Writing Portfolio

Colonial Capitals: Intentions and Projections

A Local View of the Colonial Viewpoint

Trajectory of the Colonial Capital

From its modest beginnings as the settler colony of Boston in North America (1620) to the grandiose spectacle of New Delhi in South Asia (1911), the trajectory of the British colonial city has spawned a range of issues. Consequently, the colonial city has been the subject of theories of racism, environmentalism, economic development and political ideologies in the realm of the social sciences and material-culture studies. Urbanistically, however, the colonial city has been characterized as little more than a utopian ideal of a low-rise sprawling garden city segregated physically from the squalor of its pre-colonial native counterpart.

Intrinsic to these analyses, whether in the humanistic sciences or the urban sciences, is the axiom of the colonialist as oppressor of the native. The axiom is heightened when one examines the particular case of the new capital cities that were planned and designed by the British, concurrent with their transformation from entrepreneurs to a global political power. The hierarchical organization of the layout with tree-lined avenues along a Baroquian grid exemplifying the Theatre of Power is the classical, and perhaps the only model of the capital city. In other words, discourse in urban planning and design has posited the spatial layout of the colonial capital city as little more than a microcosm of the colonizer-colonized relationship.

Contemporary Interpretations: Issues & Concerns

The colonial capital city continues in most cases, to play its role as a political and administrative centre, but now, as one of the multiple centres of its successor- the post colonial city. Increasingly recognized as a global city, the excolonial core has been the catalyst to impart the post-colonial city a metropole form. These contemporary dimensions of the (ex-) colonial capital city figure centrally in discourse on urban planning policy frameworks such as in the World Planning Schools Congress, Shanghai (July 2001), Planning Africa (September 2002), Istanbul+5 Development Agenda via forums such as the Commonwealth Association of Planners, International Development Forum to name just a few. The broad concern lies in addressing the transformation of the colonial capital, confronted as it is, with issues of urban conservation and densification vis-à-vis the growth and expansion of the metropolis, and of which it is now only a precinct. Several planning dilemmas of the post-colonial city such as development bye-laws and land development policies are rooted in the legal, administrative and political structures of the colonial apparatus. Findings of scholars such as Dr. Robert Home and Dr.Cliff Hague reinforce these as generic concerns of a majority of countries of the developing world which were under British colonial rule for centuries.

Intentions & Projections

The colonial capitals project is an urban historiographical investigation within the larger discourse of post-colonial studies. It seeks to explore colonial capital city planning as a paradigm as well as a practice via the analysis of the city plan as an urban design endeavor. The hypothesis of the project is that the form of the capital city was a result of a dynamic interaction between the colonial intentions laid down in the Imperial Vision and the local realities of the precolonial city. At the theoretical level, thus, the project is aligned with the viewpoint of scholars such as Ferguson and Graham who argue that the oppression of the natives was not a deliberate intention of colonial practice. The hypothesis stems from my analysis of correlating the design stages of the plan for New Delhi with readings on the history of the city in the period 1880-1931. The strong evidence of the effect of local exigencies on the final outcome raises a set of larger questions that bring the paradigm of colonial urban planning under scrutiny, such as:

o How did the colonial apparatus interface with indigenous administrative, social and political structures?

o How did colonial ideology respond to building in multi-cultural and ethnically plural native societies of Asia and Africa as opposed to say Australia and Canada? More importantly, did the ideology inform the urban planning strategy i.e. were continental variations, in terms of the local realities, addressed in deciding the mandate for design? If yes, then how?

o What are the commonalities and differences in the charters laid down for capital cities for politically integrated entities as opposed to those which were constituents of the Crown?

o What, thus, are the manifestations in the urban form that explain the implications of these parameters?

