Organic food from Northeast was highlighted.

◊ By Benefit Publishing Bureau

The 4-day one of kind hospitality event held from 7-10 August 2019 at the India Expo Centre & Mart (IEML), Greater Noida Expressway, became the most powerful networking forum by witnessing a tremendous line up of trade discussions, knowledge sessions, gastronomic demonstrations, masterclasses, awards night, and more.

With unparalleled patronage from industry stalwarts, government institutions and state ministries coming together at one platform to address the successful growth of the hospitality sector. The 2^nd edition of India International Hospitality Expo (IHE) was the largest hospitality hub, with pan-India participation from exhibitors, hospitality students and visitors. Speakers from across the world, as well as, MSME owners from Northeast India showcased their work as part of the Make in India initiative.

Pure & Eco India was IHE 2019’s Media Partner.

CONGREGATION OF INDIA’S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

This year, IHE successfully surpassed its maiden event last year by hosting more than 650 exhibitors from the all over the world under the categories of: Food & Kitchen Equipment; Food & Beverage; Furniture, Furnishing, Lifestyle & Décor, Technology, and Design & Architecture. Global brands also launched their latest products on the IHE platform.

Chef Manjit Gill, President of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations; Chef Devender Kumar, President of the Indian Culinary Forum (ICF); Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India; Hari Dadoo, Fair President, IHE; and Hemant Sud, Chairman, Delhi Chapter – Institute of Indian Interior Designers; contributed immensely in making IHE successful by being part of the knowledge sessions all four days.

With support from key industry bodies such as APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority); Indian Angel Network; HOTREMAI (Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India); ARCHII (Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India); Purchasing Professionals Forum – India (PPFI); Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF); Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Fire & Security Association of India; All India Food Processors’ Association; Global Hospitality Technology Professionals; ICF; Indian Federation of Culinary Associations; and PHA (Professional Housekeepers Association), IHE witnessed a new culinary height this year.

CONFERENCE, VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS ON HOSPITALITY BUSINESS IN INDIA & AWARDS

IHE hosted a robust conference programme with top hospitality professionals as speakers such as Himmat Anand, Founder, Tree of Life Resorts; Anil Chadha, VP, Operations, ITC hotels; Priya Paul, Chairperson, Park Hotels; Ajay Bakaya, MD, Sarovar Hotels, Rattan Keswani, Joint MD, Lemon Tree Hotels and Sunjae Sharma, VP Operations, Hyatt – India.

A series of masterclasses imparted world-renowned chefs included Asma Khan, Hemant Oberoi, Manjit Gill, Devendra Kumar, Willi Willson, KN Vinod, Ranveer Brar and Gunjan Goela. Wine sommelier training by renowned Italian sommelier, Luca Carmignani, a hospitality-inspired fashion show, and an FSSAI-hosted conclave on food safety, were also part of IHE 2019.

Furthermore, the event saw a host of competitions in the food arena, including the Young Chef Culinary Competition under the aegis of ICF and IHE, as well as, a Mixology Challenge by ScopeBev and ICF.

CEOs, GMs and executive chefs of restaurants and hotels, as well as, hotel chain owners, graced valuable knowledge sessions on: How to Set up a Midscale and Budget Hotel; The Art of Creating a Luxury Hotel; Food Safety; The Secret to a Successful Restaurant; Privacy Assurance and Cyber Safety in Hotels; Reinventing Hospitality Disruption in Traditional Hotels. The knowledge sessions focused on continuous upgradation by leveraging new innovations and technology, not only in terms of equipments but also soft skills.

IHE’s maiden hospitality awards recognised the contribution of industry maestros. In all, 70 awards were conferred upon hospitality professionals from across India. The IHE Leading Light in Hospitality award was given to Priya Paul. KB Kachru, Executive VP – South Asia, Carlson Hotels Worldwide Asia Pacific, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award.

ORGANIC FOOD FROM NORTHEAST WAS HIGHLIGHTED. HIMACHAL WAS DECLARED ‘FOCUS STATE’

IHE 2019 emphasised Himachal Pradesh as the ‘Focus State’, with a number of events organised by the Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Himachal Pradesh, and the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. Manjit Gill presented Himachali cuisine along with Chef Nand Lal Sharma of Himachal Tourism during the expo as part of the IHE Awards Dinner, the International Gourmet Safari and Culinary Masterclass.

Vietnam, Indonesia, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador and other countries supported IHE by displaying an array of products and services from their regions. The show played host to celebrity Indonesian chefs, Gupta Sitorus, Kevindra Soemantri, Yuda Bustara and Primo Rizky.

Rakesh Kumar (Chairman IEML & Director General, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) shared his thoughts on IHE’s success, “IHE 2019 concluded on a very satisfactory note. We had over 22,000 visitors from all parts of the country. We are thrilled to see the response from overseas. IHE 2019 was an impactful platform for all hospitality stakeholders to network and rub shoulders with the very best in the industry. The attraction of this year was organic food from Northeast India, along with food items from foreign countries. A lot of new products like tea, nuts, garlic, spices, organic rice and gluten free products from the North East and other remote areas were exhibited. Based on the enthusiasm of visitors, the next edition will take place from 5^th-8^th August, 2020. IHE 2020 will have a lot of international flavour, not only in terms of participation but also in terms of visitors.”

Hari Dadoo, President, IHE, said, “This edition of IHE was even more successful than last year. The exhibitors were pleased with the international standard of the expo and the steady stream of visitors every day. We plan to make the next edition bigger and better. IHE boasts about 650 exhibitors of which more than 100 are from MSMEs. The visitors are mostly from the B2B sector. IHE 2019 has become the most valuable hospitality show in India, with a vast array of events lined up on all days, attracting over 25,000 business visitors.”

For further information, please visit www.ihexpo.com