Contents March 16-31, 2013
Vol 8 No.11 MARCH 16-31, 2013
Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Associate Editor Sudipta Dev
MARKET
MANAGEMENT
CONTENT TEAM
Village Ways looks at making inroads in
Mumbai
Ethiopia, Kenya ............................................................08
Sayoni Bhaduri, Kahini Chakraborty Kolkata
Kolkata to soon get an international class
Joy Roy Choudhury
convention centre ........................................................08
Editorial Associates Marcellus Baptista, H A Mishra, Harpal Singh Sokhi, P S Sundar, M S Ram Advisory Board
Raha Poly Products to grow consumer presence ......................................................09 Sterling Holidays offers special privileges to senior citizens ..........................................................09
Anil Madhok, Rajeev Chopra, Santosh Shidhaye, Homi Aibara,
CHEF’S PLATTER
Param Kannampilly,
Back to roots ............................................................19
K V Simon, Jiggs Kalra, Jose Dominic,
Passionately Swiss ....................................................24
Raju Shahani, N S Bhuie, Nirmal Khandelwal,
A new definition of luxury ........................................26
Muralidharan Menon, Narendra Verma,
Chef Saby (Sabyasachi Gorai), director of kitchens, Ai, Lap, Olive Qutab, Olive Beach, The Moving Kitchen by Olive speaks about the evolution of the kitchen space .................14
Prakash Mankar, M Narayanan MARKETING Deputy General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar, Rajan Nair
Mega magic ..............................................................27 EDGE
Rediscovering the bistro..............................15
Marketing Coordination Darshana Chauhan Asst.Manager - Scheduling & Coordination Arvind Mane CIRCULATION Mohan Varadakar
Maximising the minibar ..........................................28
PRODUCTION General Manager
Next generation Service Delivery Architecture for hotels ................................................................29
HIGH SPRITS
B R Tipnis Production Manager Bhadresh Valia
LIFE
Layout Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker Asst. Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Photo Editor Sandeep Patil
Express Hospitality Reg.No.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15 RNI Regn. No.MAHENG/2005/21391. Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of the Proprietor The Indian Express Limited from Express Towers, 2nd floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 and Printed by her at the Indian Express Press, at Plot No.EL-208,TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai 400 710 (Editorial & Administrative :The Indian Express Ltd, 1st floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021). Editor Reema Lokesh* (* Responsible for selection of matter under PRB Act) Copyright @ 2011
The Indian Express Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.
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Women and wine ..........................................................16 Interview with Zdenek Kastanek, brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka ........................................................17 Bordeaux's finest...........................................................18
Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School ..................................................30 The Oberoi Group takes a STEP..................................31
REGULARS
Editor’s Note................................................................................................................................................................7 New Kids on The Block ..............................................................................................................................................11 Product Tracker ..........................................................................................................................................................13 Movements ................................................................................................................................................................32 Weekend ....................................................................................................................................................................41
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March 16-31, 2013
EDITOR’S NOTE
Taxing troubles isappointing, depressing and disturbing – the Indian hospitality and tourism industry have echoed their sentiments in these words after the announcement of the Union Budget 201314. The industry has been shouting from the rooftops to get their voice heard in the corridors of power in New Delhi and especially the finance ministry but all their appeals seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Year on year the service industry (especially the tourism and hospitality sectors) are hoping against hope that every passing Union Budget declaration of India will bring in some respite to their long pending issues, but the budget of 2013-2014 proved to be a complete no show or rather regressive in nature. Industry leaders and association heads have been calling for the abolition of service tax but instead it has been extended to AC restaurants exceeding 2000 square feet which do not serve liquor.
D “Tourism and hospitality are strong sectors that bring in socioeconomic growth as employment generators. The government needs to urgently realise the value of this sector”
According to FHRAI, this would severely impact the restaurant industry throughout the country and collection of service tax from thousands of restaurants which would now be covered under this would be extremely high. The industry sentiments are very low as the finance ministry has not even considered their request to grant infrastructure status and reduce the double taxation charge on room rent by way of luxury tax by state government and service tax by Central Government. Interestingly, this fraternity of businessmen seem to be still patient and prudently positive that one day maybe their voice will be heard and their demands met. Tourism and hospitality are strong sectors that bring in socio-economic growth as employment generators. This in turn has a cascading effect and brings in positive and desirable progress on various fronts. The government needs to urgently realise the value of this sector, which is growth oriented rather than glamorous and a financial contributor to the exchequer. The only respite this budget brought in was in the announcement of schemes and sops for the women of India. This sudden awakening toward the 'fairer sex' in the country is hopefully not just a sporadic act but rather a steady and stable decision that will benefit generations to come.
Reema Lokesh Editor editorial.eh@expressindia.com
E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com
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Market
T H E B U S I N E S S O F H O S P I TA L I T Y
LEAD STORY
Village Ways looks at making inroads in Ethiopia, Kenya Guest houses, camp site, houseboat owned and managed by villagers in India SUDIPTA DEV - Mumbai
illages Ways that is involved in several successful community tourism projects in India, is now looking at involving villages in Ethiopia and Kenya in similar initiatives. Village Ways currently has 11 guest houses in Uttarakhand (six in Binsar and five in Saryu and Pindar Valley) along with a campsite near Nanda Devi mountain, a guest house in Rajasthan's Thar desert, a spice house in Karnataka and the recent project of a houseboat in Kerala. All these accommodation projects are owned and managed by the local villagers. The communities are partners/share holders in Village Ways. “Our effort is to tie up with either like-minded organisations or help in refurbishment or general standard of whatever accommodation are available in Ethiopia,” said Himanshu Pande, director development, Village Ways. It had all started when Pande who was running his family hotel Mountain Resort, in Khali Estate, Almora, Uttarakhand realised that people from nearby villages were migrating continuously due to lack of employment opportunity. “Khali Estate is inside Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Binsar was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1990 and there were a few restrictions posed
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on the local communities. This had a direct impact on the people who started migrating from the sanctuary. The idea of Village Ways is to benefit the villagers from tourism activities,” stated Pande. A private limited company was formed, Village Ways raised money and started working in five villages of Binsar. “We have set up little guest houses in the villages, each has three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, a separate place for the guides in the same house to stay. These guest houses are basically for walking holidays. Tourists come to my hotel in
Khali Estate and then move onwards for one/two/three nights stay in different villages depending on the duration of their holiday,” stated Pande. The guest house funded by Village Ways is owned by the village. Forty per cent of the construction cost for the guest house is given as grant by Village Ways, and 60 per cent as interest free loan to the village. Each guest house is managed by the village committee, which has a president, a secretary, and other people. “We've negotiated the rates with them. There is a bigger committee comprising all the five villages
that has fixed the rates of what Village Ways will pay to the communities per guest for boarding as well as lodging. We have also trained many guides. In Binsar we have 12 guides, out of which two are lady guides who have been trained in flora, fauna, English language, First Aid, etc,” mentioned Pande. Guests cannot give any direct tips or gifts to the villagers. Each village has a Village Development Fund where tourists can make the contribution so that it can benefit all. Each village takes the decision on how to use the fund.
Kolkata to soon get an international class convention centre JOY ROY CHOUDHURY - Kolkata
olkata would soon get an international class convention centre. The Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO), a state run body under the Department of Urban Development will be setting up this convention centre, which will have multiple auditoriums of different sizes. Sources indicate that HIDCO has already chalked out the plans for setting up the city's mega convention centre which would host nearly 3,000 pax. The construction will be
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completed within one and half years and likely to start soon. The new convention centre will be coming up at Action Area 1 of New Town over 10 acres of land. The artist's image of the convention centre already drawn up shows a huge complex with the convention centre. Officials indicate that the project planning, drawing and architecture has been influenced by the famed Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The project was taken up after being influenced by Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan but this new state-of-the-art building www.expresshospitality.com
will have many unique aspects. “Currently, there is an urgent need for a convention centre of international standard in the city which could host a large number of national and international delegates and have state-ofthe-art conferencing facilities, as Kolkata is slowly emerging as an important MICE destination. The upcoming convention centre will serve this need,” said the HIDCO official. Initially, HIDCO authorities were planning an auditorium for cultural programmes but later changed its plan to
set up a convention centre with multiple auditoriums. The main feature of Vigyan Bhavan in the capital is the plenary hall, with a seating capacity of over 1,200 delegates. Besides, it has six smaller halls with capacities ranging from over 65 delegates to over 375 delegates. Besides, the main auditorium and smaller halls in the proposed convention centre at New Town, there would be a VIP lounge, office block for on-site offices, secretariat and a documentation centre, a studio, a business centre, exhibition hall and media centre. March 16-31, 2013
M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK
Raha Poly Products to grow consumer presence B2B and institutional sales. The Indian arm of Omanbased Poly Products are the pioneers in launching spring mattress in the Indian market as early as 1995. “We were the first to introduce spring mattresses in India,” said
Vijayaraghavan. He added that the mattresses are not only healthy but also provide an element of luxury as well. “We use high quality steel for the springs in the mattress. While other manufacturers use materials like jute for we
use plastic nets and high density coir. There are several layers of foam (18-30 density),” he explains. The Raha brand enjoys familiarity not just in the Gulf region but also Europe and South East Asia.
SAYONI BHADURI - Mumbai
yderabad-based beds and mattresses, pillows and mattress protector making Raha Poly Products are looking to expand in the consumer space as well. They launched the Raha Comfort Studio, a retail store brand in 2008. Currently they have 23 stores across the country. “We plan to have 100 Raha Comfort Studio in 2013-14,” said VK Vijayaraghavan, head of operations India and CFO, Raha Poly Products. To cater to the growing demand they have also started a production unit in Chennai. “The unit was inaugurated in November 2012,” he added. This unit is over and above, their original plant in Hyderabad. The company's primary business is still in
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Sterling Holidays offers special privileges to senior citizens EH STAFF - Mumbai
elpAge India, has joined hands with Sterling Holidays, for its ‘AdvantAge Card’. The card is designed to encourage senior citizens to enjoy and enrich their lives through facilitating access to holidays, wellness programs and shopping at specially discounted prices. With Sterling now joining hands with HelpAge’s Advantage Card programme, the 50 plus age group will be able to enjoy privileged, leisure holidays at 19 Sterling resorts across India. On offer are special tariffs on stay and member privileges on food.
