- An exclusive B2B event for tourism boards, hotels & resorts, individual properties, and film productions.
- A 3-day premier engagement platform for regional as well as international experts and participants to discuss the emerging trends in managing destinations globally. Industry experts will hold strategic panel discussions on key issues, industry trends and opportunities on each day of the exhibition
Today at the JW Marriott, Aerocity in New Delhi, the inaugural Global Destinations Expo & Conference (GDEC)-Weddings & Films took place. India Advantage Foundation and iCONEX Exhibitions are in charge of organising the three-day business-to-business event, which will take place from July 14–16, 2022. In addition to Amaresh Tiwari, Chairman of the India Advantage Foundation (IAF) and the Global Destination Expo & Conference (GDEC), other notable dignitaries present at the event included Maharaj Kumar Sahib Lakshyaraj Singh Ji Mewar of Udaipur; Mohamad Gulamali Morani, Managing Director of the Cineyug Group of Companies, S. Viswanathan, IAS, Managing Director-Madya 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.
GDEC – Global Destinations Expo and Conference, a premier B2B event, concentrate on the wedding and film production segments with the goal of supporting the destination marketing and management industry as well as the individuals who make it function, such as the Global Destination Organizations, Event Planners, and Tourism Boards.
The establishment of GDEC comes at a good time as the travel and hospitality industry starts to recover from the pandemic’s enormous effects.
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 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 is 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, and 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 first-of-its-kind industry gathering, GDEC will give tourism boards and hotel companies a platform to engage with influential wedding planners and production companies to investigate potential opportunities. Over the course of the three days of the event, a number of panel discussions and educational workshops with leading industry figures are also scheduled to discuss the shifting trends affecting the wedding industry and film shoots, as well as ways for businesses and locations to take advantage of these markets.
Distinguished figures from the industry will participate in panel discussions, speeches, and knowledge-sharing sessions at the GDEC. Among them are Rituraj Khanna, Director of Q Events, Brian Worley, Creative Director and Owner of B. Worley Productions, Angela Proffitt, CEO of GSD creative in the United States, Monica Balli, Founder of Lime SRL in Italy, Martin Emmanuel, Managing Director of Razzmatazz Ventures, Neha Mehrotra, Founder and Director of Foreign Wedding Planners, Devika Sakhuja, Devika Sakhuja Designs, and Rajiv Kapoor, General
A lineup of expert panel discussions will take place on Day 1 of the event, covering topics like the collaboration between the Indian and international wedding industries, technology integration in the wedding business, next trends in décor and wedding planning, and shifting Indian wedding patterns.
Day 2 and Day 3 will include one-on-one buyer meetings that are hosted in addition to a variety of interesting workshops and training that are delivered by seasoned experts from the domestic as well as international wedding sector. The Power of Business Networking, Challenges and New Opportunities in the Wedding Business Post-Pandemic, and the Changing Game of Indian Gourmet Business will all be essential topics covered in panel discussions.
More than 50 exhibitors and 200 hosted buyers from India and abroad will attend the first event.
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