IEIA 2.0 IS ABOUT GLOBAL EXCELLENCE
ES. Congratulations on being re-elected as President of IEIA. As you begin this new term, what are your key priorities and focus areas for strengthening the exhibition industry?
Sooraj Dhawan. Thank you. While the Indian Exhibition Industry is indeed performing well, we are now entering a critical phase of consolidation and scale. For the IEIA Executive Committee (2025–2027), our vision is to move from ‘doing well’ to ‘global excellence’ under the IEIA 2.0 roadmap.
Our primary mandate for this term is to aggressively elevate the Quality of Services across the ecosystem. We will achieve this through three strategic pillars:
1. Process Digitalisation: We must move beyond basic tech adoption. Our focus is train members on integrating AI and data-driven solutions to streamline operations, enhance visitor experiences, and deliver measurable ROI to our exhibitors.
2. Skilling & Training: Infrastructure is only as good as the people running it. We are doubling down on our ‘IEIA SkillForce’ initiative to bridge the talent gap, ensuring our workforce is future-ready and certified to global standards.
3. Inclusivity & Standardization: We are committed to greater Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the industry, while simultaneously pushing for standardized SOPs that ensure safety, sustainability, and operational excellence across all Indian venues.
India is poised for unprecedented expansion, and this term will be about building the structural integrity to support that growth.
ES. IEIA 2.0 marks a significant evolution for the association. What will be the key drivers behind IEIA 2.0, and how will it redefine IEIA’s role for organisers, venues, service providers and allied stakeholders?
Sooraj Dhawan. The last twenty years were our ‘foundation phase’—we successfully transitioned from an unorganized sector to a recognized Industry with world-class infrastructure. Venue availability is no longer our primary constraint; we now boast over 70 world-class centers, with several exceeding 100,000 sqm.
However, IEIA 2.0 is about moving from Capacity to Capability. The defining driver for this era is the radical shift in our audience. India is a young nation, and our future exhibitors and visitors are Gen Z and Gen Alpha. These are digital natives who value experience over commodities and sustainability over scale. To meet their demands, IEIA 2.0 will redefine our role across four key dimensions:
1. For Organisers: From Space Sellers to Community Builders We must help organisers pivot to data-driven community building. The new generation demands hyper-personalization. We will advocate for the adoption of Generative AI—which 92% of the global industry now sees as a game-changer —to transform sales, marketing, and customer relations.
2. For Venues: From Real Estate to ‘Smart’ Experience Hubs While our physical infrastructure is robust, our digital infrastructure must catch up. IEIA 2.0 will push for ‘Smart Venue’ certifications that prioritize high-speed connectivity, seamless entry technologies, and sustainable operations—elements that younger demographics treat as non-negotiable baselines, not luxuries.
3. For Service Providers: From Vendors to Partners Our service partners are the backbone of execution. Through standardisation and skilling, we will elevate them to be strategic partners who can deliver the high-quality, safe, and sustainable environments that international and new-age clients expect.
4. For Allied Stakeholders (Govt & Tourism): We will leverage the ‘Make in India’ momentum to position exhibitions as the primary engine for the country’s manufacturing and MSME sectors. We will demonstrate that exhibitions are not just events, but catalysts for national economic growth.
In short, IEIA 2.0 is about ensuring India doesn’t just host exhibitions, but defines the global standard for the next generation.
ES. How would you assess 2025 for the Indian exhibition industry? What were the key highlights, achievements, and learnings that stood out during the year?
Sooraj Dhawan. While 2025 may have felt like a return to ‘normalcy’ in operations, the data tells a far more powerful story: 2025 was the year of Resurgence and Scale. We didn’t just recover; we outperformed.
The Indian exhibition industry is currently growing at a pace that outstrips many global counterparts. This year was defined by three critical milestones:
1. Unprecedented Growth & Scale We witnessed a 40% increase in net space sold compared to pre-pandemic levels. The market is now valued at approximately USD 5.23 billion, driven by a surge in domestic consumption and the ‘China+1’ strategy. We are no longer just participating in the global race; in terms of growth velocity, we are leading it.
2. Infrastructure as a Global Differentiator 2025 proved that our infrastructure investment has paid off. With iconic venues now fully operational and hosting mega-events, India has successfully transitioned from a ‘capacity-constrained’ market to a ‘capacity-rich’ destination.
3. The ‘Experience’ Pivot The biggest learning from 2025 is that volume is vanity, but experience is value. Our visitors—increasingly Gen Z and millennials—demanded more than just aisles of stalls. They rewarded shows that integrated AI-driven matchmaking, immersive tech, and sustainability. We learned that digital integration is no longer an ‘add-on’ but a multiplier for ROI.
