Gary Khan
INDIA’s first regional convention bureau, Hyderabad Convention Visitors Bureau (HCVB), turns five years old this year with flying colours and is charting the course to put Hyderabad further on the global MICE map in the next five years.
Gary Khan, CEO of HCVB since its formation in 2011, can now count a “very good track record” of winning 19 association bids out of the 36 HCVB had put in since the bureau’s inception.
HCVB’s strategic marketing plan for the next five years will see the bureau focusing its efforts on the European region because that is the “crux of associations”.
It plans to increase its participation in roadshows in Europe from once to twice a year, and maintaining presence in tradeshows.
It will also focus on the IT, healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors which are Hyderabad’s strongest suits. While the Telangana state currently brandishes India’s only purpose-built convention and exhibition centre that can accommodate up to 6,500 delegates, Khan admitted that this infrastructure might still pale in comparison to other cities’ convention facilities that can host up to 20,000 guests.
However he pointed to the presence of a huge Indian market as Hyderabad’s winning factor.
“The strength we have is in our numbers (people) because we can provide a huge attendance number that no other country can offer. We are not talking about just 20 or 50 more people, but a few hundreds. We also give associations the opportunity to increase their membership,” he said.
Pointing to the ICANN Congress, which will be held in November with 4,000 delegates, Khan said these big international names that are descending upon Hyderabad are a “testimony” to the destination’s capability to host large-scale events.
