The first post-Covid get-together in Jaipur anticipates better times for the events industry
The Event & Entertainment Management Association (EEMA)—an autonomous and non-profit registered body of more than 500 companies, institutions and professionals operating in the events and experiential marketing industry in India—hosted its annual convention over the weekend, at the Hotel Fairmont Jaipur. The three-day celebration, known as the Maha Kumbh of the experiential industry, saw an encouraging response, imbuing participants with the hope that the industry would have better days.
The three-day convention, saw a host of intriguing and industry relevant panel discussions on topics such as, Ecologically, Profitability, Technological Innovation, The future of the live event industry, current challenges and misnomers etc. Among the keynote speakers and panellists featuring over the three days at EEMAGINE 2022 were Roshan Abbas, President, EEMA; Sh. Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Sh. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, IAS, Director Tourism, Govt. of Odisha; Rashmi Dhanwani, Arts professional and Founder, Art X Company; Sabbas Joseph, Founder-Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd; famous Indian playback singer, Sunidhi Chauhan, Indian cricket commentator and journalist, Harsha Bhogle accompanied by famous author, advertising specialist and his wife, Anita Bhogle, and many more.
Giving a closing statement at EEMA’s annual convention EEMAGINE 2022, Roshan Abbas, President EEMA, stated, “This was a very important moment for us as an industry to articulate the future ways of the industry. It was necessary for EEMA as the Apex body to deliberate this stance, build the momentum for future and highlight that the future is bright and holds a great potential for growth and prosperity. We at EEMA, presented a united front in front of the government and we are delighted to have received a warm and welcoming response. Soon, we will be formulating a ‘Model Events Policy’ for the current government’s reference. We at EEMA support every event manager and every event organisation.”
Sharing his thoughts at EEMA’s annual convention EEMAGINE 2022, Siddhartha Chaturvedi, General Secretary of EEMA said, “I am really thankful to my team, industry colleagues that without them this mega event would have not been possible. We at EEMA as the Apex Body are also very grateful to the government for extending their support to the industry in welcoming our challenges and our suggestions for the future growth of the industry. This event after almost 3 years brought everyone together under one roof and made it very special for us.”
Being virtually present at EEMAGINE 2022, Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, stated, “India is big on the services sector, the world is invested in India and Event Industry plays a crucial role in generating livelihood and business opportunities for India. We should support these activities through the Film Facilitation Office.” In addition to this, addressing the questions on the challenges faced by the events industry, Shri Chandra added, “We would welcome a draft of the model policy from EEMA to highlight all the suggestions and make business easier for the industry.
In the panel discussion on ‘The Role of Events’ in the Development of Tourism, Sh. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, IAS, Director Tourism, Govt. of Odisha, Stated, “Odisha is as cultured and diverse as Rajasthan and EEMA is bringing forward the potential of the events industry to massive heights. The government is also now focusing on the events industry as a major catalyst of tourism. The future looks bright for the industry and there is also a massive need for a policy on the procurement of events just like the policies of procurement of goods and procurement of services.
EEMA also played host to the EEMAX Global and Spotlight Awards, a prestigious ceremony that recognises excellence in events and experiential marketing in categories such as corporate events, sporting events, wedding & social events, activations, and exhibitions, among others. The Spotlight Awards witnessed power packed performances by the talented duo Toshi & Shaarib, Singer Asees Kaur and child prodigy Steven Samuel Devassey. In addition to this, the EEMAX Global Awards 2022, were hosted by Shruti Set, and witnessed performances by singer Akriti kakar and Indian actor and stand-up comedian Ali Asgar. The EEMAX Global Awards were also attended by famous Indian actress, model and a coveted Jury member, Neha Dhupia.