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March 16-31, 2013
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M|A|R|K|E|T INDUSTRY REACTS
Budget machinations Yet another Budget of disllusionment as the nation's finance minister unfolded his annual budget for 2013-14. Not only did the hospitality industry not get any mention, restaurants were further burdened with an increased service tax. The industry leaders have their say. “The Budget has been extremely disappointing for the hotel industry and instead of scrapping the service tax totally, it has been extended to air conditioned restaurants exceeding 2000 sq ft which do not serve liquor. This would severely impact the restaurant industry throughout the country and collection of service tax from thousands of restaurants which would now be covered under this would be extremely high. FHRAI had asked for the total abolishment of the service tax as it is charged by the Central government and the state governments (in the form of Luxury Tax & VAT on F&B) and it has been contended that both the taxes, specially the recently reduced service tax, cannot be charged on the same item. Also, the various other requests by the FHRAI have also not been looked into by the finance minister and therefore, the government’s plan to increase the Foreign Tourist Arrivals from six million to 12 million and increase the employment from the present 53 million to 87 million in the 12th Five Year Plan would indeed be impossible to achieve. In view of the heavy multiple taxes hotels are subjected in India, they are unable to be compared with other destinations in the region.” Vivek Nair, president, FHRAI “The Budget is a populist budget keeping in mind the impending elections. It is disappointing that the budget does not hold much for our industry – travel and tourism. Our industry has contributed `94,487 crore in terms of foreign exchange last year as well as, is responsible for generating approximately eight per cent of employment opportunities in the country. Despite this, we are not given any incentives. We are a highly taxed industry. Last year we were levied with an extra 10 per cent service charge. We demanded a rollback which we were denied and in fact this year, the small standalone restaurants have been burdened with the same service charge. However, I welcome new initiatives related to safety and upliftment of women that were announced in this year’s budget.” Dr Jyotsna Suri, CMD, Bharat Hotels and vice president, FICCI “The Budget has evoked disappointment in the hospitality sector as there has been no encouragement to the industry whatsoever. The government has introduced service tax on all AC restaurants and cafes,
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adding a further burden to the sector. There has been no benefit to the tourism industry, which is unfortunate, given that India’s tourism figures last year reached a dismal 6.4 million only.” Dinesh S Advani, president, Hotel & Restaurant Association, Western India (HRAWI) “This year’s Budget has been disappointing for the hospitality and tourism industry on most fronts. There has been no reduction in service taxes and now AC restaurants without liquor license will also have to bear the brunt. Eating out will now be more taxing to consumers, which will result in loss of business for restaurants. The industry's long held requests to be granted infrastructure status has again been overlooked. North East was also not given much importance. Considering the sluggish state of our economy, the finance minister focused predominantly on reducing current account deficit. We will keep submitting our suggestions to the various state governments for the benefit of the hospitality and tourism industry.” Ratan Marothia, president, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) “This year the finance minister made no mention of any incentive for tourism or the hotel industry although tourism is the largest employment generator not only in India but in the world. Tourism, so far, has been promoted in a handful states which are now having shortage of rooms. At least 70 per cent of the tourism potential of the country is still unexplored. The government should have thought of curbing unemployment by increasing its tourism infrastructure in the country and the hotel industry in particular. Now an additional burden of taxing on all AC restaurants has also demoralised restaurant owners who were trying to put up more AC restaurants from hygiene point of view. With provision of infrastructure status to the hotel industry, loans would be available for a long period of 15 years and more, long term financial assistance from financial institutions like IDFC, IIFL, ECBs/FCCBs upto US$ 500 million are permitted to be utilised under approval route of the Reserve Bank of India. This could be utilised for funding new hotel projects which by nature have sunk costs and therefore, long gestation period. Although the Centre’s Budget is discouraging for the tourism industry, in Odisha we are still awaiting declaration of the new tourism policy which is likely to attract huge invest-
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ment in the tourism sector.” J K Mohanty, chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) and MD, Swosti Group “I welcome the investment allowance proposed by finance minister to companies worth more than `100 crore in plant and machinery but it is unfortunate that it is not extended to the hospitality sector. Finance minister has not considered our request of infrastructure status and reduce the double taxation charge on room rent by way of luxury tax by state government sand service tax by Central Government. On the contrary, the finance minister has proposed to charge three per cent service tax on all the AC restaurants. Finance minister has increased the surcharge on domestic companies which will be negative effect on economy and industrial growth.” S P Jain, MD, Pride Hotels “The Budget was a huge disappointment for the hospitality industry as there have been no reliefs or compensations for the industry, this year as well. All AC restaurants and cafes with more than 2000 sq ft are to pay service taxthis will only lead to drop in footfalls. Since, 90 per cent of the outlets are airconditioned, this will only add to the woes of the consumers and is a dampener for the restaurateurs.In the current competitive market, margins are already wafer thin and most companies do not prefer to pass on cost escalations to consumers in view of losing their market shares. However, if the costs keep increasing at the current rate, the threshold limit will soon be reached and product prices will have to be revised. There has been no relief on tax benefits, liquor tax, taxes on new projects, which has sidelined the industry once again. There has been a very less change from the last year’s Budget and has really fallen short to fulfill the industry’s expectations.” H A Mishra, CMD, Foodesign Hospitality Systems “The already heavily burdened consumer is forced to pay more in the form of service tax. At the end of the day the consumer ends up paying more.” S Ramani, partner, Savourites Hospitality
March 16-31, 2013
M|A|R|K|E|T QUICK BYTES
New kids on the block The Westin Chennai Velachery Westin Hotels and Resorts has opened The Westin Chennai Velachery. The hotel offers 215 spacious and lavishly appointed guestrooms and suites. Located within 20-minute drive from Chennai domestic and international airport, the hotel provides convenient accessibility to Guindy business district, OMR-IT corridor, city center and Chennai Trade Centre. With over 12,600 square feet of meeting and function space, including two large pillar-less ballrooms and 12 break-out rooms and a business centre, the hotel is an ideal location for intimate business affairs to large-scale corporate meetings. The hotel has three restaurants: Seasonal Tastes, the contemporary all day dining restaurant; EEST offering authentic pan Asia delicacies and the cricket themed lounge bar- Willows. The open-air poolside grill and barbeque venue serves a repertoire of Latin American, Middle Eastern and Indian grills with the choice in barbeque offerings.
March 16-31, 2013
INTERNATIONAL Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has announced the opening of its second property in China – Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa in Yunnan Province. The 103-key resort boasts the status of the first and only five star hotel and pool villa destination experience in China’s utopia. Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa is located in the midst of this national scenic resort destination, an hour’s drive from Jinghong International Airport through unspoiled countryside. The resort is set along the Luosuo River, within lush gardens and water features, and comprises 80 deluxe guest rooms, as well as 23 one, two and three bedroom pool villas.
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Event Tracker Hospitality Trade Shows in 2013-14 Date March 24-26, 2013
Venue
Prowein
Düsseldorf
April 1 - 3, 2013
Hotelex + Design & Deco
Shanghai
April 3 - 5, 2013
World Food Uzbekistan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
April 3 - 5, 2013
Wine & Gourmet Japan
Tokyo
April 3 - 6, 2013
Vinaria
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
April 3 - 4, 2013
HICSA
Mumbai
April 7 – 9, 2013
China International Green Food & Organic Food Exhibition
Beijing
April 7-10, 2013
Vinitaly
Verona, Italy
April 20-22, 2013
World Wine Meetings America
Chicago
April 25-27, 2013
Seoul International Wines & Spirits Expo
May 14 – 17, 2013
Seoul Food & Hotel
Seoul (Korea South)
May 16 - 19, 2013
Olivtech
Izmir, Turkey
May 20 -22, 2013
London International Wine Fair
London
June 1 - 2, 2013
Great Japan Beer Festival
Tokyo
June 4 - 6, 2013
Top Wine China
Beijing
June 5 - 7, 2013
Indo Diary
Bali
June 7 - 9, 2013
Winexpo Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
June 6 - 15, 2013
Sweet Eurasia
Istanbul
June 16-20, 2013
Vinexpo
Bordeaux
July 11 – 13, 2013
FI Philippines
Manila
June 12 - 14, 2013
Food Hospitality World
Bengaluru
June 12 - 15, 2013
Propak Asia
Bangkok
June 12 -16, 2013
BBC Good Food Show Birmingham
Birmingham
June 25 – 28, 2013
Fispal Cafe
São Paulo (Brazil)
August 15 – 17, 2013
Hong Kong International Tea Fair
Hong Kong
September 6-8, 2013
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Event
Aahar
Seoul, South Korea
Bengaluru
September 8 – 10, 2013
Speciality Chocolate Fair
London
September 11-13, 2013
Food Ingredients Asia
Bangkok
September 17-20, 2013
Food & Hotel Malaysia 2013
Kuala Lumpur
September 20-23, 2012
Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange
Jamaica
September 23-24, 2013
South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference
Bogota (Columbia)
Sept 29 - Oct 1, 2013
The Hotel Show
Dubai
October 18 - 22, 2013
HOST 2013
Milan
November 23 - 27, 2013
IGEHO 2013
Basel
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March 16-31, 2013
Cambay Tiger
The WESTCOAST Group has introduced their new range of products under their flagship brand, Cambay Tiger. Consisting of products such as Chill Basil Basa Fish, Butter Garlic Prawns, Prawn Torpedo and Tandoori Prawn Skewers, this range promises quality and innovative homemade seafood.
dle stands (small/large) in black mother of pearl and mystical jars in mercurised glass. Price: ● Photo Frames (large/small) -`2995 and `2595 ● Elegant Candle Stands (small/large)– `3995 and `3595 ● Mystical jars (small / Large) – `3595 and `4595
Home Bar Units from Great Eastern Home
Aroma Casa Ultrasonic diffusers
ST Unicom, Kolkata is offering Aroma Casa Ultrasonic diffusers, which disperses natural aromas and create healthy living environments using advanced air technologies, with many benefits over heat-based diffusers that use candles or heat elements. They use a high-frequency, lowenergy sound which vibrates at 2.4 million times per seconds to break down essential oils into fine particles as micro mist that is dispersed into the air.
Elvy Lifestyle
Great Eastern Home has introduced wide choice of contemporary and classic bar units. These uniquely designed bar units are handmade in limited editions. This exotic home bar unit collection which is part of traditional British style furniture from The Great Eastern Home is a mixture of contemporary and classic style furniture made in various hard woods ensuring its long durability and class.
Notty from Greenways Foods & Beverages Greenways Foods & Beverages has launched its fruit-energy drink, Notty for children in the Indian market. The drink contains vegetarian
Elvy Lifestyle, a premium home decor brand is geared up with its new spring collection including stylish photo frames and elegant can-
DHA and Vitamin A, C, E, and does not contain any kind of synthetic ingredients or stimulants in its formulation. It is available in two flavours namely strawberry and mango and will be priced at `35. March 16-31, 2013
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SPECIAL FEATURE
CHEF SPEAK
‘We are going to go back to the basics, providing simpler presentations yet tasty food’ Chef Saby (Sabyasachi Gorai), director of kitchens, Ai, Lap, Olive Qutab, Olive Beach, The Moving Kitchen by Olive speaks about the evolution of the kitchen space ing like a wall longer than the span of your arms full of the best cooking goodness: a multi-unit range with a combination of gas burners, a griddle, a fryer or steamer. Overhead there's a full-length hood to provide maximum ventilation coverage, pasta filler and the wall rail for gadgets and utensils. Laying them in the kitchen for maximum cooking efficiency along with new organisation strategies will give you a restaurant workspace. It is the dream kitchen for every chef, where all the high end product has been utilised.