What Next? We are now geared up for IEIA 2.0. The learning is clear: we have the hardware (venues); now we must upgrade the software (skills and services). Our focus shifts to building a ‘Smart, Sustainable, and Skilled ecosystem’ that can double our industry revenues in the next three years.”
ES. How do you see India’s positioning in the global exhibition industry? What emerging opportunities-such as international participation, inbound exhibitions, or sectoral growth excite you the most?
Sooraj Dhawan. India is no longer just a ‘participant’ in the global exhibition industry; we are fast becoming its growth engine. While developed markets face saturation and shrinking working-age populations, India stands out as the ‘global beacon of hope’—offering a unique combination of a massive demand market (1.4 billion people) and a youthful, skilled workforce.
My vision for India’s positioning rests on three exciting pillars:
1. The ‘China+1’ Opportunity: The world is actively realigning its supply chains, and India’s manufacturing and services sectors are ready to fill that void. Exhibitions are the critical gateway for this integration. We are positioning our trade shows not just as marketplaces, but as global sourcing hubs for the ‘Make in India’ initiative, directly connecting our MSMEs to international buyers.
2. From ‘Inbound’ to ‘Global’ Events: With our new world-class infrastructure, we are finally equipped to host mega-international congresses that previously bypassed India. We are seeing a surge in interest for ‘Inbound Exhibitions,’ where global organizers bring their flagship brands to India to tap into our market.
3. The Demographic Dividend: As you rightly noted, while overseas populations shrink, India is young. This isn’t just about consumption; it’s about innovation. Our exhibitions are increasingly becoming platforms for tech, startups, and digital services—sectors where India leads. We are servicing the world’s need for talent and technology.
In summary, the world wants to sell to India, but more importantly, they now want to partner with India. IEIA’s role is to facilitate that partnership.”
ES. Despite strong growth, certain challenges continue to impact the industry. What bottlenecks- infrastructure, policy, manpower, or costs do you believe need urgent attention to unlock the next phase of growth?
Sooraj Dhawan. While our growth trajectory is impressive, we must confront three structural bottlenecks to unlock the next phase of value creation:
1. The Talent Deficit (Our #1 Priority) You are absolutely right—our most urgent bottleneck is the acute shortage of specialized trained manpower. As the industry scales, we are facing a ‘skills gap’ rather than just a ‘people gap.’ We need data scientists, sustainability experts, and digital event architects, not just sales, marketing and logistics managers. Our priority is to rebrand the exhibition industry from a ‘gig economy’ sector to a ‘Career of Choice’ for India’s youth. Through IEIA SkillForce, we are building academic partnerships to professionalize event management education and create a certified, future-ready workforce.
2. Regulatory Friction & Ease of Doing Business To compete globally, we must simplify our operating environment. Currently, complex taxation structures and multi-window clearances slow us down. We are advocating for a ‘Single Window Clearance’ system for exhibitions and a rationalized tax structure—similar to models in Germany and China—to lower the barrier to entry for international organizers.
3. The ‘Tier-2’ Infrastructure Gap While our metros now have world-class capacity, the next wave of consumption growth lies in Bharat (Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities). However, these regions often lack professional-grade venues. Bridging this infrastructure gap is essential to taking exhibitions to the doorstep of India’s emerging MSME hubs
Addressing these three areas—Skilling, Simplification, and Spread—will be the key to maintaining our double-digit growth rates.”
ES. Sustainability has become a critical subject across industries. What is your perspective on sustainable practices in exhibitions and events, and how can IEIA encourage meaningful adoption rather than symbolic compliance?
Sooraj Dhawan. “Sustainability is no longer just a ‘nice-to-have’ or a CSR box to check; it is our license to operate in the future economy. You are absolutely right—Gen Z and Gen Alpha are not just attendees; they are our moral compass. For them, a ‘Zero Waste’ exhibition will soon be the baseline expectation, not a differentiator.
However, under IEIA 2.0, we want to move beyond symbolic gestures like ‘no plastic bottles’ to deep, structural decarbonization. Our approach to encouraging meaningful adoption rests on three strategic pillars:
1. Aligning with Global Standards. We cannot operate in a silo. IEIA is actively encouraging our members to moving to adopt global standards like ISO on Sustainable Events to ensure our practices are measurable, verifiable, and comparable with international counterparts.
