Event agencies from across India empanelled with EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association) will be travelling for the summit, which will include industry leaders and veterans.
Those expected in attendance include
Sabbas Joseph, President of EEMA and founder of India’s premier event management outfit Wizcraft;
Michael Menezes, chairman of Showtime, the go-to guys for opening ceremonies of large format events like ISL;
Harindra Singh, founder of Percept and India’s iconic music festival Sunburn;
Vivek Singh of Procam International, a company that revolutionized marathons and running events in India and recently brought P1 powerboat racing to the country; and suchlike. Close to a hundred event agencies from India are estimated to travel to Antalya for the summit.
Revealing the schedule of the four day retreat,
Rajeev Jain, VP- government engagement and treasurer of EEMA explained- a ‘meet and greet’ will be organized on the evening of 28 May to kick off the summit with a welcome dinner party at hotel Rixos. The next morning will see a tight agenda of knowledge sessions with world-renowned speakers leading into lunch after which a retro themed party has been planned. The first half of day three will feature thought-provoking discussions pertaining to event management and global best practices, followed by a ‘Hindustani’ themed evening do. The summit will culminate with acknowledgements and awards. The event has opened its doors to families too and has been designed to make it fun for all.
Giving us a detailed preview of the knowledge sessions
Michael Menezes, EEMA’s advisory council member stated, “We have global stalwarts like Marshall Goldsmith and Graeme Codrington but we also have an interesting session with the Chairman of Dentsu India, Ashish Bhasin and Brian Tellis who could provide great insights on how event agency entrepreneurs need to shape their businesses to make them attractive collaboration targets for global players. We are also looking at interactive session-breakers and fireside chats with a whole generation of new event leaders within our industry who will share their experiences of growth over the last decade with their peers.”
Three or four event properties will be showcased to the delegation during the course of the event along with a city tour of local sights and attractions. Event planners from other countries in the region will also be joining the much-anticipated retreat.
“The event industry is abuzz with the upcoming four nights of unlimited Antalya”, says Rajeev Jain. “I have been to Antalya four times previously and have been more enticed by its beauty each time. Unfortunately political unrest has not allowed us to organize any of our events there as much as we wanted to. The India visit of prime minster of Turkey has come at an opportune time and it seems the situation is poised to change. We are very excited for the many opportunities that await us.”
Menezes adds, “I think the EEMA Leadership Retreat could be a game-changer for our industry in that it could open people's minds to future trends both globally and nationally and how they need to adapt their businesses for the future. There will be lots of opportunities for fun and games both for participants and their spouses and also city tours to discover what makes amazing Antalya an exciting and stunning event capital for the world particularly in the wedding destination and MICE space. This is an absolutely not-to-be-missed opportunity for India's event and experiential marketing industry.”
In continuation of that thought,
Sabbas Joseph, President EEMA, stated, “"The tenth year anniversary of EEMA will be celebrated in Antalya this year but the tenth year of EEMA is not just about celebration. It’s focused on using this as a fresh starting point for the industry. It’s a time to rewire, rethink, re-engineer and re-imagine. It’s time to go for The New! I’m thankful to Tourism Turkey and Inventum MICE for hosting us and am certain this association will bear fruits in many forms."