Cutting edge technology
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai estaurant kitchens are more in the organisation of the equipments which has been placed systematically for better function. Placement of equipments matter a lot and has to be done in a way where it’s conducively functional and easy to use. Quality is everything today because if you don’t give the quality food, as per the merit requirement then why would the customer return to you again. Quality of the food produced in the kitchen also relies on the optimum use of the equipments used in the best possible time, other than chef’s culinary strength. If the product is efficient then more food will be dispensed within the time limit from the kitchen i e less waiting time for the guest and as a result provides a higher sale. The first thing people think of when it comes to state-of-the-art kitchens are latest technology in the equipments and appliances of the kitchen. There's noth-
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It's not just about the work triangle anymore. State-of-the-art kitchens are designed to provide professional environment: from faucets to raised dishwashers complete with a clean up station, a prep station, a hot station and computer station. Also, countertop appliances are a great way to get the state-of-the-art function and style into your kitchen when you're not in the market for a remodel. Kitchens are getting fancier as companies are coming out with more fun appliances and gadgets to make cooking more enjoyable every day. From the large equipments like H 4086 BM speed and comby ovens to the small gadgets like thermo-mix, everything is going to be improvised. There are several forms of organisational gadgets, including magic corners, pull-out pantries, spice organisers, waste bins and recycling organisers, etc, that makes your kitchen so systematic and efficient to work in. Although, technology is always there to ease out the workload but sticking to the basic on some techniques is essential, for example- grilling over charcoal gives off a smoky charcoal smell and flavour to the dish which can’t be achieved over electric grills. The kitchens of today are nothing like the ones from 10 years ago, when you would consider yourself lucky to find rollout shelves in the cabinet. India is growing very fast in technologies and very competitive to international markets and so we have a very vast range of equip-
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ments available. The competitive era is all about making it easy to use, saves time and yet delivers very efficient results. In 2015, we are going to go back to the basics, providing simpler presentations yet tasty food. People will go into preferring organic and healthy food. More live cooking will become the trend in most of the restaurant which will increase competition in terms of cooking style, presentation and mobility. As I mentioned above, technology might advance so much that you might get charcoal effect in the electric ovens. We are still waiting for products like dehydrators in India which may be available within two years. Technology is advancing on high speed every day. Today we have brands like Electrolux and Porsche where the technology has already taken another step towards advancement. And I foresee these technologies to be taken up in every standard kitchen by 2015. These brands use all updated cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, state of the art kitchen design tools, the best materials and components available to ensure that kitchens are above in both aesthetics and build up quality. Culinary industry is the backbone of the hospitality world which is the fastest growing industry and is also accountable of earning incredible profits in the international market. Every year, there are various culinary based events like Aahar that gives an acute pace to this industry. Aahar has always been an eye opener on the basis of technology and science in the culinary world. People from various regions of India join to portray their improvement and inventions; whereas others to get the insight of culinary environment, thus discovering so much more. It’s a platform where companies come and showcase their new and old products which creates awareness amongst the hospitality sector. Companies demonstrate in the show kitchens where chefs are also invited to cook and experience it. Culinary competitions are also held on various levels in Aahar, where innovations are trend setters. March 16-31, 2013
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Rediscovering the bistro A bistro is usually a smaller restaurant, not expensive, where one can walk in for a cup of coffee, a light lunch or a long dinner. Bistros are however modernising and becoming more health conscious, says Stephane Mathonneau, head chef, Le Bistro du Parc, New Delhi. By Kahini Chakraborty
Stephane Mathonneau mix between 'bistro' and 'gastronomy' is what you have when one explains the meaning of the 'Bistronomie' culture. With French cuisine evolving in many ways there has lately been a comeback for classic bistro cuisine. Higher gastronomy and Michelin starred restaurants are also turning towards the 'bistro' cuisine and ambience, explains Stephane Mathonneau, head chef, Le Bistro du Parc, New Delhi. With over 15 years of experience he has learned and acknowledged traditional and modern French cuisine. With his grandmother being the inspiration behind him becoming a chef and enjoying it, Mathonneau wears many hats with his experience in brasseries to bistros, from traditional to fusion French cuisine, from patisserie to pizzaiolo. He has worked at Corrigan’s Mayfair and Gordon Ramsay’s The Maze, at La Trouvaille (now l’Antidote), Rothschild Group’s L’Auberge de la Cote 2000 and several other restaurants in Paris. He was senior sous chef at the Koffmann's (Berkeley hotel) as well as head chef at the Comtptoir Gascon in London. Chef Mathonneau was a volunteer in the French Navy with a first kitchen posting in Dakar in Senegal. “The last five years I have worked in England with renowned head chefs who taught me not only about excellence and creativity but also food cost and gross profit which is a real asset for an establishment,” he asserts. In France, cooking is a serious art
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form and a lifestyle. “The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their table the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts like painting, literature and theatre,” he says, adding that, “The biggest challenge in India is availability of authentic cuisine. As for French cuisine even though the flavours are not spicy enough for the Indian palate, they are open to trying it. And hence when they enter a French bistro, they want to experience eating authentic French food and not French cuisine adapted to suit Indian tastes.” With classic bistro cooking being his signature style, the use of butter, cream, salt and pepper, star anis, cloves are the must have ingredients while preparing French cuisine. A meal often consists of three courses, hors d'œuvre or entrée (introductory course, sometimes soup), plat principal (main course), fromage (cheese course) and/or dessert, sometimes with a salad offered before the cheese or dessert. Apart from this, no other cuisine can benefit from food and wine pairing as much as French food. A reason for this draws from the fact that French tradition is rooted in savouring the balance and flavours of food. And a perfect wine pairing only enhances the experience better, he says, “Because each time a chef thinks of a recipe, he always thinks of a good wine to associate/serve with it. We also use wine in cooking preparations.” Chef Mathonneau, who is currently in India, is all excited to be a part of a fresh take on the traditional French bistro through the upcoming bistro project of Indo-French bistro-lover, Naïna de Bois-Juzan in Defence Colony in New Delhi which is scheduled to open soon. The project will revisit the bistro cuisine and work with seasonal and local produce. Bois-Juzan, says, “This restaurant represents the alliance between my two countries, France and India, two countries which share a common passion for the art of hospitality. A lunch or dinner in a bistro is a mix of taste, smell and colours, an experience where time stops and the bistro becomes life itself.” Advising young budding chefs to, 'Work hard and love what you do,' Chef Mathonneau opines that the best part of being a chef is to make people happy with food everyday. “The changing perspective is that now a chef also has to take interest in patisserie to be complete,” he adds. www.expresshospitality.com
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SPECIAL FEATURE RAISING THE BAR
Women and wine Sula Vineyards employs minimum of 30 per cent women especially in winemaking, this is a conscious decision to create gender equality. Some of the women torch bearers within the organisation talk about their experiences and opinion about the industry as a career. By Kahini Chakraborty hifting priorities from being a homemaker to now becoming a professional winemaker, today's women have come a long way. Wine being the most sensory of drinks, is also a demanding job both in terms of intellectual and physical capabilities. The reason being the use of heavy equipment and strenuous jobs like loading and unloading of presses, pumpovers, tank cleaning, etc, while intellectually it involves lot of logistics and calculation, planning and programming. You
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Cecilia Oldne
Sovna Puri
indeed need to have the mind of a scientist and stamina of an athlete to be a winemaker. When you think of wines one company that comes to the top of the mind has to be Sula Vineyards. The company owes a debt of gratitude to Sulabha Samant - mother of founder and CEO, Rajeev Samant - from whom Sula has derived its name. Besides this, the company continues to take pride of the women working for the company. Some
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of the women torch bearers playing important roles within the organisation include dynamic and skilled women like Cecilia Oldne, head - international business and communications, global brand ambassador, Sula Vineyards and Sula Selections; Sovna Puri, head, tastings and training and DGM - marketing, Sula Vineyards and Rupali Bhatnagar, associate winemaker - sparkling wines, Sula Vineyards.
New zing In a developing country like India it is encouraging to see women shifting their career options to the wine industry. Besides urbanisation, the main driver for this growth has been due to the consumption of wines. The quantum shift of women seen enjoying alcohol in just one generation will be a huge demographic in the future. Talking about their experiences, Bhatnagar says, “When I entered the wine industry in 2006, it was a new and fast growing industry in India. It was thought to be challenging to make good wines in India. These factors motivated me to get into this industry,” adding that, “Lot of girls today want to join this industry compared to 2005 – 2006, when it was thought that this industry was not made for women especially in India. Also many women have proved themselves as good winemakers, winery managers and even sommeliers. So far the change in perception has been good and now women are offered more constructive roles in this field.” Lately people have started realising the speed in which the wine industry in India is growing and also the high demand for wine qualified professionals. This is prompting people to consider taking up wine as a career option but the transition is still quite slow. “When I was offered the job with Sula back in 2007, I saw the opportunity to be instrumental in the growth of India’s leading wine producer in one of the fastest growing wine industries. Sula is at the
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forefront of the Indian wine revolution and I believe India will continue being the fastest growing wine market for the next two decades. Sula today has 65 per cent of the domestic wine market. It is also encouraging to introduce an Indian premium wine in new countries. People first saw Sula as something niche but now they consider it a good wine from a different region. We export our wines to 20 countries and will enter a couple of new continents this year,” adds Oldne. While for Puri, her first step into the wine industry began with an internship in France in a Michelin starred, Relais & Chateaux property. “It was there that I met a sommelier for the first time, and was initiated into the importance of one at a restaurant. My first experience with a wine cellar was also here, and I attribute that meeting to me wanting to get into wine,” she mentions. She then moved to London and started working with Benares, a Michelin starred Indian restaurant as the assistant head sommelier for over two years while pursuing the advanced course in wine education from the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust), London. “After joining Sula, I realised the scope and need of wine education in India and went back to complete my ‘Teachers Training’ from WSET, London. Ever since then have been actively involved in tastings and trainings across India,” she replies.
Experiences Knowing and understanding wine is all about how passionate you are about the subject. Puri continues, “After working abroad, working in India with the leading wine company has been a fruitful learning experience. It has given me an insight in the difference in perception of people from the west versus the people here. Their tastes, preferences, etc, are different which has contributed a lot to my approach of helping to spread wine awareness and education in our country. In my tenure with Sula (almost 4.5 years), I have never faced any genMarch 16-31, 2013
H|I|G|H| S|P|I|R|I|T|S der specific injustice or inequality. It follows an open door policy and you can always be sure to be heard if you wish to make a difference.” W i t h Samant considered as one of the inspiring bosses having a focused work approach, Oldne adds, “It is encouraging to work with Sula which has a dynamic environment. Wine is a very personal business and Samant is not glued to the office. He interacts with our growers and spends time at the winery. When I joined we were at 25 per cent market share and we are today up at 65 per cent. Seeing this growth and being apart of it has been and is very encouraging.” As for Bhatnagar it has been a transforming experience, “When I joined Sula, I was the only girl working in winemaking whereas we had a few women in other departments. Also Sula Rupali Bhatnagar
was the only winery in India which provided employment to many women at that time. Sula has taken an initiative in employing at least 30 per cent women especially in the field of winemaking.” Sula has always believed in equality. “Moreover women are given an equal opportunity to prove themselves every time, which is actually a big deal especially in the field of winemaking in India, because winemaking involves a lot of intellectual as well as physical labour,” she replies.
Challenging message Wine knowledge being the need of the hour, the women of Sula are of the opinion that youngsters should consider taking up wine as a serious career option. “Having said this, wine is something you need to love, you need to breathe to be able to learn and enjoy it. It is pointless to take it up because of its perception of being glamorous or niche,” firmly opines Puri. In terms of wine making, India is at a nascent stage, “we don’t have any past documented material to fall back on when it comes to wine making. It is all about trial and error as our chief wine maker Ajoy Shaw always mentions. That could be a challenge in itself,” she says. “Consumption is low,” having said that, “In most European markets, the wine consumption is declining, and the
Indian wine industry is yet to fully mature. India’s per capita consumption is only 12 ml while China is at 800ml as compared to 30 litre in France. I don’t see any reason to why India cannot reach 100 ml, nearly 10 times the market size in the coming decade,” opines Oldne. Also in India, wine is also still rarely consumed with a meal. “It is also important for me to convey the message that a meal is not complete without a wine. When food and wine is rightly paired, they complement and enhance flavours in each other. A meal without wine is called breakfast,” feels Oldne. However, there is positive news of the growing Indian wine industry with regards to production, transportation and storage of wines, a decade ago. “Today we have been able to match international standards. The same can be said about the grape varietals grown and the soil in which they are grown. Through this learning process, we have been successful in reaching a stage where there is consistency in the wines being produced,” Oldne expresses positively. “It is a growing industry, particularly in India. Working in this industry has never been a dull moment for me. A good way to start this journey is to do the WSET course Level 1 which Sula is conducting across the country,” she advises.