To this end, the methodology proposed for the project is a comparative evaluation of the urban form of colonial capital cities across the globe. One level is to examine the charters laid out for each of these cities, to establish the essence of the political ideology that informed the planning ideology. It is significant that between them, the cities

represent the three types of colonies, viz. settler, non – settler and mixed – a classification based on the proportion of settlers to natives. The second level is to analyze the local conditions that informed the working realities of the precolonial city and which formed the ground for the colonial imprint. The levels taken together put into perspective the process and instruments by which the colonial vision was translated into the three-dimensional form of the city. In other words, the attempt is to go beyond the current polemics in planning discourse that either analyze the plan as a physical spatial entity devoid of the social, economic and political conditions of the pre-colonial city or discuss the larger systems of colonialism outside the frame of reference of the plan, that is to say, without establishing a correlate with the physical morphology of the city, Hence, the initial phase of the project would involve conducting site visits to these cities as well as to identify the sources pertaining to the local dynamics of these urban entities, and develop a visual database of historic maps and plans as base information for an urban design analysis. In particular, the endeavor shall be to collect stage –wise plans, wherever possible, on a scale of 1:2500. Detailed documentation of the local conditions of all the cities is envisioned to be carried through by way of a Doctoral Program or through Fellowship support from other funding organizations, efforts for which are concurrently underway.

Project Status

The project has been ongoing for a year with guidance from Professors of Urban Design, Landscape Architecture and historians. The Professors are alumni of the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. It is envisaged to culminate in a series of volumes, the completion being spread over a time frame of 5 years or longer. At present, it stands at a near complete documentation of information on New Delhi. The database comprising textual and visual resources has been compiled from the following sources in the home country:

o National Archives of India

o Delhi State Archives

o Central Secretariat Library Archives

o Central Public Works Department Documentation Centre

o Teen Murti Bhavan Library

My research at the National Archives of India has yielded that several records pertaining to New Delhi, today, lie in the Harvard College Library, The Smithsonian Institution and The Library of Congress, Washington, the Yale University Archives, New York Public Library, University of the State of New York Library and the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, Federation of Municipalities, Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Cambridge and JT Edwards Studio, Glendale , California. In addition, several volumes of the Government of India Proceedings which have been weeded out from the records of the National Archives of India are available in the India Office Library at London. Access to these Library resources in Universities across the United States would be invaluable to develop the theoretical base for the project.

To sum up, the questions raised by the colonial capitals project raises substantive issues, both for academic research as well as a range of urban policy concerns. As an academic enquiry, the exploration of colonial city planning as part of initiatives examining the history of urban planning stands to broaden the scope of research on colonial urbanism. It is significant to note that the planning of New Delhi and Canberra was concurrent with the formal establishment of the urban planning profession in the world as the Town Planning Institute was founded in Britain only in 1914. Simultaneously, the project seeks to excavate hitherto unknown dimensions of globalization by bringing to light the dynamics of how political and economic decisions in one part of the world shaped cities in another far away, back at the start of the twentieth century. On the other hand, the colonial-post colonial dialectic is crucial to chart out an urban development perspective for the contemporary city and evolve appropriate urban planning frameworks. Therefore, the validity of the contiguity of the colonial frameworks for the post-colonial city stands to be scrutinized, perhaps even challenged.

Powering Cities by COEXistence

The ‘COEX Biosphere’as the Agent of Change

Bhavana Gulaty

Design, Planning + Economics

AECOM India Private Limited

Gurgaon, India bhavana.gulaty@aecom.com

Arshia Chaudhri

Design, Planning + Economics

AECOM India Private Limited

Gurgaon, India arshia.chaudhri@aecom.com

Abstract-“A city always contains more than any inhabitant can know and a great city always makes the unknown and the possible spurs to theimagination

– Rebecca Solnit

The larger collective imagination of a city’s dwellers is shaped by myriad interventions in its fabric which are the outcome of a recurring cycle of urban transformations and regeneration. Insertion of mega projects in a city’s mesh often trigger these transformations and are singularly instrumental in “Powering Cities” by propelling them into hitherto unknown territories in their morphological charter. Event spaces such as Exhibition and Convention Centres are one such urban typology that brings with them a plethora of unknown possibilities as implied in the quote above. In a globalized world with seamless flows of people and information, these venues to exchange knowledge and trade in goods and services within a country and increasingly, between countries, have become a veritable symbol of a city’s identity. The most significant impact of these spaces in global parlance is their contribution to the M.I.C.E (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events) industry. MICE Destinations the world over have been documented to have played a pivotal role as Agents of Change spurring a wide range of long lasting transformations impacting the city at multiple levels. In the Asian context, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) at New Delhi is designed to be a magnificent addition in the fabric of the city. Conceptualized by AECOM, this planned mega development will house 1 million sq.m of built up space in an integrated campus targeting the M.I.C.E, retail, hospitality and commercial sectors spread over a site area of 90 Ha. The IICC ‘Blueprint’ corresponds to the emerging typology of “Convention Districts” which are landmark mixed use precincts anchored by MICE entities at their core. The theoretical equivalent of the Convention District for this paper is the ‘COEX (Convention & Exhibition) Biosphere’ which postulates such developments as being ecosystems unto themselves. Posited against standalone Convention and Exhibition Centres, the COEX Biosphere has been observed to induce urban transformations that have taken cities to the next level in dynamism. This dynamism is reciprocally central to the success of the Convention and Exhibition Centres propelling US cities, for instance, to retrofit such existing standalone buildings. Further, the precepts of urban planning theory and practice underpinning the COEX Biosphere is the pivot for evolving the

