TUBE INDIA INTERNATIONAL 2010, 10-12 FEBRUARY, MUMBAI
Tube India International 2010 finds its spiritual home in Mumbai
The inaugural Tube India International exhibition took place in Hyderabad in 2003 and returned there in 2005 before moving to New Delhi in 2008. This year the event took place in Mumbai from 10-12 February and it could be argued that it has now found its spiritual home.
After speaking to many exhibitors the ITA concluded that almost everyone was delighted with the quality and quantity of visitors to the trade fair. The selection of Mumbai as the venue for 2010, and one imagines as the permanent location for the exhibition in the future, had resulted in an increase in exhibitors from 40 to 60 companies. The Indian industry was well represented with some impressive booths.
The ITA’s experience mirrored that of other exhibitors. With an excellently located stand immediately opposite the main entrance the association attracted a large number of visitors. In total the ITA received 106 enquiries at the stand and in addition recruited 17 new members.
The ITA Booth at Tube India 2010
One very impressive feature of the excellent job done by the organisers Messe Düsseldorf India Private Ltd was the branding of the exhibition. Apart from posters at both the domestic and international airports there were posters put on hoardings around Mumbai and extensive coverage in the press and in the events media.
Inside the well appointed Bombay Exhibition Center aisles were branded at frequent intervals and each one had a notice board clearly listing the exhibitors in that particular aisle. Although Tube India was being held concurrently with a welding and metal working fair in the same hall there was no mistaking the area devoted to Tube India International.
At previous editions an ITA-organised technical conference was held on the eve of the exhibition. Unfortunately it was not possible to arrange a supporting conference for Tube India International 2010 but the ITA is confident that such an event will take place at the 2012 exhibition and discussions will be held with the Confederation of Indian Industry’s tube and pipe section regarding a co organised technical seminar.
On the eve of Tube India International the ITA’s Indian Management Board (IMB) met. The IMB is a sponsor and supporter of the trade fair and represents the interests of the ITA in India with regard to membership recruitment, technical exchange, conference planning and member support.
New chairman Srikanth Narayan (right) is congratulated by outgoing IMB chairman Yogesh Bhatia
At the IMB meeting Srikanth Narayan, managing director of PTC Alliance Precision Products (Asia) Pvt. Ltd, Chennai was elected chairman of the IMB in succession to Yogesh Bhatia of Gallium Industries, who remains on the board and as Vice President (India). One of Srikanth Narayan’s first duties was to welcome Sajiv Menon, senior vice president, international business, Tube Investments of India, Chennai to the Indian board, where his experience will certainly be invaluable. Both of these IMB members spent time on the ITA stand on the opening day to experience at first hand the association’s interaction with visitors to the exhibition.
New IMB member Sajiv Menon welcomed to the board by Srikanth Narayan