'India needs to start respecting and recognising the experience of their bartenders' Zdenek Kastanek, brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka discusses his beginnings, 'the craft' – as he calls it – and the potential for the business and career in India. By Sayoni Bhaduri What made you choose mixology and bartending as a profession? I started as a trainee chef at the age of 14, through my dad’s connections as he was in the industry for over 20 years. Then I met the duo Jiri Barton senior and Jiri Barton junior who showed me the way to succeed in this craft by living and learning at every step. So training as a chef was just a start of it. Zdenek Kastanek
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What is the philosophy which drives your work behind the bar? It is fairly easy in my head; guests come to unwind, sometimes for important work meetings or just to kill time. Whatever the reason, the aim of a bartender should always be to make sure he helps them. In other words, a bar-
tender must try to make their experience interesting, joyous and colourful by great food paired with new drinks without emphasising on the effort that goes behind a bar. If they enjoy it, they’ll be back and that’s a sign that we’re in the right.
varied temperature settings, substances, glassware, pairing drinks with food (the list goes on), it all goes hand in hand. But you should always get your head around basics before you take that step forward. A lot of youngsters need to learn this.
What are the attributes that make a great mixologist/bartender? The attributes that make a great mixologist are skills, knowledge and being the perfect host, which means one must have the ability to strike a pleasant conversation and carry a charming personality, which only comes with reading and observing. It is important to keep up to date with what’s happening around us all the time. That’s the key to great conversations.
Of your experiences in India and Indian bar professionals, what are the key things which have stood out? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for quite some time now. You have great schools of old-style service but that is not enough. ‘Yes Sir’, ‘No Sir’ has to come with personality and glance. I see so much talent here but it is blocked by the customers. By not allowing your bartender to experiment and sticking with safe choices like super sweet fruity Martini or whisky half water half soda, you are not only narrowing down the chances of trying great flavour combinations but also holding back the traditional techniques you have at your hands. There are a few outlets opening up where the guests
Mixing drinks is a mix of creativity and science. Please comment. I always think about it as a craft. You have to read, learn and explore to get inspiration to know what pairs best with what. Playing around with www.expresshospitality.com
already believe a bartender so he can start to challenge himself to create great flavours using the local fruit, local ingredients and special techniques like thrown southern coffee. With guests who are willing to experiment, your bartenders today can stand out at combining new flavours and using new techniques. According to you, what does India need to do improve its bar professionals? India needs to start respecting and recognising the experience of their bartenders and head waiters by being polite and trusting them and the bartenders in turn must understand their responsibilities of being a good host. It is not about ticking off the boxes on a checklist daily. India has a great way to go, tapping the potential with brands like Grey Goose who sponsor programmes to bring experts from outside to talk about bartending trends in Europe and other places. With initiatives like this, it can only get better. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY
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Bordeaux's finest Bordeaux's leading brand, the world renowned Domaines Barons de Rothschild wines had entered the Indian market a few years ago. Michel Négrier, export director of the company has a lot of optimism regarding the development of the market in India in the next decade. By Sudipta Dev able in 10 cities across India. The brands currently available in the country include Selection prestige from Bordeaux, Chateau Aussiers from Languedoc, Bodega Caro from Argentina and Los Vascos from Chile. The wines are priced starting from `2000. “Most popular in India is Bordeaux as the image of our group is from Bordeaux and we have different levels of price. We have one label called Legende which is more affordable than the top Bordeaux and sells better in this market,” says Négrier, pointing out that the high cost of wine because of excessive excise duty on its import, has attributed to the fact that less people drink wine in this country. “This apart, India is not one but 30 markets. It's a lot of headache for Aspri Spirits to organise the labels, and the distribution. We are however patient, we are a group that is not putting the development of this market in a rush. We know India. When you produce wines you have to be patient, you have to wait for the climate, for the maturation of grape. So we can be patient here,” states Négrier. Talking about the long term strategy, Négrier feels that ten years is a good time
he antecedents of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR) Lafite wines started in 1868. This is when the Rothschild family who were famous bankers bought Château Lafite in Bordeaux, France. The successive generations of the Rothschild family acquired other estates in Bordeaux, nearby areas, in South America and South of France. The current chairman of DBR Lafite is Baron Eric de Rothschild, who is part of the fifth Rothschild generation to inherit Château Lafite. The expansion of Domaines Barons de
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Michel Négrier
Rothschild group began in 1962. “DBR is the only group that took the risk to go to Chile 22 years ago. Our major markets are one third in Europe, one third in North and South America and one-third in Asia,” says Michel Négrier, export director, DBR Lafite. The company had entered the Indian market two and a half years ago. “We started with Aspri Spirits who are our exclusive importers for most of our range Bordeaux, South America and Languedoc wines,” mentions Négrier. DBR wines are avail-
frame for the development of the India market. "In 10 years gradually wines will become more popular. Hopefully the excise duty will decrease also. We will wait for that time to come and until then we will educate. We do tastings for staff of top hotels and restaurants. We put our wines in duty free for people to see them. We also try to communicate through the media. People know about our brands from what we do outside India. We are very famous in China, in the US, and when Indians travel to those destinations they see our brand,” he adds. Wine investment is a very new trend in India that the HNI segment have shown interest in lately. “We make top wines. Collectors and investors spend a lot of money to have our wines in the cellars. You buy wine to enjoy in 15 or 20 years because you have to wait for the maturation. The interest among Indian wine lovers is strong. We are happy to see people show interest,” states Négrier. He believes that Indians will understand with time that wine is about pleasure. “You do not have to get sweet taste for pleasure, you can have pleasure with dry taste. Clean, fresh white wine can be very enjoyable. If you want to know about wine, taste it as much as possible because all your life it is an education process,” says Négrier, who is himself a distinguished sommelier.
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March 16-31, 2013
Management COVER STORY
Back to roots Taking a cue from international trends and phenomenon, Express Hospitality takes a look into the changing face of 'green' in the hospitality industry
he madding crowds of cities get unbearable for dwellers and they look for places and experiences that bring them closer to nature. More so with ails like global warming and climate change everyone is becoming a little more careful and responsible, taking small measures to do their bit. In an overall perspective there is a need to create more such products not only for sanctity of human peace but also to save the precious resource as nature.
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The power of 'green' Hotels were known to be and still are the biggest energy consumers within the tourism framework. But that has changed over the last few years with almost all hotel chains looking at sustainability not only as a CSR initiative but also a cost saving model. The initial costs of setting up the equipments and processes might be high but the March 16-31, 2013
impact on the bottomlines in the long run has been well understood by hotel groups who are serious about their business. According to a report by Cornell University School of Hotel Administration – Environmental Management Certification and Performance in the Hospitality Industry: A Comparative Analysis of ISO14001 Hotels in Spain – ISO 14001 certification is being adopted by a growing number of hotels, especially in Europe. Using a sample of over 2,000 independent hotels in Spain, the report analysed the differences between those hotels that have implemented the ISO 14001 standard and those that haven’t. The possible effects on the business results of such companies of moderating factors such as company size and the market segment in which the hotel operates are also discussed. On balance the certified hotels recorded stronger sales and earnings before taxes and www.expresshospitality.com
depreciation than those that were not certified. The report challenges the oftenheard contention that adopting sustainability programmes will diminish hotels’ performance. Instead, these data show the reverse to be the case. The ISO 14000 family provides tools to identify and control environmental impact and improve environmental performance. ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 focus on environmental management systems. The other standards in the family focus on specific aspects like cycle analysis, communication and auditing. Even consumers are opting for a green hotel and might even be willing to pay a premium for it. Taking queue from consumers need to understand their carbon footprint the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), collaborated with 23 global hospitality companies to
launch a methodology to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way. The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) Working Group, comprising of hotel members within ITP and WTTC, was formed in early 2011 at the request of member companies to devise a unified methodology based on available data and to address inconsistencies in hotel companies’ approaches. The methodology, named ‘HCMI 1.0’ was first developed in 2011 and has since been tested in hotels of different style and size in different geographical locations and refined through a stakeholder engagement process, with input from consultants KPMG. It has also been reviewed by the World Resources Institute. Swissotel Hotels and Resorts produced its first public sustainability report in 2012. According to the company, over the past three years they have established a robust and strategic sustainability framework and infrastructure. To deliver a systematic implementation of this strategy, a web-based integrated sustainability management system has been deployed in all hotels. To ensure consistent standards are achieved, all locations were assessed and successfully certified by the Swiss Association for Quality and Managements Systems (SQS) and met the internationally recognised standards of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Reporting and analytical tools have been developed and implemented in collaboration with external partners, which help to measure and assess the effectiveness of social and environmental initiatives. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T light and avoid using electricity. Punish Sharma, general manager of the hotel adds that the hotel's hot water requirements are managed by using the heat of the air conditioning systems. He says, “We also involve guests into the sustainability by providing incentives.” The hotel offers discounts to guests based on the units of electricity they have saved. “We saved ` 22 crore by using environmentally friendly initiatives within our first year of operations,” Sharma says with pride.
