International Meetings: Meet in Asia By Christopher Durso

Take Away

Scenes From The Sub-Continent

With 28 states, 18 official languages, and a booming economy, India offers a world of resources for meetings and conventions

Philip J. Logan thought he worked some big events when he was operations support manager at the Sydney Convention andExhibition Centre, including theXIVWorld Congress ofCardiology, whichin2002 attracted thousands ofcardiologists from all over the world. Then he went to India, and found a complete-

ly different perspective on notions of scale and scope.Anational meeting ofthe Cardiological Soci- ety of India at the Hyderabad International Con- vention Centre (HICC), where Logan is general manager, drew 10,000 cardiologists—all ofthem from India. When HICC hosts events for Sun Microsystems’ India-based operations, it gets 10,000 software engineers.

you have a lot of physics-related and advanced- math-related [degrees] here.”Andthe huge popu- lation means an ever-growing need for medical pro- fessionals—and also “gives you an opportunity to have a national congress piggybacked to the inter- national [conference],” Logan said. “It gives you amassive opportunity to educate in areas of need, such as HIV, diabetes, blood disorders.” Up-and-coming infrastructure. Large parts

ofIndia are still poor, there’s been a lack ofevent venues and infrastructure, and “direct flights from all major U.S. cities have yet to be eased out,” according to Logan. Butmuch ofthat is changing. Airports, roads, and convention centers are under construction across India, and the economy is

“If you’ve got a relationship with me, we do business. If you’ve got a contract, it means little compared to the relationship.”

“India’s a numbers game that’s just mindbog-

gling,” Logan said. “It’s the scale that blows your mind.”Well, that and the surging economy, the deep commitment to science and technology, the emphasis on relationships over contracts, and the vibrant tapestry of cultures that you’ll find woven across this country of1.3 million square miles and nearly 1.2 billion people. Recently, Logan spoke toConvene fromHyder-

abad—the sixth-largest city in India—abouthow to capitalize on those and other factors. Built-in constituencies—especially for scien-

tific events. IT, telecommunications, pharma- ceutical research, biotechnology, and automo- biles areamong the industries that are booming in India, due in part, Logan said, to a culture where “it’s cool to be science-y.…In India, the degree that’s highest is information technology.And then

relentless; even during the global recession, Logan noted, car sales wereup33percent last year. “In10 years,” he said, “these guys will leapfrog.” Whoyouknow,notwhatyousign. “It’s a rela-

tions-driven environment,”Logan said. “Ifyou’ve got a relationship with me, thenwedo business. If you’ve got a contract, the contractmeans very lit- tle compared to the relationship. Whereas in the West,wedon’t do anything beforewehave a con- tract, in India if you get to the contract before you have a relationship, it’s actually disrespectful.” For that reason, Logan said, it’s important to

make a site visit—not just to get the lay ofthe land, but also to meet the people you’ll be work- ing with.“You don’t really have telephone books here,” Logan said. “You know someone who knows someone. There’s a billion people in India, and everyone knows everyone.”

ON_THE_WEB: To learn more about meeting in India, visit www.incredibleindia.org. For more information about the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, visit www.hicc.com.

26 pcma convene March 2010 ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL OAKLEY

‘It’s a Mental Block’ Top challenges for a NorthAmerica– based organization meeting in India? First, Philip Logan said, is dealingwith the 10- to 12-hour time differ- ence. The second is less tangible butmore pervasive. “It’s amen- tal block, because unless you’ve been here, it feels like it’s a world away,” Logan said.“Butwhen you get here, the people speak English, [and] they’re very much trained in British or American thinking. They have a very global perspective.” But, still, you’re bet-

ter off using an area professional congress organizer—to help with freight handling, negotiate roomrates, and navigatethelocal bureaucracy. “The local PCO,” Logan said, “will beableto put you in touchwith key speak- ers, key government [officials], and giveyou a better cost.”

Christopher Durso is executive editor of Convene.

International Meetings: Meetin Asia is a three- part series sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board,www.visit singapore.com. This is the third and final installment.