programmatic base for contemporary Greenfield MICE projects planned and executed globally over thepast decade.

The central premise of the paper is to map the essential DNA of these ecosystems that make them ‘Transformational Triggers’ and to test whether the IICC has the potential to be one such entity which will ‘Power the City’ based on the entire spectrum of projected transformations which go beyond the “legacy” impacts on the city’s fiscal reservoirs.

The methodological construct of the investigation is qualified by the term C.O.EX which is comprised of three elements. The first is ‘Collate’ which will examine three precedents, comparable in scale, built within the last decade to map out the global success stories of the ‘COEX Biosphere’. The parameters for benchmarking will include the vision for the project, physical context, socio – economic context, the program brief, specific planning policies and instruments, execution modes, of the respective case examples. The second element is ‘Order’ which will apply a toolkit of parameters to measure their role as Agents of Change and how they have ‘powered the parent city’. The quantitative aspect will be plotted by measuring them with respect to indices such as footfall, revenues, contribution to GDP, job creation, spawning capital improvement and other development projects especially tourism, minimizing carbon footprint to name a few. The qualitative criteria will assess improvements in the public realm and their identity as place makers and significant civic spaces in the city, along with the content that makes them global signature icons. The final element is ‘EXtrapolate’ wherein the IICC will be tested against this toolkit and the ‘projected’ transformations will be mapped to conclude whether the COEXistence will indeed Power the City.

Keywords—COEX, Transformational, Urban triggers, Convention and Exhibition,catalysts, MICE,Parameters, toolkit.

I. THE COEXBIOSPHERE:ANECOSYSTEMOF EVENTS,WORKPLACE& LIFESTYLE LINKAGES

Great civic projects contribute integrally to a city and every city undergoes a recurring cycle of urban transformations and regeneration by their insertion. The nature of these

The Authors thank AECOM India Private Limited for sponsoring the paper presentation and Mr. Abhishek Malhotra, Technical Director, for facilitating the sponsorship.

transformations can be characterized basis the typology of the project and they qualify differentially depending upon whether they are Greenfield interventions or retrofitting measures. Further, studies in contemporary urbanism have demonstrated that certain types of projects are intrinsic generators for inducing wide ranging and deep rooted transformations ‘powering’ the parent city. These mega projects contain attributes that imbue them with the essential pre-requisites postulated in the Theory of Urban Catalysts.1 Literature on Event Tourism across diverse geographies globally has documented that “…events have other important roles to play, from community – building to urban renewal, cultural development, to fostering national identities…”[1]. Specifically, The Shanghai Manual – A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century mentions that “Large international events work as triggers for local development and bring tangible advantages to the host city and country.” [2]. The M.I.C.E. (Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Events) industry is thus a forbearer of such catalytic projects. Like a ripple in water, the impact of these strategic interventions focusing on art, culture, trade and promotion expands right from the trigger; the immediate context to the region and subsequentlyimpacts the global scale.

Furthermore, with the rise of tradable urban services, reurbanization of business, urbanization of economy and a reconfiguration of the world map post the global economic downturn of 20082, the role of Convention Centers as catalysts in propelling cities onto their global trajectory cannot be understated. According to Greg Oates, executive editor of the SkiftX brand strategy group, “Due to accelerating globalization, more cities than ever are competing to attract foreign corporate investment and talent. Therefore, city leaders are placing a higher value on convention centers to help develop their destinations’ businessbrand” [3].