Rustic charms
This includes the monthly and yearly reporting of over 100 performance indicators from each property which are consolidated and analysed by the corporate office. Sustainability teams at all hotels ensure the corporate strategy is implemented, with consideration given to local regulations, cultures and practices. The commitment of hotels has shown improvements having been achieved since 2009: ●
11 per cent reduction in
water consumption per guest night ●
13 per cent reduction in
CO2 per guest night ●
13 per cent reduction in
energy consumption per guest night
segment to stringently follow the eco code was the Mumbai-based The Orchid hotel. The hotel was Asia's first five-star hotel to win the ECOTEL certification in 1997 and currently has around 80 international and national awards under its belt for their work. Based on the success of The Orchid, Kamat Hotels India is following the same formula for their other upcoming hotel brands as well. ITC Hotels a bigger and more luxurious hotel venture has taken the claim of having all its hotels LEED Platinum certified. Their biggest venture yet, the 600 rooms ITC Chola in Chennai being the most recent. In the more recent run there are hotels like The Raintree hotels in Chennai, developed by real estate company Ceebros, which uses electricity
Steps to guide hotel managers toward a more sustainable operation ●
Policy and framework
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Staff training and awareness
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Environmental management
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Purchasing
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People and communities
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Destination protection
Source: Going Green Minimum standards toward a sustainable hotel report by International Tourism Partnership
Indian hotels have been on the forefront of developing environmentally sound hotels. Be it big city hotels to more rustic nature resorts, environment and sustainability has shown itself to be a big draw hotels and consumers alike. The early birds in the hotel
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generated by the wind turbine that the parent company has set up and the surplus is sold to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. Another Mumbai-based hotel Meluha, The Fern has gone as far as designing its building in such a way so as to use maximum natural www.expresshospitality.com
As part of ecotourism, tourism is an intrinsic element. Of all the stakeholders who get the advantage from the business, it is often the local communities and villages who lose out. To develop them further and give them the opportunity to be not just beneficiaries but also entrepreneurs. Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF) has introduced concepts of Community Ecolodges and Community Camping to Sri Lanka. These programmes were initiated to promote community-based tourism development and provide opportunities to improve the life-styles of the poor communities in tourism generating areas in Sri Lanka. According to SLEF, Community Camping and Community Ecolodges can be vital tools providing tangible alternative incomes to communities through tourism. In recent years, SLEF has promoted Community Based Ecotourism Enterprises (CBEs) in various areas of Sri Lanka to ensure that the benefits of tourism flow back into the local communities. These benefits include income from tourists and contributions to poverty alleviation and environmental and biodiversity conservation. Ecotourists, as noted by SLEF, are higher spenders than mass tourists and are thought of as more responsible travellers with a high appreciation for nature. Such tourists can provide an attractive target market for governments looking for ways of earning foreign exchange through tourism. Korea has emulated Italy's Cittaslow movement or the Slow City movement with eight destinations. The
Samjicheon village in Damyang was incorporated into Korea's Slow City movement in 2008. The village is known for its bamboo trees and has barely little over 500 residents. The village has well-preserved traditional hanok houses and 3.6 km of stonewalls that are on the periphery of the town. These houses have been handed down through generations. The most famous in the region are the Go houses as they have been designated as important cultural assets and are now protected by the Korean government. Village life in India is very different from that in urban centres and often even Indians do not know the rural life. The ministry of tourism, government of India has been keen on promoting the segment due to its impact on the grassroots. Very recently, under the Rural Tourism Scheme, ministry of tourism will provide Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for the propagation of the Gurukul process. Ministry of tourism has sanctioned CFA for tourism projects at 185 villages across the country by the end of March 2012. CFA is provided up to `50.00 lakh for infrastructure development and up to `20.00 lakh for capacity building of the local villagers at each identified site. Even though the 12th plan sees only limited success of rural tourism, there are success stories. The village of Hodka in Gujarat has become a perfect example of rural tourism and its positive impact on the society. The Village Tourism Committee of Hodka village single handedly manage and run the Shaam E Sarhad Village Resort. Villagers and staff work to provide guests an cross culture experience – providing a peep into the land, livelihoods, and people of Kachchh. The resort has three Bhungas circular mud huts with sloping roofs, seven tents and two family tents. The food served is local Kacchi fare. In the state of Maharashtra, Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) is leading the way to bring a large number of farmers to develop more rural tourism product. Pandurang Taware, president and MD, ATDC says, “We had 20 district collectors from Bihar come March 16-31, 2013
M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T to our Baramati farm to undergo training and understand agri tourism.” He adds that the state of Bihar is keen on developing a similar format there. He has also worked with Punjab Tourism to develop their farm tourism projects. MTDC has also shown interest in the project and have considered bringing it under the MahaBhraman programme, where they will promote agri tourism with dedication. The benefits to farmers are immense, Taware explains, “A farmer can earn up to ` two to three lakh in a year from such a set up. These funds can easily be put back into his farmland.” There are 357 talukas in Maharashtra, and there is a potential to develop three-four centres per Taluka, according to Taware. Such units allow the country's culture and environment to grow sustainably. It provides respect which is due to farmers, and tourists understand the situation. At the same time he informs that is something that not all farmers can do, it takes a lot of time and personal involvement. The pilot project was set up at ATDC in Baramati, Maharashtra in 2005. In 2007, ATDC trained 52 farmers to set up similar units across the state. Inir Pinheiro, co-founder of Grassroutes states that the organisation has developed a prototype over the last three and a half years and with its success, dreams of having 200 villages in the country sustainable in terms of profits, people (human resources) and the environment. Grassroutes together with the village community forms a tourism committee, which helps in building infrastructure, investments for which are provided through grants. Villagers are then trained to highlight their unique culture and way of life to attract tourists. Providing another twist to rural tourism is Punebased Parag Milk Foods, a private dairy company and manufacturers of Gowardhan and Go brands. They are looking at promoting its Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm as a tourist spot to promote dairy tourism. Devendra Shah, chairman, Parag Milk Foods says, “Our consumption of dairy products in daily routine consists of 30-35 per cent, hence consumers are keen to know about the making of dairy products and this tour will help them March 16-31, 2013
understand it.” The approximately `850 crore company has been exporting its Gowardhan brand of butter, milk powder, etc, to nearly 47 countries since 2000. Elaborating on the facilities of the farm, Shah adds, “The Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm is spread over 40 acres and equipped with the best technology for milking and bottling. The farm boasts of a count of over 3,000 cows called HolsteinFriesian and has unique
facilities and state-of-the-art rotary parlour system. The special team of personnel are trained and lead by Edmund V Piper, who has over 30 years of experience in the dairy industry and a degree in agriculture.” To promote his dairy farm while Shah has not approached any travel agents or state tourism boards for promotional activities but in the future he will look at it. According to the study done by The Associated
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Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and YES Bank in 2010, agri tourism will be a special beneficiary of development of tourism and travel industry which will comprise of agri museums, agriculture related festivals and fairs including farmers’ markets. Agri museums will have the benefits for farm vacations, heritage trails, farm tours and farm activities. It will also provide financial benefits and
empowerment for local people and raise sensitivity to host countries political, environmental and social climate besides supporting human rights and labour agreements. The study further adds that it would provide opportunities to generate additional revenue, make for economic diversity and amount to relationship building, besides improving understanding of local farmers and their families.
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LIST YOUR COMPANY FOR FREE Amusement, Leisure & Health Club Equipment A01 Advertising Balloon A02 Air Hockey A03 Amusement Park / FEC Equipment A04 Beauty Salon Equipment A05 Boats A06 Bowling Alleys A07 Chemicals for Swimming Pool A08 Coin Operated Toys / Electric Cars A09 Electronic & Battery Filtration Plants A10 Fountains A11 Garden Furniture A12 Garden Umbrella A13 Golf Equipments A14 Guest Amenities (Refer F20-Guest Amenities) A15 Guest Transportation A16 Health & Fitness Equipment A17 Inflatables A18 Juke Box A19 Playground Equipment A20 Pool Table Manufacturers A21 Redemption Machine A22 Ride Stimulator A23 Swimming Pool Equipment & Supplies A24 Walkway Tents & Marquees Bakery B01 Automatic Pillow Pack / Biscuit Packaging Machines B02 Bakery Enzymes B03 Bakery Equipments B04 Bakery Fats B05 Baking Pans B06 Biscuits B07 Blenders B08 Bread B09 Bread Slicer B10 Cake Decoration B11 Cakes B12 Confectionery B13 Dough Kneader B14 Dough Sheeters B15 Ingredients & Additives B16 Moulds B17 Ovens B18 Planetary Mixers B19 Ready - Made Cake Mixes B20 Sugar & Sweetener B21 Wheat Flour & Rice B22 Yeast B23 Zero Calorie Sweetener (Refer C46 - Zero Calorie Sweetener) Food & Beverage C01 Beverages-Alcoholic C02 Beverages-Non Alcoholic C03 Canned Foods C04 Cashew C05 Cocoa & Chocolate Products C06 Coconut & Coconut Milk Powder C07 Coffee C08 Custard Powder C09 Dry Fruits C10 Dry Tea C11 Edible Oil C12 Flavour C13 Food Paste C14 Fresh Fruits & Vegetables C15 Fresh Meat, Poultry & Sea Food
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E47 Locks E48 Luminaries E49 Mobile Applications E50 Office Automation Products E51 Online Marketing E52 Peripherals E53 Point Of Sale {POS} E54 Process Control Instruments E55 Property Management E56 Pumps & Spare E57 RFID Solutions E58 Safes E59 Security Equipment & Supplies E60 Signages E61 Solar Energy Equipment E62 Sound System E63 Steel E64 Survillence Equipments E65 Switch Gear E66 Telecommunications E67 Television / Interactive TV E68 Temperature Control System E69 Thermal & Acoustic Insulation E70 Touch Monitors E71 Trackball E72 Tube & Pipe Fitting E73 UPS System E74 Valves E75 Video Conferencing Equipments / Softwares E76 Web Services E77 Wi-fi E78 Workforce Management Housekeeping F01 Air Curtains F02 Air Fresheners F03 Bed Spring / Rollaway F04 Bird Control Systems F05 Blanket / Duvets F06 Brooms F07 Brushes F08 Brushes / Mops / Scrubbers F09 Cleaning Products & Equipments F10 Contract Housekeeping Companies F11 Curtains F12 Cushion & Cushion Covers F13 Disinfectants F14 Disposal Hand Gloves & Aprons F15 Down & Feather Products F16 Dryers-Hair & Hand F17 Floor Cleaning Machine F18 Fly Traps / Killers F19 Garbage Bags F20 Guest Amenities F21 Hangers F22 Housekeeping Services F23 Irons / Ironing Boards F24 Kitchen Towels Rolls F25 Ladders F26 Laundry Equipment F27 Laundry / Newspaper Bags F28 Linen Bath (Refer G41 - Linen) F29 Linen Bed (Refer G41 - Linen) F30 Madeup F31 Mattress (Refer G46 - Mattress & Cushion) F32 Mini Bars F33 Mirrors F34 Napkins F35 Napthalene Balls F36 Odour Control Systems F37 Pest Control
F38 Pest Repellent F39 Pillow F40 Polishes F41 Sensor Tap F42 Shoe / Slippers / Footwear F43 Shoe Shining Machine F44 Soap Dispenser F45 Soap, Detergent & Chemical F46 Stationery Items F47 Suitings & Shirtings F48 Tissue Papers F49 Toilet Tissue Rolls F50 Towels F51 Uniforms F52 Urinal & Toilet Flusher F53 Vaccum Cleaners F54 Waste Bin F55 Weighing Scales (Refer D61 - Weighing Scales) Interior G01 Aluminium Products G02 Artificial Lawns & Plants G03 Automatic Door Closer G04 Awnings, Canopies & Shades G05 Bathroom Equipment & Sanitaryware G06 Bathroom Sealants G07 Brassware G08 Building Material G09 Cane Furniture / Products G10 Carpets G11 Ceramic Tiles G12 Chairs G13 Chandeliers G14 Clocks G15 Curtain Drapes / Rails G16 Decorative Glass G17 Decorative Light Fittings G18 Doors & Windows G19 Drapery Rods & Curtains G20 Energy Saving Lamps G21 False Ceilings G22 Fans G23 Floor Covers G24 Floorings G25 Frameless Glass Showers G26 Frames G27 Furnishing & Fabrics G28 Furniture & Fixture G29 Fusion Glass G30 Gate Automation G31 Gates & Grills G32 Glass Block / Silicon Sealants G33 Glass for Door & Window G34 Glass Tile G35 Granite G36 Hardware G37 Laminates
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I04 Food Waste Treatement System I05 Non-Chemical Water Treatment I06 Reverse Osmosis Plants I07 Sewage Treatment Plants I08 Solid Waste Management (Wet/Dry) / Garbage Disposal Systems I09 Water Chlorinator I10 Water Disinfectant I11 Water Filtration Plant I12 Water Purifiers I13 Water Related Technologies I14 Water Tanks I15 Water Treatment Chemicals I16 Water Treatment Plants Consultants J01 Acoustic Consultants J02 Architect J03 Bar Consultants J04 Civil Consultants J05 Environment Consultants J06 F& B Consultants J07 General Insurance for Hotels J08 Hotel Consultants J09 Interior Consultants J10 Kitchen Consultants J11 Landscape Consultants J12 Laundry Consultants J13 Leisure & Amusement Park Consultants J14 Project Consultants J15 Real Estate Consultants J16 Recruitment Consultants J17 Spa Consultants J18 Technical Consultants J19 Turnkey Project Consultancy Spa & Wellness K01 Aromatherapy Diffusers K02 Beauty Care Products K03 Chill Shower Equipment K04 Cosmetology Equipments K05 Essential Oils K06 Hair Styling Equipments K07 Hot Water Generators K08 Hydrotherapy Equipment K09 Indoor Air Quality Equipment K10 Jacuzzi Equipment K11 Massage Chairs K12 Massage Tables K13 Nail Stations K14 Nutrition Supplements K15 Sauna Equipment K16 Spa / Salon Toiletries K17 Steam Equipment
