The first ‘physical’ show for the food and hospitality sectors, IHE2021, concluded

Greater Noida: The first ‘physical’ show for the food and hospitality sectors, IHE2021, concluded on Monday, September 27, at the India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) with an impressive number of exhibitors and visitors, all testifying to the fact that India is no longer in the mood for virtual events.

The 160 exhibitors represented all industry-relevant verticals, from food ingredients and new-generation beverages to kitchen equipment, furniture and furnishings, and tableware. The north-eastern states were well-represented in the B2B show, giving them an opportunity to showcase a variety of products, from bamboo furniture to organic ginger and turmeric, to kiwi wine from Arunachal Pradesh.

The visitors included members of the Purchasing Professionals Forum-India (PPFI) and Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), the leading ladies of WICCI, chef-members of the Indian Culinary Forum (ICF), founders of the Professional Housekeepers Association (PHA), and other hospitality industry decision-makers.

Reflecting on the four-day show, Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, India Exposition Mart Limited (IEML), said: “The response to IHE2021 has surpassed our expectations. With it, we were able to demonstrate to the world that the leaders of the country’s exhibitions and conferences sector, such as IEML, are ready to present physical shows. This was just the beginning. Our calendar is already filling up for 2022 and 2023.”

Raghav Sachdeva, Managing Director, HAKS, a leading manufacturer of kitchen equipment, thanked Kumar for taking the initiative to organise a physical show – the first one of this scale in two years. “We are really pleased with the quality of the show and the visitors with whom we got to interact. I give it a thumbs up,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Dimple Grover, Interior Designer, HSAA Design Studio, “It has been a very nice experience for us, enabling us to get in touch with new clients and understanding their needs. It was a great exposure for us and our brand.” Akash Chowhan, Vice-President, Xsoni Systems, added: “It is the first time that we are participating in IHE and I must say that the response has been quite good, despite the pandemic.”

Offering a perspective from the hospitality industry, PPFI Founder and Director (Procurement), Le Meridien New Delhi, Amarjit Singh expressed his happiness at the response he got for the PPFI B2B meet on Saturday, September 25. “We wanted to add value to the show by enabling the exhibitors to interact with the procurement heads of leading hotels and restaurant chains,”Ahuja said. “It was also an opportunity for our members to learn more about the new products entering the market. It was a win-win experience for both the exhibitors and the PPFI members.”

Since its inception in 2018, IHE has been known for its concurrent programme. IHE2021 was no exception. The highlight of the programme was the Conclave, which saw animated conversations involving industry leaders such as Rajeev Menon of Marriott Hotels, Rattan Keswani (Lemon Tree Hotel Company), Samir MC (Fortune Park Hotels) and Anurag Katriar (Past President, National Restaurant Association of India); top educators and recruiters such as Kamal Kant Pant (IHM-Pusa) and Dr Swarup Sinha (ITC Hotel Management Institute); the renowned chefs, Manjit Gill (Indian Federation of Culinary Associations), and Davinder Kumar (President, Indian Culinary Forum, and Vice-President, F&B, Le Meridien New Delhi); and housekeeping decision-makers such as Dr Madhu Chandhok and Meenu Tongatta.

Also seen speaking at the Conclave were the HPMF Founder, Dr Nitin Nagrale, noted mixologists Yangdup Lama and Vaibhav Singh, top caterers Sanjay Khullar (Seasons Catering) and Varun Tuli (Food Inc. and Noshi), young restaurateur Amit Bagga of Daryaganj, and DLF’s F&B Head, Udit Kukreja.

The other major components of the Concurrent Programme included:

• IHE2021 Excellence Awards, which went to 72 highly talented hospitality professionals from places as diverse as Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir to Amritsar, to Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Coimbatore.
• IHE2021 Masterclass Series, which saw nine top chefs and one acclaimed mixologist sharing their wisdom with students of five hotel management schools that had partnered with the show. The chefs were Davinder Kumar (Indian Culinary Forum), Manisha Bhasin (ITC Hotels), Manish Mehrotra (Indian Accent Restaurants), Avijit Ghosh (Callebaut and Smoor), Sanjay Thakur (World Chefs), Sabyasachi Gorai (Young Chefs Association of India), Neeraj Tyagi (Pullman and Novotel Hotels), Nishant Choubey (Seinan Group) and Nand Lal (Himachal Pradesh Tourism). Ankur Chawla (ScopeBev) was the mixologist.
• ICF Young Chefs Culinary Challenge, a vibrant event that saw more than 170 students from hotel management colleges participate in five categories of competitions.