Winning backing from friends in high places is crucial to the success of any campaign. We see evidence of this on the news every day; Libyan rebels would have been helpless to tackle their dicatatorial leader Muammar Gadaffi without allied air support, while on the other hand influential friends kept equally divisive figures such as former US president George W Bush in power for eight years.
In our industry, nowhere is the need for recognition and support more apparent than in India. Favourable estimates put the country’s annual economic growth at around 8.9 per cent. It has a young economy, its middle class is expanding and improved public spending power means the people will certainly benefit from trade fairs.
It’s no secret India has huge potential to become an exhibition giant, but for the time being, two related statistics paint a glum story.
The first is this: the relatively tiny island state of Singapore, a country with three truly world-class international venues, claims 40 million tourists every year. By contrast, tourist traffic in India last year was less than six million.
The second is that China, the country perhaps most commonly compared with India in terms of size, growth and international potential, has almost four million square metres of space now, and an exhibitions industry over 10 times larger than that of India.
Germany, a country of 80 million people, has 3.5 million square metres of exhibition space. If you compare that with the 250,000sqm of purpose-built indoor exhibition space in India, with a population the size of Europe (1.2 billion) the market is simply unable to allow the industry to grow as it could.
India, very much in the nascent stage, remains unable to capitalise on the potential its international exhibition industry presents.
But the times they are a-changing. Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) chairman Indra Mohan is spearheading a campaign to provide newfound friends in India’s Government with the ammunition they need to win the Indian exhibition industry the recognition it deserves.
“The Indian exhibition industry needs to be recognised as an industry sector,” says Mohan. “We call it the ‘exhibition industry’, but it is still not given that status by the Government, and it can not call itself, with pride, an industry.
“As India prepares itself for becoming an economic superpower it must expedite socio-economic reforms and take steps to overcome the institutional and infrastructure bottlenecks in the system. Today, steps are being made to improve the pace of the development.”
Mohan believes India has an “inefficient and insufficient infrastructure” both in its power and infrastructure sectors. “This inadequacy constrains economic growth – however it attracts investment, keeping in view the inherent strength of the Indian economy.” And that investment is being seen today. Industrial initiatives are in place to support sectors including telecoms, roads and highways, boats and civil aviation. Some of these are already yielding results.
“What we need to do is simplify procedures and relax entry barriers for business activities,” Mohan comments. “There is a need for higher foreign investment in the form of foreign direct investment; this invites investments and public-private participation, which leads to the speedy development of infrastructure.”
He points to the development of exhibition industries in Europe and elsewhere in Asia, growth resulting from pragmatic government policies and investment in infrastructure. “India has immense potential to tap this growth. And so it follows, the need of the hour is world-class expo centres in India,” he says.
The president of international exhibition association UFI, Eric Everard, says that although exhibitions can be set up in temporary or less-than-ideal facilities, the lack of modern facilities in the right places is a real constraint to industry growth.
“There are some very good modern exhibition venues in some of the cities I’ve visited, but there are simply not enough,” he says.
Everard points out it’s not a challenge the private sector can handle alone, it requires a consultative and coordinated effort by industry, exhibition industry and government to find the good solutions.
“If you want to get Government support you must justify your sector socially and politically, then we will succeed,” India’s union minister of tourism Subodh Kant Sahai told attendees at the recent IEIA 2011 Open Seminar. “The Government always has differing priorities, but I have a vision to take care of this matter.
“I would request that you, too, go on the campaign road - to teach our politicians something as well as the bureaucrats who can realise your goals. The task falls on us to give better job opportunities to our younger generations; the Government must recognise this sector as a job provider.”
With a convincing case, Sahai claimed, the Indian Government would consider making the changes necessary for the Indian exhibition industry’s growth.
And as with all campaigns, the support must come from ground level. The venues must be built, and that will only happen when the Government supports the development of major venues. But land is a sensitive issue in India.
“Issues such as finding the land to store the space, identifying and allocating the big plots of land that are required to build the big exhibitions in several cities will ignite the potential that is clearly here in India,” says Everard.
Sahai echoes the sentiment. “Land is a big issue. But we are looking into how we are developing almost 70 cities including Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta.”
Recognising the industry’s potential for Indian industry himself, Sahai said that as well as investment, it is crucial the industry convinces the Government of the implications for employment and municipal regeneration.
“As a minister, I really want to join you,” added Sahai. “I don’t want to remain on the corporate side. If India is to behave or lead in the future, we have to cover these parts that are left out.
“Our Prime Minister doesn’t only know politics, he knows development.”
Support for Indian exhibitions is undeniably growing. Manch Communications’ Expo Summit India takes place in Delhi at the end of the month and it will be interesting to see which issues raised here are echoed there.
UFI has already pledged its commitment to help push the agenda at a Government level, and will do what it can with research, education and promotion. “The industry here needs to be able to pull as one,” says Everard. “The association needs to be able to rep every company in every major city, and speak with a single strong voice.
“Rather than working out how best to divide the pie, we must focus on making the pie much, much bigger.”
With IEIA tasked to make the case for India’s international exhibition industry, thanks – apparently – to having the ear of an ally at Government level, the international audience will be watching Indra Mohan and the association’s progress very closely indeed.
Any comments? Email exhibitionworld@mashmedia.net