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Listing facility also available online at www.expresshospitality.com/hpf Company Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Person: ______________________________________ Designation: _____________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________ Pin code: ______________________________ State: __________________________ Tel.: _________________________________ Fax: ________________________ Mobile: ___________________________ Email: ______________________________________________ Website: _______________________________________ Product Codes: _____________________________________________________________________________________ *Please attach extra sheet if contact details do not fit in the area provided. Yes I am intersested in paid advertising in HPF 2013 ONLY TEN FREE LISTINGS PER COMPANY WILL BE PERMITTED ENTRIES SHOULD REACH BEFORE 30TH MARCH, 2013 Mail all forms to: Darshana Chauhan, Express Hospitality, Global Fairs & Media Pvt. Ltd., 2nd Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021. For any other queries, Contact - Darshana Chauhan on Tel.: +91 22 67440499 • E-mail: express.hpf@gmail.com
M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T GM SPEAK
Passionately Swiss Known the world over for its ice-creams, Mövenpick is also Europe’s finest chain of hotels. Keeping up the tradition, the brand’s first hotel in India, the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore is indeed a true epitome of Swiss hospitality, says Biswajit Chakraborty, GM of the hotel. By Steena Joy he story of Mövenpick is an astonishing journey that started when Ueli Prager, the founder of this Swiss hospitality chain, was strolling on the shores of Lake Zurich more than 60 years ago. Stopping to watch a seagull (a 'Möwe' in German) swoop down to skilfully pick up food mid-flight, Prager
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Manyata Tech Park nearby found the inspiration is an added advantage that to a successful yet translates into corporate simple business idea. business which accounts A restaurant concept, for nearly 95 per cent of serving quality food room sales. Meetings space at affordable prices in that cover 7,000 sq ft and the quickest time. 182 keys plus one Taking advantage of Presidential Suite (The MSR the new Swiss Suite) makes it an ideal motorway as the MICE venue,” Chakraborty perfect place to serve states. “Our banqueting hungry car travellers, venues are huge and we Prager's first have done many residential restaurant opened in conferences. On an average Zurich in 1948 we sell around 14 to 15 offering hitherto rooms per day for MICE perceived 'luxury activities, mainly for the IT food' such as salmon, and aerospace sectors. We lobster and oyster at get a lot of outside guests in prices hungry Biswajit Chakraborty our restaurants. Our motorists were happy locational advantage is that to pay. And there was no looking back. "We aren’t doing we have a lot of feeder markets around anything extraordinary," Prager was us,” he adds. fond of saying. "We are simply successful because we are doing quite F&B flavours normal things in an extraordinary True to the brand's gastronomic manner." traditions, the hotel has a variety of culinary experiences awaiting guests. Three restaurants and a bar, all with Road to India Reflecting the same sense of distinctive themes and authentic The Italian restaurant passion about delivering premium cuisine. hospitality and culinary traditions, the Mezzaluna is a classic fine dining chain's first hotel opened in India in venue which also offers wine and tasting experiences. September 2011. In less than a year of cheese elucidates, “We operations, the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Chakraborty Bangalore ranked first in TripAdvisor’s constantly fly down international chefs recent survey of around 507 hotels in here from our other worldwide Bengaluru. A recognition Biswajit properties and a variety of authentic Chakraborty, GM of the hotel is proud Swiss delicacies are served. Indians to carry. “Mövenpick is a very strong like Italian food and every day of the brand, people know our ice creams. week has a different menu along with Our strength is F&B. Added to that is a selection of handpicked Italian the fact that the brand is known for its wines. The restaurant which has won reliability and service. It is a truly many awards, has a unique design European brand. What a Taj hotel is to with mosaic tiles on the ceiling and India, Mövenpick is to Europe. walls and paintings and murals on the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, owned by walls which gives it a museum like the Mövenpick Holding (66.7 per cent) atmosphere.” My Place, the all day dining and the Kingdom Group (33.3 per cent), is a billion dollar hotel chain restaurant serves the best of world with nearly 80 hotels across Europe, cuisine with Swiss specialties. “The Middle East and Asia and the beauty of Sunday brunches are very popular the hotel chain is that we have no sub here. The design of the hotel uses brands. All our properties are either the space outside the windows to plant five-star deluxe or the four-star herbs that are used in the restaurant's category, business and airport hotels,” kitchen. We serve a lot of health foods and on Wednesdays there is even a he explained. The Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Food for Life buffet,” he says. The hotel will soon be adding an Bangalore is the first hospitality venture of the developers, MS Ramaiah innovative gastronomic experience. (MSR) group with interests in The soon to be launched Sky Brew will education, hospitals, real estate, be a rooftop Bier Garten where one can celebrate every weekend (open Friday engineering and medical colleges. Within close proximity of to Sunday) in Oktoberfest style with Bengaluru’s new airport, the area different types of beer from around the where the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa world and German cuisine alongside Bangalore is located has added a lot of the grills. “The restaurant which will room inventory over the last two years have 70 to 80 covers is ideal for small with brands like Sheraton and Vivanta private gatherings. We are hoping it by Taj opening hotels here. “Having the will be popular with the expats who
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T explains, “The spa is run on a revenue sharing model and has six Western and two ayurvedic treatment rooms. The spa is popular with resident guests as well as non-resident customers, while the gym is for select members only who we personally scrutinise before enrolling them.”
Business plan
are familiar with the concept,” says Chakraborty. How can anything Swiss be complete without chocolates? “Every day there is a Chocolate Hour in the lobby where guests can taste some of the finest chocolate creations our chefs cook up. March 16-31, 2013
We also serve some 13 flavours of Mövenpick ice creams,” he adds. No wonder, nearly 40 to 45 per cent of the hotel's revenues comes from F&B. For food for the soul, there is the hotel's 4500 sq ft Sohum Spa. Chakraborty
Of Swiss heritage and headquartered in Zurich, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is passionate about sustainable environments and respect for local communities. The Mövenpick hotel in Bengaluru has already applied for the Green Globe certification and hopes to receive the certification by this year end. The hotel which has also invested in rainwater harvesting, has been designed in such a way that there is a lot of natural lighting in all public areas which translates into energy savings. The general manager informs, “We have a Bonsai Lounge with around 30 bonsai trees which is maintained by the horticulture department. We will be adding a greenhouse soon with lots of orchids and other plants where guests can relax and have a cup of tea or a delicious scone.” As a CSR initiative, the hotel has an open Project Art Gallery on the first floor where new artists are promoted and even photographs are displayed. The proceedings from the exhibits go to charity. The Mövenpick brand looks at developing properties in virgin unknown destinations with a lot of potential. Keeping with this plan, the brand’s second hotel is coming up in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. “The 70 keys property which will house a massive and spectacular spa overlooking the Himalayas, is expected to open by end-2014. In Jaipur and Udaipur, we have acquired existing properties to take the brand to Rajasthan. Kolkata will have one Mövenpick within the next three years. In Mumbai and Chennai too, projects are in the planning stage. Overseas, a Mövenpick is under construction in Colombo which will see the end by end2014 or early 2015 opening. There are two projects planned in Bangladesh. China will also have four or five Mövenpick in the next few years. All these hotels are part of Mövenpick's goal of reaching 100 hotels by 2015,” concludes Chakraborty. www.expresshospitality.com
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T SPOTLIGHT
A new definition of luxury Laucala Resort, Fiji is an exclusive and elusive island meant only for those who are in an financial stratosphere. a veteran in the global hospitality industry and the global advisor of the resort has now taken up the mantle to provide a fleeting glimpse of the private island. By Sayoni Bhaduri
new meaning in the privacy of the resort’s 25 villas as well as a variety of activities with spontaneity, ranging from golf, water sports to beachside horseback riding, etc. The island has five restaurants and bars, a private jet airport, 18-hole championship golf course, 12 horses, yachts and a worldrenowned spa. The island resort's other claim to fame is its owner – Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz, owner of Red Bull energy drink company.
Exclusivity extraordinaire
pending 41 years in an industry is a not an easy feat. But it does go to show what true passion does for you. Kurt Wachtveitl, global advisor, Laucala Resort took this new post a few months ago; this after his tenure at the helm of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok as general manager. In his new role he aims to travel the world, especially to countries with heritage, creating awareness about Laucala Resort amongst the affluent and cultured. His own passion for the industry remains unabated as he says, “It has become such a passion and a love, that everyday in the morning I can't wait to get to work.” “Laucala is a six senses experience. The nature,
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Kurt Wachtveitl activities, animals, birds, fresh food and the Fijians it has it all,” says Wachtveitl. The resort is spread across 3,500 acres on its own island in Fiji. Luxury takes on a www.expresshospitality.com
Such exclusivity is not for everyone, it is for the well travelled, 'been there, done that' traveller. Wachtveitl takes pride in the fact that the resort's popularity has primarily been through wordof-mouth. “If you position yourself and specify your expectations, there is no challenge in getting what you need,” he says. Laucala Resort is also part of the Leading Hotels of the World and with six communication agencies they are pretty sure of reaching out to the correct audience. “We are never looking for volumes; it would be a mistake to do so,” he says as he speaks of his expectations from India. He says, “If we get six bookings from India in a year, I would consider it not a bad year at all.” Laucala Resort is going to nations where they are sure people are able and willing to spend on an extremely private luxurious proposition. In India, they are looking at working with discerning travel agents who deal only with high-end and luxury
spectrum of travellers. Upto 30 per cent of the guests at the resort are repeat clientele, “which in itself speaks for a lot,” he adds. For the 2013-14 market he is looking at a 30 per cent occupancy, which would mean that of the 25 villas, eight will see occupancy. The average stay at the resort is about one week with a minimum of four days; this is converted to one booking a day. “There is always something new to discover each time a guest comes to the resort,” he continues, “We have a very individual and personalised way of dealing with guests.” A special programme is created based on the likes, dislikes and mentioned interests collected by the guest relations team, this is then disseminated to all resort staff within 24 hours. Wachtveitl adds that the staff is also trained to understand needs of different nationalities, “Some value privacy, some like interactions, we have made it a point that the staff understands this and respects each guest's requirement.” There are a very few properties like Laucala Resort, assures Wachtveitl, but in the future he foresees similar concepts coming up. “A resort such as this holds value because all other areas in South East Asia are now saturated, there is no real place that offers serenity,” he says. He has seen the region change so much and feels that it still continues to change. He also believes that South Sea, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji as destinations will pick up in next three years. March 16-31, 2013
M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T IN FOCUS
Mega magic Adlabs Imagica, an international theme park is readying to become a mega attraction he city of Mumbai is finally getting a mega attraction, albeit on its outskirts, that is expected to be a big draw for visitors from across the country. Adlabs Entertainment's international theme park, Adlabs Imagica, will be open to public by the end of March this year. The project is coming up in Khalapur on the Mumbai Pune Expressway after Panvel. “We are looking at three million people in the first 15 months and after that the number will increase once the water park is added and the hotel comes up,” said Pooja Shetty Deora, joint managing director, Adlabs Imagica. The total investment on the integrated tourism project (theme park, water park and hotel) is `1650 crore, of which the theme park is itself an `1100 crore project. The theme park is coming up with 21 attractions including one of Asia's largest roller coasters and 4D simulation rides, while the water park will have 14 rides. The total area covers 300 acres. There are spaces for live events also outside the park. The theme park is ready to open with 18/19 rides. “Everything is in place. There is place for more expansion where we can add more attractions in the future as well. We are also building a 300 rooms hotel. It will near completion a year from now. In the meantime because the hotel is not ready we are tying up with a lot of partners around - people can book hotel stay with tickets on the website,” stated Deora, pointing out that the design work for the water park is also complete. The actual work will start once the first phase of operation is over. Giving details of the underlying concept of the theme park, Deora said, “If you look at the underlying theme of Universal Studios it states 'Ride the Movies', in Disney it is about fairy tales and the magic of Disney. Here we are telling you five or six different stories in a format you have never experienced before. We are loosely
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Pooja Shetty Deora allowing you to experience different world themes as well - you will go through zones like the African area, old American area (old Texan mine train which is a roller coaster, a 70s diner style restaurant). We are not staking claim that we are showing you every aspect of Europe or Asia or Africa or America, however you will get a sense of stories and experiences from around the world in a multidimensional format. It is an immersive experience.” The Maharashtra government has given Adlabs Imagica a mega tourism status. Currently 800-1000 people are already employed in the project and the number will finally go up from 1800 to 2000. The initial focus is the domestic market, as Deora pointed out there is nothing of this scale in India. “Our positioning is to make the theme park an important destination for India, if fact an aspirational destination for every Indian family,” asserted Deora. There will be an allIndia marketing campaign that will continue for three years. There is concerted effort on involving the travel trade community. "We are expecting at least 40 per cent of our attendence number to come through this network. We have got a very positive response from them. For us to feature as an important part of Mumbai travel plan, this is a very important collaboration for us,” stated Deora.