2. Infrastructure & Operations: The ‘Green Venue’ Mandate Meaningful sustainability starts with the venue. We are seeing Indian venues like BIEC and India Expo Mart lead the way with LEED certifications and solar power integration. IEIA will push for a ‘Green Venue Rating’ system that rewards energy efficiency, water harvesting, and smart waste management, making sustainability a key criterion for venue selection.
3. The Circular Economy in Stall Fabrication The biggest source of exhibition waste is ‘build-and-burn’ stalls. We are launching a campaign to promote modular, reusable systems over single-use custom fabrication. By incentivizing exhibitors and service providers to use recycled materials and rental furniture, we can drastically reduce our carbon footprint while simultaneously lowering costs for MSMEs.
4. Digital-First for Waste Reduction Leveraging our digital push, we are advocating for a ‘Paperless First’ policy. From digital badges to AI-driven brochures and QR-based lead capture, technology allows us to eliminate tons of paper waste while capturing better data.
In summary, we are shifting the industry’s mindset from ‘Compliance’ to ‘Consciousness.’ A sustainable exhibition industry is not just good for the planet; it is essential for our long-term economic viability.”
ES. With rapid advances in AI, digital tools, and event technology, skilling and upskilling are more important than ever. How can the industry and IEIA collectively contribute to creating a future-ready, skilled workforce?
Sooraj Dhawan. “You have touched upon the most critical lever for our future. In an era where AI is reshaping 86% of sales and marketing functions globally, traditional skilling is no longer sufficient. We face a dual challenge: we must upskill our current workforce while simultaneously creating a pipeline of ‘future-ready’ talent.
To address this, IEIA is transforming its Learning & Development (L&D) strategy from a ‘course provider’ to a ‘Talent Ecosystem Enabler.’ Our roadmap focuses on three strategic shifts:
1. Curriculum Modernization (The ‘Tech-First’ Approach) The IEIA Professional Exhibition Management Course (PEMC) is being reimagined. While we will continue to teach core operational excellence, we are integrating mandatory modules on Generative AI, Data Analytics, and Digital Marketing. We want our certified professionals to be as comfortable with Gemini or ChatGPT and data dashboards as they are with floor plans.
2. Democratizing Access: ‘Learn Anywhere, Anytime’ We recognize that the next generation of talent values flexibility. IEIA is making substantial investments to digitize our L&D infrastructure. We are launching hybrid and on-demand learning formats that allow professionals from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities—our future growth engines—to access world-class training without geographical constraints.
3. The Industry-Academia Bridge IEIA cannot do this alone. We are calling on the industry to partner with us in creating ‘IEIA Live Labs’—internship and mentorship programs where students can apply classroom learning in real-world scenarios. We are actively forging alliances with leading universities to introduce specialized event management curriculums that are industry-endorsed.
ES. As the elected leader of the association, what would be your message to the exhibition industry at large?
Sooraj Dhawan. My message is simple: Carpe Diem – Seize the Moment. You are not just in the ‘right’ career space; you are in the most dynamic sector of the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
The data is irrefutable: while mature markets stabilize, India is surging. We have hit a market valuation of ~INR 55,000 Cr with a projected CAGR of 8%. The wind is in our sails.
To my colleagues across the spectrum, here is my charge to you:
To the Organisers & Entrepreneurs: Think Global, Act Digital. The era of basic ‘space selling’ is over. Use this term to innovate. Leverage our new world-class infrastructure to build intellectual properties (IPs) that the world wants to attend. Don’t just service demand; create it.
To the Young Professionals: You are joining us at the cusp of a revolution. This industry is no longer just about logistics; it is about Technology, Data, Creativity, and Sustainability. You are the architects of the ‘Experience Economy.’ This is a career where you can drive global trade and national economic growth simultaneously.
ES. IEIA has consistently supported the Exhibition Excellence Awards (EEA) over the years. As EEA prepares for its 10th edition, what is your message for this milestone edition and its role in celebrating industry excellence?
Sooraj Dhawan. The 10th edition of the Exhibition Excellence Awards (EEA) is more than just an anniversary; it is a testament to the resilience and maturity of the Indian Exhibition Industry. For a decade, EEA has served as our industry’s most prestigious mirror—reflecting our best innovations, our boldest risks, and our highest standards. IEIA has consistently supported this platform because we believe that what gets recognized, gets repeated. By celebrating excellence on this stage, we inspire the entire ecosystem to elevate its game.
As we mark this milestone, my message is clear: Let this decade be the launchpad for the next. We are no longer just competing with each other; we are competing with the world. I look forward to seeing the EEA continue to spotlight the unsung heroes and visionary leaders who are driving India towards becoming a top 5 global exhibition market.
Here’s to celebrating our shared success and setting the benchmark for the next ten years!
