Two big brands merge into INMEX-SMM India 2015
Informa Exhibitions, responsible for INMEX India (among many other shows), a leading Indian exhibition and conference and Hamburg Messe und Congress, the world’s leading maritime event organiser, have joined forces to create South Asia’s largest maritime event, Informa Exhibitions reports.
INMEX-SMM India 2015 takes place in Mumbai between 23rd and 25th September. And according to INMEX-SMM India Director, Ms Anita Mathews, amalgamating two shows into one will result in great benefits for organisers, exhibitors, visitors and stakeholders alike.
Despite the challenging nature that has traditionally come with doing business in India, the opportunities and growth potential for companies willing to take the plunge there are bountiful; a point this year’s INMEX-SMM India exhibition plans to showcase.
Port traffic in India has increased from 368 million tons in 2001 to 935 million tons in 2013, and according to the ‘India Maritime Agenda’, this figure could reach 2,500 million tons by 2020.
“The main benefit of exhibiting or attending INMEX-SMM India is the opportunities,” said Anita Mathews, Director of INMEX-SMM India. “The Indian maritime sector is focusing on increasing foreign direct investments from the government’s side whilst international companies would find a great deal of opportunities to promote their products to this region; again, it is not just exporting directly to India or the sub-continent, but also finding partners to represent them and their services in the region.”
In recent years, the Indian maritime sector and its affiliates and interested parties have had to either choose, or split their marketing budgets to commit to the two biggest events in the country for the industry; SMM India and INMEX. But for this year, and the following five at least, two have become one.
In August 2014, it was announced that Informa Exhibitions, organiser of INMEX India, entered into a strategic collaboration with Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, organiser of SMM India. Taking place between 23rd and 25th September 2015 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, the uniformed event will provide the maritime sector with the best of both events on one integrated platform.
“INMEX will be focussing on growing the regional and national interest in the show, whilst Hamburg Messe will be using its strength to increase the international presence,” said Ms Mathews. So far, for 2015, the show has national pavilions from Germany, Singapore, China, Denmark, Finland and the UK. “We did have an international presence at past INMEX events, but we would like to grow this presence for 2015 and beyond.”
A Welcomed Merger
The decision to merge the two events has, said Ms Mathews, been widely welcomed, particularly by exhibitor companies.
“To be honest, they were the happiest! They are saving their budget by only having to commit to one event rather than two per calendar year. Previously, we were asked the question ‘Why have two events when you can have one?’ and this was one of the reasons why we decided to join with SMM. We have put all of our efforts into making sure it works and so far it’s going beautifully.”
INMEX India was launched in 1999 and has established itself as the region’s most influential event for the Indian maritime market, hosting over 500 exhibitors from 40 countries and attracting over 6,000 visitors and delegates to the event in 2013.
“In terms of exhibitors, we are expecting over 600 this September, and on the visitor front, we are looking to attract over 7,000,” revealed Ms Mathews. “Our objective is to grow this event to not only address South Asia but also the wider region – be it the Middle East, Africa or further afield.
“No company will be interested in going into a new region or market unless there is a return on their investment and that’s what we are focusing on; ensuring visiting and exhibiting companies get direct access to opportunities in the region - be it getting stakeholders to visit the show, or at a conference where they can discuss matters in a debate format.”
Extensive Conference Programme
Speaking of the conference programme, although yet to be fully finalised, 2015’s speakers will be hand-selected executives from a number of influential Indian and international sectors including: shipyards, ports, shipping lines, agents and solution providers, in addition to representatives from the Indian Government, Navy and Coast Guard.
“These are the key customers of our exhibitors and the largest stakeholders when it comes to our international and domestic players,” acknowledged Ms Mathews. So from our point of view, we spend time talking to the key players in the industry, from both a delegates side and an industry side, and pick their brains to decide on the conference themes to ensure our event can address the questions and requirements of our exhibition.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the government will pursue a port-led model of economic development that comprises ports, special economic zones (SEZs), rail, road, air and waterway connectivity with the hinterland.
Furthermore, “Indian Ports has a surplus capacity of over 25 per cent of projected demand; the Ministry of Shipping is targeting investment close to US$46 billion,” said Ms Mathews. “All of the developments in India mean opportunities for internationals to do business.”
But it’s not just the big players INMEX-SMM India is hoping to attract. “We are inviting the small and medium sized companies to come to the event, test the waters and identify the opportunities of the market potential for their products and services in the region.”
Mumbai a Must
And what better place than Mumbai to entice prospective new visitors to India? “From a personal level, Mumbai can offer an awful lot; from ethnic markets and a vibrant nightlife to beautiful beaches and, of course, the heart of the Hindi film industry - Bollywood. It is a very cosmopolitan city.”
Whilst this September will be the inaugural joint venture event, Ms Mathews is extremely excited about the prospect this new partnership can bring to all parties concerned. “Informa Exhibitions has been organising INMEX for the last six editions. SMM is a very well know brand; one of the biggest.
“But that said, there were still gaps at previous INMEX and SMM India events. So what we are trying to do is find the gaps and address those as we go forward. Being one entity helps us bridge those gaps much quicker.”
Commenting on the partnership, Bernd Aufderheide, CEO and President of Hamburg Messe und Congress, agreed with Ms Mathews’ sentiment. "We are excited about the prospect of further developing SMM India by working together with INMEX India and jointly offering an unmatched maritime event on the subcontinent. Exhibitors and visitors alike will profit from our collaboration."
Informa Exhibitions operate around 130 trade and consumer events in over 38 cities across the globe. The Company's main office locations are in London, Sao Paulo, Dubai, Singapore, Melbourne and Beijing.