Acknowledging that the hotel industry is a very important aspect of any theme park in terms of financials, events including MICE and weddings are all taken into consideration, Deora stated that the hotel is being built for large conferences and weddings. “The F&B strategy, the rooms are being planned liked that. The accommodation options will range from standard rooms that are perfect for a two days stay for an average family who want to enjoy the theme park to highend ones for MICE/wedding clientele. The 300 rooms give that scale.” There are six restaurants in the theme park. Four are already complete, while the other two will be launched in April. The first restaurant on entering the park is Pablos Food Circus - it is a food court with five types of cuisines. All restaurants are 275 to 300 seaters. Next is is African themed bar and grill. Then there is the boat called Armada, which will initially be a coffee and biscotti place but after getting the liquor license Deora has plans to introduce champagne, beer, wine, etc - it will be a wine and tapas place. There is also the American diner in QSR format. The other two dining options are - a large Indian buffet restaurant (menu will change according to states), and a high-end 100 seater Italian restaurant. There will of course be food carts and kiosks everywhere with ice creams and sandwiches, candy floss, etc. The ticket price will be `1500 for all the rides. The visitors have to only pay for food and merchandise. “At this stage we are great value for money product. The inaugural rate for the first few weeks will be lesser,” stated Deora. The theme park is a vision of Deora's father Manmohan Shetty, founder of Adlabs Entertainment. She acknowleged that the processes and offerings will get enhanced with time. “It is new as a business, there are no benchmarks,” reminded Deora. www.expresshospitality.com
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T E C H N O L O G Y F O R H O S P I TA L I T Y
TECHTALK
Maximising the minibar Bartech's main goal is to reinvent the mini-bar within the hotel room by combining state-of-the-art technology with an innovative design
artech has been a pioneer in the field of automatic minibars with the launch of the first automatic open display minibar in 1988. Since then, the system is known as one of the most powerful and sophisticated tool to manage hotels' minibar operations and has been selected by the most famous hospitality chains and independent hotels. How does it work? Bartech's in-room minibars are connected to each other and to the Bartech server within a network that is linked to the hotel's Property Management System. Minibars are automatically unlocked when guests checks in and locked at check-out. The minibar management application automatically posts minibar charges to the guest folio on the Property Management System and also records the status of all products inside the minibar. A refill report is provided by the Bartech system for greater efficiency to the minibar attendants. Minibar
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refilling is operated by the hotel staff through means of a dedicated remote control that puts the system in a refilling mode on a room by room basis. Bartech's automatic minibars as well as the management software have been constantly improved since the creation of the company. The in-house R&D department has been dedicated to many improvements over the years and is constantly enhancing our software in accordance with the operational needs of clients.
Benefits of Bartech Loss reduction Thanks to the automatic billing of charges your average loss percentage is reduced to an average two per cent instead of 20 – 40 per cent as with simple manual minibars. The reliability of the system leads to a drastic decrease in rebates and puts an end to disputes at the front desk. Labour savings The refill report provides an accurate list of products to be refilled per room. This limits the rooms to be checked by minibar attendants to those where products have been touched or consumed. This tremendously improves operating efficiency and also leads to decreased labour costs with one minibar attendant needed to refill 400 automatic mini-bars as compared to four attendants for manual minibars. Guest satisfaction Thanks to the information provided by the system, housekeeping staff no longer have to disturb guests to check inroom minibars. In case of a dispute, a short cut allows the front desk staff to easily check the status of products inside the mini-bar in real-time. Bartech also ensures an accurate stock control. Energy saving Bartech provides the CESS function (Computerised Energy Saving System) as
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a standard feature to monitor cooling production per room according to room status; the hotel can minimise cold production in vacant or out of service rooms. This feature generates a savings up to 30 per cent depending on occupancy and hotel's preference for the level of cooling. As an added feature and in order to allow minimal compressor cycles while sustaining cold temperatures, the Bartech e-fridge uses a eutectic device or 'cold sink' inside the fridge. Micro-switch sensors are used on the minibar shelves and balconies detecting the weight of the product on the shelf. These reliable sensors are not in direct contact with products making shelves very easy to clean. Recently, Bartech, the world leader in profit-generating automatic minibar solutions for the hospitality industry, announced a partnership with INNCOM and certified integration with the company’s INNcontrol 3 system. INNCOM develops, manufactures, and markets advanced guestroom control systems for the global lodging industry. The Bartech INNCOM partnership will give hotels access to a room’s control system that controls in-room minibars along with various other technologies, in order to maximise operations and minimise costs. INNCOM’s INNcontrol 3 system is specifically designed to communicate with intelligent guestroom devices such as Bartech minibars. The system reports on room occupancy, network connectivity and equipment run-time, which helps in a property's preventative maintenance processes, as well as tracking the energy savings being achieved. As an integrated technology partner, Bartech’s automated minibars can be deployed on the existing IT infrastructure of a hotel using INNCOM room controls. This not only makes minibar operations more streamlined and efficient, but also makes installation much quicker, easier and more cost-effective, since no additional wiring is required for deployment. March 16-31, 2013
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Next generation Service Delivery Architecture for hotels SweetBeam, the Dubai-based hotel technology service provider, has announced it is set to release its next generation Service Delivery Architecture with improved proprietary digital marketing functionality year, as well as for holidays and special events. SweetBeam's current luxury hotel clients will benefit from a seamless migration to SweetBeam's new SDA during March and April 2013, with enhanced features becoming visible over the course of the spring. New SweetBeam clients will benefit from the SDA at setup.
Informing and influencing guests
sing sophisticated targeting algorithms, SweetBeam delivers personalised marketing content directly into luxury hotel rooms, developed and programmed according to each individual hotel guest profile. The next generation Service Delivery Architecture (SDA) will allow SweetBeam to continue to be the most sophisticated in-room digital marketing platform for luxury hotels to promote hotel outlets and reach their revenue management goals. The new SDA will be put into operation in March of this year. SweetBeam’s GuestContext functionality enables tailored guest communications based on criteria such as nationality, checkout date and type of guest (families, couples, business travellers). This feature will be improved with SweetBeam’s next generation SDA by allowing multiple character-based languages to be programmed simultaneously. New to SweetBeam’s next generation SDA is InstantUpdate. This feature will enable messaging to be delivered based on specific events, including weather
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conditions and last-minute availabilities at specific hotel outlets such as restaurants or the spa. While SweetBeam delivers timely, personalised guest communications on behalf of luxury hotel clients, the VIP ExpressNote functionality allows hotel staff to send urgent custom messages directly to important hotel guests. The client portal of SweetBeam’s next generation SDA will further facilitate the use of this highly targeted feature. GroupChannel allows custom guest communications for all hotel guests belonging to a particular group, such as wedding parties and conference attendees. With the new SDA, GroupChannel will be enhanced to enable luxury hotels to display pictures of these events directly in guest rooms. In addition to these improved functionalities, SweetBeam’s cornerstone TimeContext feature will continue to be a key component of the next generation SDA. TimeContext allows SweetBeam to deliver propositions when hotel guests are most receptive, according to specific time of day, week, month, season and
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SweetBeam is an effective way to promote hotel outlets, inform and influence hotel guests, and increase hotel revenue. Headquartered in Dubai, with offices in the United Kingdom and France, SweetBeam is a full-service marketing agency for the luxury hospitality industry. SweetBeam combines advanced proprietary technology with a comprehensive range of services including consulting, creative management, system operations and analytics. Offered exclusively to qualifying luxury hotels and resorts, SweetBeam is a sophisticated digital marketing platform for effective guest communication. SweetBeam is an innovative guest communication system for luxury hotels. It proactively informs and influences guests. Communication caters to each guest individually, and is completely tailored and targeted throughout the guest’s stay. SweetBeam is delivered as a turnkey service. SweetBeam had recently announced it is on track to reach its three millionth luxury hotel guest by the end of 2013. This figure represents nearly a threefold increase in in-room guest exposure to the SweetBeam service in a single year. The list of clients include the following: Hotel Hermitage, Monte Carlo; Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo; Atlantis the Palm Dubai; Westin Hotels and Resorts; The Kempinski Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts; and Relais and Chateaux. Driving the dramatic increase is the rapid growth of SweetBeam’s installed base in the United Kingdom, France, Monaco, the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, coupled with high levels of hotel occupancy, especially in the United Arab Emirates’ thriving luxury hospitality industry. “This is a major milestone,” says Troy Simoni, SweetBeam CEO. “The more hotel guests are exposed the SweetBeam service, the more we can add to our luxury hotel clients’ top and bottom lines to increase hotel revenue.” As SweetBeam continues to demonstrate it is a sophisticated in-room platform to promote hotel outlets like restaurants, bars and spas, demand for SweetBeam’s service is expected to exceed forecasts for 2013. Plans are in motion to expand operations and ramp up production. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY
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Hospitality CAMPUS NOTES
Life
A secured option Enjoying worldwide recognition among international hospitality and tourism companies, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School operates out of two campuses – Leura, Blue Mountains National Park and Sydney. Guy Bentley, CEO, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School talks about the various hospitality courses that their network of institutes are offering for Indian students. By Kahini Chakraborty huge disposable incomes and want to experience different cultures. India is one of the leading countries in Asia where travellers, worldwide or domestic, express their desire to experience the destination and hence setting up adequate infrastructure to support this growth is essential. We have seen about 50 premium luxury brands opening up only in India which is a positive news. With the Asian region growing, in the future India and China will be the next big tourism markets. Even if the economy has been going through a downturn, luckily the tourism industry has not seen major slowdown since there are various segments to cover up for the traveller numbers- business, adventure, leisure, etc.”
Industry demands
anked as one of the best hospitality management schools in Australasia for an international career, the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) takes pride in its global reputation and industry-relevant teaching pattern. The institution is accredited by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. This fully accredited provider of university level education, specialising in undergraduate and postgraduate hotel and event management education, functions on the free pillar
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philosophy culture. The courses include: Bachelor of Business (International Hotel & Resort Management) delivered in 2.5 years; Bachelor of Business (International Event Management) delivered in 2.5 years; Master of International Hotel Management delivered in two years. With this foundation the institution lays major emphasis on providing professional as well as personal training to students and works towards continuously honing their management skills to be able to fit themselves in appropriate careers. “Our focus has always been on creating and developing the best opportunity for our students and that is the reason www.expresshospitality.com
why we emphasise on balancing our focus on personal and professional grooming,” asserts Guy Bentley, CEO, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. Bentley is also the elected chairman and director of The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THEICE). He serves as a member on the National Committee of the Colleges of Private Higher Education (COPHE) and past chairman of the Australian Association of Hotel Schools (AAHS). On the development pattern of hotels in the Indian market which could cater to the tourism potential, Bentley opines, “Today, travellers have
“If you have a job in the hotel industry you actually have a secure career. The reason being, it is a challenge to find the right talent who thinks diversely,” feels Bentley. Earlier a career in the hospitality industry was chosen as the second option, but now things are changing and there are a lot of people from different educational or job backgrounds opting for opportunities in the hotel industry. “Hence a lot of hard work is put into polishing the skills of the students at our institute, keeping in mind the requirements of the industry to cater to the demands,” he adds. A home for about 42 different nationalities of students in their campuses, the mission of the institution is to be a global leader in hospitality education and its graduates to be leaders March 16-31, 2013
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of the future demonstrating the core values of quality, integrity and aspiration. They focus on Swiss hospitality and Australian education leading to global careers for their students. There are 24 faculty members including full and part time lecturers and, supervisors and trainers in practical operations areas such as front office and F&B. “Faculty members all have academic credentials and often extensive professional experience relevant to their teaching. Additionally they are encouraged to be members of professional associations and required to further their professional knowledge and participate in scholarly research,” mentions Bentley. He further adds, “We have been seeing a
growth pattern from our students. We have been growing 29 per cent year-on-year and have strong industry influence wherein we offer guaranteed placements. We have seven main partners- Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Marriott, Starwood, Accor and Toga Hospitality.” The institution works closely with their partners and the HR managers to define what the industry is looking for from the students. “We adapt to these changes and get regular feedback to cater to the general needs of the hospitality industry. Hence when students graduate from our institution we have seen 96 per cent of placements being successful,” he informs.
