Hyderabad stands out to be an exemplary role model and if all states are able to replicate this then MICE could contribute to Indian economy in a larger way.

A GROUNDBREAKING conference of more than 350 prominent MICE industry leaders, PCO’s, Suppliers, Conference Planners, Buyers and Government officials from the Ministry of Tourism gathered in Hyderabad from  29 – 31 August 2017 at HICC to discuss the potential of MICE industry in India and way forward.

The theme of the 10th Conventions India Conclave (CIC) by India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) was “Expanding The Boundaries – Mission Possible" with a focus on all segments of MICE Industry - incentive, exhibition and corporate meetings, creating an opportunity for the members to look for new avenues of business development.

The Conclave was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Telangana Tourism as state partner.

Present at the launch was Mr Suman Billa – Joint Secretary Tourism & Chairman, ICPB, who highlighted the fact that events in Telangana especially in Hyderabad underline the success story of MICE industry. "I think Hyderabad stands out to be an exemplary role model and if all states are able to replicate this then MICE could contribute to Indian economy in a large way," said Billa.

India is able to reach out and grow exponentially in the past few years and there is no other sector that is well placed as tourism. "There are two things important in India  ‘Swachhta’ and  ‘Suraksha,’ if you’re not able to handle, security and cleanliness, I think there is going to be a challenge for us to grow tourism. But thankfully over the past three years we have taken several initiatives in infrastructure buildup, ports, cruise and terminals with regional connectivity which could add to the robust Indian economy," he said.

Talking about the past three years Billa revealed that MoT has sanctioned projects worth 6,000 crore into building tourism infrastructure in this country. "I think with such an opportunity, we need to pitch into global market and take India on to newer level in terms of product recall and place our products in the global market place to attract more people. Of all the projects that India has, there is no other product which has as much potential as MICE," stated Billa.

Therefore, there is a need to promote MICE segment in India and create an ecosystem and business model like Hyderabad.