HospitalityWorld 2011, India?s largest hospitality trade expo organised by the Indian Express Group through its fortnightly magazine ?Express Hospitality?, kicked off in Bangalore on Thursday.
Karnataka state tourism department principal secretary N C Muniyappa inaugurated the three-day event in the presence of director of tourism K Viswantha Reddy.
The event, which is primarily meant for the B2B segment, is showcasing the latest products, services and technologies suited for the hospitality industry. The expo is on till Saturday.
In its 11th year, the show has grown leaps and bounds, drawing over 150 companies from across India and abroad. It is expected to attract more than 8,000 trade visitors this year from South India alone.
Over the years, the show has become the ideal platform to meet discerning customers and informed decision-makers from the industry. It also features theme pavilions on bakeries, kitchen and food service equipment, F&B, hotel design and housekeeping.
With more than 150 stalls set up in space covering 6,500 square metres, HospitalityWorld 2011 is featuring many special attraction pavilions, which are showcasing the modus operandi and skills needed in today?s hospitality sector. The expo also has seminars on spa and wellness, a wine appreciation forum and live cooking demonstrations.
On Thursday, the expo witnessed a roundtable discussion under the theme ?Hospitality Think Tank?. The roundtable discussion, which focused on the topic of authenticity being a key ingredient in food, saw chefs from top hotels and restaurants along with key manufacturers of ingredients.
Another popular concept during the event is ?The Chef Lounge? hosted by The Indian Federation of Culinary Association along with its regional arm, The South Indian Culinary Association. The lounge is expected to attract more than 300 corporate and executive chefs and various other heads of departments of the hospitality academic industry.
Leading companies like Bharat Glass & Crockeries, Celfrost Innovations, Essae-Teraoka, Lotus Chocolate, Lucid IT Solutions, Bector?s Food Specialities, Ocean Glass Public, Ramsons Garments Finishing Equipment, Shanti Metal Industries, Wang Hospitality Equipment and the state-owned enterprises like Coffee Board and Coconut Board have their stalls at the expo.