As the tradeshow industry in India continues to post impressive growth numbers, Sumit Gandhi, CEO of Asian Business Exhibition & Conferences (ABEC), shares his thoughts about the industry with Exhibit City News. ABEC is India’s largest private tradeshow organization and Gandhi has been the company’s chief executive since January 2001. Here, he shares his significant insights regarding tradeshows in one of the world’s fastest-developing economies.
What is your vision of India’s tradeshow business?
India’s tradeshows and exhibitions industry has shown a robust growth of more than 20 percent during the last four years. Business prospects and opportunities are huge and need to be tapped in the right way. In line with Germany, China and other countries, India’s tradeshow business is expected to play a pivotal role in reflecting the nation’s economic development and promoting trade.
What are the greatest challenges for India’s tradeshow industry?
Bringing International exhibitions to India is a major challenge due to a general lack of quality infrastructure and support venues. We need more governmental recognition of the potential for economic development exhibitions, conventions and tradeshows can bring to the economy. We at ABEC have voiced the need of quality infrastructure and government support that can bring business and promote trade and economic development in India. We are working toward bringing more international exhibitions to India and exploring possibilities of creating long-term, semi-permanent venues to support them.
What makes your company the leader in the Indian Tradeshow Business?
ABEC is the largest exhibition organizer in the Indian exhibition and tradeshows industry with a portfolio of around 19 exhibitions and 63 Events, a market share of 8 percent, presence across maximum business verticals, highest net exhibition space sold and the owner of some of India’s leading tradeshow brands. Our largest event, ACETECH, is India’s largest architecture, construction and design exhibition and typically draws more than 50,000 visitors while being considered a gathering place for the region’s best and brightest architecture, design and construction professionals.
What is the main strength of ABEC?
What sets us apart is our presence in almost 11 industry segments, such as infrastructure, construction, real estate, education, information technology, jewelry and fashion, safety and security, oil and petrochemicals, energy, machinery and automation, and hospitality. We have developed critical partnerships and collaborations with relevant trade bodies and industry associations along with our unique 360-degree approach to business of “Concept to Completion.” We also are a people-centric organization, and our strength lies in our large base of committed and dedicated manpower.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as the leaders of this business sector?
ABEC is the leader of the Indian exhibition and tradeshows industry, and we are working with several international organizations to host more world-class exhibitions in India. We continue to expand our flagship events, like ACETECH, and sponsor education, property and lifestyle events in new cities. We are also looking at possible opportunities and are taking steps for venue creation.