Working closely with their privileged partners, the institution has been adjusting and equipping students with technological skills. “A lot of hotel companies today expect the new recruits to be well versed with technological applications for managing the company's developments and their own individual career. These could call for knowledge in using podcasts, video conferencing, interviewing through Skype and managing the social media medium,” says Bentley. Apart from technology, there has also been a strong demand for students to understand and cater to different cultures for them to help create repeat clientele. With the firm opinion that before joining a hotel management institute students are not clear on the departments which they would fit into and it is education that creates the required exposure, Bentley emphasises, “This is exactly where we come into the picture. Our job is to help students explore this opportunity and help them train to map their skills and desires for them to
be successful in their careers. This is the reason behind why we make our students work in different departments every year for six months after their practical training.” The student intake number is restricted to 60. “This year we are expecting a 15-16 per cent increase in the student number. And we are satisfied that our students have been promoted in their professional careers every 18 months,” says Bentley. And with the travel and hospitality industry alone accounting for 255 million jobs worldwide, over the next ten years this industry is expected to grow by an average of four per cent annually, taking it to 10 per cent of global GDP (US$10 trillion). By 2022, it is anticipated that it will account for 328 million jobs, or one in every 10 jobs. “In India alone the hotel industry plans to add at least 50,000 more rooms in the top six cities of India by 2016-17, but there are concerns over whether there will be enough skilled people to meet demand in the labour-intensive sector, which is already facing a shortage of trained staff,” he adds.
The Oberoi Group takes a STEP To meet the growing need for more and better trained staff, The Oberoi Group has opened applications for the latest intake in its three year 'Systematic Training and Education Programme'
he Oberoi Group has opened applications for the latest intake of students for its 'Systematic Training and Education Programme' or 'STEP' programme. This three-year programme combines practical on the job training with study towards a Bachelor of Tourism Studies (BTS) degree from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. It
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vant degree. On completion of the programme and availability of a suitable vacancy, STEP trainees are absorbed as full time employees of The Oberoi Group, in luxury Oberoi Hotels & Resorts or in the chain of five-star Trident Hotels, as operational assistants. Alternately, as graduates, the trainees are also eligible to compete for admis-
sion to the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD) for a two year postgraduate level programme leading to a first executive posting with The Oberoi Group. Graduates of the STEP programme have a good chance of being accepted to OCLD because of their familiarity with The Oberoi Group, its individual hotels and resorts as well as The Groups' distinct corporate culture and proven processes. Commenting on the STEP programme, Mark Woodbridge, dean, OCLD, said, "The STEP programme was rolled out in 2004 with an aim to train young aspirants and groom them through a combination of academic study and comprehensive onthe-job training. During the course of the programme, a trainee is stationed at one of our hotels or resorts, learning various aspects of hotel operations, and is thus able to gain valuable experience in the attitudes, skills and knowledge involved." EXPRESS HOSPITALITY
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Movements Hyatt Regency Chennai
Sodexo India
Thirupathaih Yadav has assumed the role of restaurant manager at Stix(authentic Chinese Sichuan style restaurant), Hyatt Regency Chennai. Prior to joining Hyatt Regency, he was with Taj Coromandel, Chennai as assistant manager. He then shifted to Hyatt Regency Chennai to manage Focaccia (Traditional Italian cuisine restaurant) as assistant manager.
Sodexo India On-site Services announces the appointment of Vineeta Tikekar as vice president, marketing and communications. She reports directly to Sunil Nayak, CEO, Sodexo India On-site Services and is responsible for the marketing functions of the company.
Le Meridien Jaipur
onefinestay
Le Meridien Jaipur has appointed Sanjay Gupta as the general manager of the hotel. Prior to joining Le Meridien Jaipur, Gupta had been instrumental in establishing Le Méridien Coimbatore. He has also worked at The Royal Orchid Group of Hotels in Bengaluru. In his previous roles, he has worked with The Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Trident Hotels, Mumbai in the capacity of food and beverage manager.
onefinestay has announced the appointment of Matt Turner as VP marketing. He will oversee marketing at onefinestay, and is charged with establishing multiple channels to international guests, as well as raising awareness among homeowners. He will look to improve onefinestay’s performance in both digital and traditional media, as well as developing promising new channels such as mobile and partnerships.
Grand Hyatt Goa Grand Hyatt Goa has announced the appointment of Shane O’Neill as the executive chef. He started of his career in the year 2002 as executive sous chef at St David’s hotel and spa Cardiff, UK. Prior to joining the Grand Hyatt Goa, he worked at the Intercontinental Shanghai Puxi. Tufan Kobanbay has been appointed as executive assistant manager – food and beverage. Prior to joining Grand Hyatt Goa he worked at the Grand Hyatt Muscat as executive assistant manager.
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Greenways Foods & Beverages
Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway
Greenways Foods & Beverages (D), part of Pushpam Group, has roped in Vinod Gaikwad as the general managermarketing. In his role he will be responsible for the launch of various energy drink products in India along with managing day-to-day operations, developing strategic marketing and sales initiatives.
Sheetal Iyer has been appointed as director sales and marketing at Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway. She has been associated with Zuri, Le Meridien and the Oberoi. Her key expertise lies in developing and implementing sales strategies in sync with market conditions.
Marriott Asia Pacific Marriott Asia Pacific, the regional information technology department 'Information Resources' (IR) recently restructured its leadership team to better support technology operations and construction planning. In the IT division, Ashish Kale has been promoted to senior regional director IR India, South East Asia and Pacific and will lead the IT operations division for India, South East Asia and Pacific for all Marriott International brands including The Ritz-Carlton Hotels. Kelvin Meng has been promoted to senior regional director IR China and Korea and will lead the IT operations division for China and Korea for all Marriott International brands
including The Ritz-Carlton Hotels supporting the regional IR operations. Egbert Veldman has been promoted to senior director, IR Core Technology and will lead all activities for the Core Technology Management Services division. Bryan Tran has been promoted to director IR Hotel Technology Infrastructure and will lead the Hotel Technology Infrastructure and Construction Guidance division. This new leadership team will continue to report to Martin Bookallil, vice president of information resources for Asia Pacific.
Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre Vini K Gupta has been appointed as general manager for Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre. His responsibilities include the successful opening of this new hotel and efficient running and overall growth of Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ahmedabad and overall Gujarat. He was transferred within IHG to Ahmedabad from the Soaltee Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sandit Shah has been appointed as director of sales and marketing for Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre. His responsibilities include Crowne Plaza’s sales and marketing activities in Ahmedabad and overall Gujarat. Prior to his current appointment, he was director of sales and marketing with Swissotel, Kolkata.
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Kedar Bobde is now executive chef for Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre. He started his career in 1994 in Mumbai, India with The Leela Kempinski as kitchen executive trainee. Prior to his current appointment, he was associated with The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai as executive sous chef and re launched their 55 east multi-cusine restaurant and café and was a part of opening team of Grand Hyatt, Goa.
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Tea break he terrific taste of tea was experienced at The Pier as Stephen Twinings, the tenth generation of the famed Twinings family, launched a new range of premium loose leaf teas. Hosted by Viveka and Rahul Narang of the Narang Group, guests were in for an informative tea-tasting session conducted by Jeremy Sturges, one of the nine master blenders of tea in the world. Later, it was time for some special Twinings cocktails. And you learnt that Twinings, a part of UK-based food major Associated British Foods, known for its premium flavoured tea bags, ventured into the Indian market in 1997 with flavours like Earl Grey, English Breakfast Lemon and Darjeeling and then slowly introduced more teas like Classic Assam, Green tea, Camomile and Peppermint.
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Marcellus Baptista
Viveka Narang and Stephen Twinings at the tea-tasting party at The Pier
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MUMBAI’S HOTELS? A PEEK INTO THE PARTY CIRCUIT AND EVENTS IN THE CITY...
Anniversary special
Musical medley ou heard the music of Bob Marley in the newly-refurbished and redesigned Enigma at JW Marriott as the legendary musician’s son Rohan Marley along with The Light of Life Trust hosted a charity gala. It was nice to note that the House of Marley products are made of sustainable materials, without compromising on the superior quality of sound and design, brought to you here by Focal Audio Systems. Auctioned was a range of earth-friendly, innovative audio electronics and lifestyle products with the proceeds going to the trust that works for the development of underprivileged communities. Spotted at the event were guests like Boman Irani and Villy Doctor, founder trustee, Light of Life Trust.
Spirited show n the spirits front guests were happy to sip Jack Daniel’s at the Jack Daniel’s Annual Rock Awards, in association with Rolling Stone, at Mehboob Studio. Fourteen awards for original music released in 2012 were given away with the Best Band/Artist of the Year bagged by Indus Creed. Kiran and Riyaaz Amlani, Mandira Bedi, Monica Dogra, Suchitra Pillai, Yukta Mookhey, Hard Kaur, Achla Sachdev and Poorna Jagannathan were among the many guests enjoying the music. And you learnt that the journey to the grand finale of the awards saw a series of buildup shows at some of the best known rock music venues in the country including CounterCulture in Bengaluru, Hard Rock Café in Delhi and Penthouze in Pune.
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Yukta Mookhey at the first anniversary of Lagerbay he cheer was on at Lagerbay that celebrated its first anniversary. Hosts Ramesh Dabholkar, Yash and Haresh Gehi were there to warmly welcome the many guests like Yukta Mookhey, Umesh Pherwani, Iris Maity, Shakir Shaikh, Akshay Sethi and Malini Agarwal. Guests who enjoyed the hospitality, food and drink at this popular bar and eatery in Bandra were delighted to join in the celebration. The music played on while invitees relished the hors d’oeuvres and the drinks, promising to come back for more.
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Rohan Marley, Villy Doctor and Boman Irani at the House of Marley event at Enigma March 16-31, 2013
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Riyaaz and Kiran Amlani at the Jack Daniel's Annual Rock Awards at Mehboob Studio
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WEEKEND E V E N T S
Seasonal affair
Film connect
Italian food connoisseur, actor and producer David Rocco of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita hosted an evening at the Ottimo – Cucina Italiana at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai for his show- Four Seasons of David Rocco's Dolce Vita
Jayanta Bhai Ki Love Story actors Vivek Oberoi and Neha Sharma at Galaxy Hotel Shopping Spa, Gurgaon to meet and greet their fans
A luscious bite
Women at the wheel
Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, founder, APB Cook Studio and Chef Vikas Khanna at the launch of the Lust Pantry and a workshop featuring dishes from the book Khannasutra at APB Cook Studio, Mumbai
Actor John Abraham flags off the fifth edition of Lavasa Women’s Drive, which saw 2000 women drive to Lavasa from Mumbai and Pune
Vinified!
British ties
Jay Shetty, MD, Myra Vineyards and Nikhil Agarwal, chief advisor and wine consultant, Myra Vineyards with a guest at the launch of Myra Vineyards in Mumbai
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Subrata Roy Sahara, managing worker and chairman, Sahara India Pariwar, with UK prime minister David Cameron during a close-door round table conference in Mumbai
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REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2005/21391, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 3,4,5 & 18,19,20 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT IND.EXP.PSO.