ReIndia Expo Debuts
March 6, 2008
The doors opened at ReIndia Expo, Recharger's first show for the fast-developing Indian market. Held March 6-8 in Mumbai, the technological and industrial capital of India, the show was an immediate success, with attendees waiting at the door for the official opening of the expo hall.
An official ribbon cutting to open the event was attended by local Indian press. Ribbon-cutting honors fell to Recharger Group Publisher Adam Schaffer with help from Recharger staff members Patricia Ames, Amy Turner and Joe Blau as well as Trade Expo India Promotion partners Vinay Chhabra and Verendra Chopra. The opening event marked a successful day of exhibitions, networking and education.
The day prior to the expo, the ReIndia Forum took place at the Sahara Star hotel. With the 70 Forum attendees representing a mix of Indian and international companies, and the presentations ranging from technical to legal issues, discussion was lively and sometimes heated. "There are many roads to be paved here in the Indian market, and today we began to create the maps," Schaffer said.
Prize drawings were held at the show, ranging from Recharger Magazine subscriptions and free entry passes to World Expo in Las Vegas to iPods and the big award ... the inaugural Recharger Magazine Venture Capital Prize of 40,000 rupees (US$1,000). The lucky winner of the cash prize was N.S. Ravichandran of Kalyani Enterprises in Chennai.
Ravichandran says he has read Recharger for several years and looks forward to growing his business. "There is a lot of useful information there," he said. "I will be coming to Las Vegas (for World Expo) this year."
With a steady stream of traffic and more than 1,000 registered attendees coming through the doors on Thursday alone, it's hard to believe that today is only the beginning. Friday and Saturday are expected to be even busier than Thursday, and organizers, exhibitors and attendees alike have branded the show a success. "It's surpassed what we expected," said Stuart Gilmour of Static Control. "I counted 50 visitors in our booth at one time at one point. It's very evident that customers in the Indian market are hungry for information."
Future Graphics' Luke Goldberg also feels the market is eager for information. "What was surprising to us was the level of understanding and education here surpassed what we expected. But there is definitely a thirst for knowledge.
"For a first show in a new market it's really a success," Goldberg said. "We've gotten new insight into the Indian market. The timing is good for a show like this. The market is in its early stages and we want to be part of it."
Booth sales have already begun for next year's show. Don't miss out! Contact Joe Blau at jblau@rechargermag.com or +1-702-505-9535 and sign up now for the industry's hottest new event.
