Mumbai Attacks Impact Shows

Michael Duck, senior vice president of Hong Kong-based CMP Asia, kicked off the morning of Nov. 26 with a press conference at The Oberoi Hotel Mumbai in India, announcing the openings of some collocated shows – Pharmaceutical Machinery and Equipment Convention India (P-MEC), the following day, and CPhl India, the world's largest pharmaceutical ingredients exhibition, Nov. 28. According to the shows' Web sites, the Intl. Contract Services Exhibition (ICSE) also was collocated with the two events.

That evening, armed terrorists stormed The Oberoi, as well as the iconic Taj Mahal Palace, a Jewish cultural center and other locations, killing upwards of 160 people and injuring scores of others.

“All through the night, information came to us that this was very serious, and the security level in the city was severe, as there was so much loss of life,” Duck said.

The next morning, the decision was made to cancel P-MEC, scheduled to be held more than an hour away at the Mumbai Exhibition Centre, he added, because “the risk to life at a tradeshow, with both Indians and foreigners in large numbers, was too great.”

The most recent show had 40,000 visitors and spanned 220,000 net square feet, Duck said.

“Throughout the day, we monitored with the police and country consuls in Mumbai,” he added. “The siege continued well into Thursday night … (and) reports of gunmen in central and north Mumbai were received, which forced the closure of our office on Friday.”

Also Friday, he said, CMP Asia canceled CPhl, scheduled to be held at the Mumbai Exhibition Centre as well, “because the risk (to) life was still present.”

For now, Duck added, foreign consuls are recommending only essential travel to Mumbai – a situation that could spell difficult times ahead for a country that's seen a light-speed trajectory of growth in its tradeshow industry in the past few years.

Much of that growth has been driven by foreign companies, such as CMP Asia, E.J. Krause & Associates, Expomedia and Messe Duesseldorf, launching shows in the country – companies that all seem as determined as ever to continue doing business in India.

Mike Rosenberg, vice president of EJK's transportation and security division, staged Port & Ship Intl. India Oct. 23-25 in Mumbai, and said in the short term, especially in Mumbai, the tradeshow industry won't be the best.

He added that U.S.-based EJK wants to be cautious and protect its exhibitors, but it doesn't see the situation as especially debilitating.

“Things will quiet down,” Rosenberg said. “This is a healthy place to stage exhibitions, and other tradeshow organizers feel the same.”

For 2009, EJK already has scheduled three more shows in India, including the New Delhi launch of its flagship Expo Comm and joint ventures with Messe Berlin and Inter Ads on SMM India and with just Inter Ads on a port show. In addition, Rosenberg said, the company is looking into launching other shows in the country.

Mark Shashoua, U.K.-based Expomedia's CEO, said overall tourism undoubtedly will see an immediate hit as a result of the attacks, and, for now, there will be an effect on business visitors coming into India.

But, he added, he didn't think in today's global climate anyone could afford to ignore an economy that is showing gross domestic product growth between 7 percent and 8 percent annually.

Shashoua said local exhibition business will continue to be healthy, adding, “The people of India are strong and resilient and will continue in business with probably more determination.”

Expomedia held its Professional Beauty event in New Delhi only two days after the attacks, and, Shashoua said, apart from a few international speakers who decided not to travel, all other international participants turned up, and they had a very successful event. “From an international perspective, the exhibitions industry in India will continue to grow,” he added. “Any slowdown to this growth would be more due to the global downturn than the terror attacks.”

Rosenberg said the Indian government is strengthening its security and counterterrorism efforts, completely overhauling procedures to ensure it has the best equipment and training to deal with this kind of attack. He added the 2009 PSI show will include a full conference program on maritime security and defense – the attackers entered Mumbai by boat.

Rosenberg said if India wants to keep growing and to keep investments flowing into the country, a relatively safe environment is necessary. “EJK really is bullish on India,” he added.

Joachim Schafer, managing director of Messe Duesseldorf, said based on advisories from the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, which advised caution when traveling to Mumbai but didn't mention any specific restrictions for other Indian cities or regions, Messe Duesseldorf has not stopped any of its activities in the country, particularly since its projects in India are in New Delhi: this month's Glasstechnology India, where Messe Duesseldorf has a small pavilion, and Plastindia in February, with a large pavilion.

“Interest in these two events continues to be high and solid; we have not seen any cancellations and only received two or three calls regarding our assessment of the security situation surrounding the events,” Schafer said.

Duck, who left Mumbai days after the attacks to return to his home base in Hong Kong, said CMP Asia will hold the shows that were canceled in 2009. According to the shows' Web sites, all three events will be held Dec. 1-3 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre.

“This is a setback for Mumbai, but I am sure – because not only the Mumbai population, but the Indian population as a whole are a resilient people – that the situation will come back to some sort of normality,” he added.