stir up an intelligent appreciation of alcoholic drinks and bar management practices

• The young chefs’ culinary competition will be conducted by the Indian Culinary Forum (ICF)

And the much-awaited IHE2021 Excellence Awards, honouring the best and brightest of the hospitality world.

“The rapid progress of Covid-19 vaccinations across the country has given us the booster shot we needed to plan a ‘physical show’ with all health and safety protocols in place,” Chairman Kumar said. “The success of the vaccination drive, the heightened state of preparedness of our health sector, and the return of hotels and restaurants to business as usual, collectively gives us the strength to plan – and plan bigger, better,” Kumar added.

The IEML, which, incidentally, is the venue that hosted many prestigious trade shows in India, is now fully operational and thoroughly sanitised. Spread across 58 acres, it is truly a ‘bio-bubble’. The flow of visitors shall be managed smoothly.

According to Dr. Nitin Shankar Nagrale, Founder & General Secretary – HPMF, CEO India and Emerging Markets – Qualitynz, this is the right time to look at the vendor base and involve suppliers in the procurement process for a mutual benefit.

The IHE Conclave is one of the notable highlights of the show – and it will be on a more ambitious scale at IHE2021. It featured discussions by industry leaders and experts on subjects that are relevant to the hospitality sector. The information-loaded interactions uplift the quality of discussions with their sharp insights and turn the event into a knowledge fest as a showcase of top-of-theshelf hospitality products and services.

This year at IHE Excellence Awards 2021, we promise to discover and honour the most accomplished colleagues from across the country. Last year, we honoured 70 hospitality professionals from Amritsar to Kochi, from Vapi (Gujarat) to Siliguri (West Bengal), and they included general managers, corporate heads of departments, and hotel-level HODS, who were selected region-wise to qualify for the national awards, Mr. Kumar said.

Chef Davinder Kumar, President- Indian Culinary Forum, Vice President F&B- Le Meridien New Delhi said, “It is a world-class expo and a platform where renowned manufacturers, traders, hoteliers, and designers will be exhibiting their products, tools, machinery, and innovations under one roof.”

Like in the past three years, IHE2021 will be much more than an exhibition – it will also be a knowledge fest for professionals engaged in the food and hospitality sectors. From students of hotel management and the culinary arts to professionals in the F&B, front office, housekeeping, kitchen management, purchase and engineering departments of hotels, to owners and operators of standalone restaurants, IHE2021 offers something for everyone. It is a show that just cannot be missed.