Echoing similar sentiments in his presentation “The Role of Convention Centers as Instruments of City Development & Transition”, Prof. Greg Clark, Chairman of the London based think tank Business of Cities, has noted that “For municipal governments striving to elevate their cities on the world stage, one of their primary strategies is a heightened focus on the ability of convention center districts and conventions themselves to shift global perception around the destination brand. These new world cities tend to be either second-tier cities in established global markets, which are moving out of the shadow of their iconic business world

1 An extrapolation of the theory of ‘Urban Catalyst’ as postulated by Aldo Rossi in his 1970s book “The Architecture of the City”, wherein he states that primary element ‘catalysts’ are not always ‘physical, constructed, measurable artefacts but sometimes the importance of an event itself “gives place” to spatial transformations of a site’. Juliet Davis (2009). Urban catalysts in theory and practice. Architectural Research Quarterly, 13, pp 295-306 doi:10.1017/S135913551000014X

2 This concept has been delved into detail by Prof. Greg Clark at the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) conference in Boston in 2015 during his presentation: “The Role of Convention Centers as Instruments of City Development & Transition.” Oates, Greg.“The Convention Industry Is Turning Second Tier Cities into Top Tier Destinations.”Skift, Oct.26, 2015, skift.com/2015/10/26/the-conventionindustry-is-turning-second-tier-cities-into-top-tier-destinations

capitals, or first-tier cities in emerging or smaller global markets.” [4]

This paper examines the relationship between MICE led Agents of Change and how they power the city. Empirically speaking, this relationship of COEXistence is a symbiotic one whereby both the project and the city mutually benefit from each other. The dynamics of this power equilibrium are evident in the theoretical construct of this paper which is qualified by the term ‘The COEX (Convention Exhibition) Biosphere’. The COEX Biosphere is best defined as an amalgamated ecosystem of events, workplace and lifestyle linkages and is a typology of urban development that has come full circle from Convention and Exhibition Centres being big, standalone windowless utilitarian boxes located in city suburbia3, over a time span of the last decade or two. It represents the culmination of a significant paradigm shift in planning and design theory corresponding to shifts in the contemporaryneeds of the MICE industry stakeholders at the organizational end of the spectrum over and above the dynamics of the globalization phenomenology. In urban planning terms, its equivalent is Convention Districts which are landmark mixed use precincts anchored by MICE entities of Convention and Exhibition Centres at their core. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC), Dubai, Zhuhai Shizimen Business Cluster & Convention Centre, China, are few examples of Greenfield projects which have been planned as ‘The COEX Biosphere’.

A. The ‘Inductive COEX Biosphere’

There exists another related typology of this ecosystem as well. A case in point is the Kuala Lumpur CityCentre (KLCC), Malaysia, and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre, New York which are unique examples of what can be termed an ‘Inductive COEX Biosphere’. In the case of KLCC, “The Convention Centre component which was not part of the KLCC initial master plan was incorporated in the master plan as Malaysia is lacking in the international standard convention and exhibition facility... The spin-off effects of the convention centre activities to KLCC, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia were too great to be ignored.” [5] Javits Centre on the other hand was built in the early 1980s in an industrial area on the west side of Manhattan, right on the Hudson River – a place where there was little commercial development. [6] Intended to catalyze the development of Midtown Manhattan’s West Side, the Center remained isolated from the core of the city due to the delay of the 7 Line subway extensions and rezoning of the neighborhood. Built during a highly inflationary time, it was value engineered to the point of shoddiness, a major portion was not built, and it has not been properly maintained. It has been seriously maligned as an eye-sore. [7] However, “in order to transform one of Manhattan’s last undeveloped areas, the city and state have initiated major investments in mass transit, new parks and cultural and recreational facilities directly

3 Guillot, Craig. “ Convention Centers of the Future, Designed Today.” Connect, Sep. 30, 2013, collaboratemeetings.com/feature/convention-centersof-the-future-designed-today-2

adjacent to Hudson Yards. The $ 465 million renovation of Javits Centre is part of these public investments that have already catalyzed rapid development in the surrounding area and their impact will be especially beneficial for Hudson Yards, situated at the epicenter. [8]

Interestingly, because of the success rate of ‘The COEX Biosphere’ and the ‘Inductive COEX Biosphere’, cities pan globally are wiring their standalone MICE destinations of yesteryears to morph into the Ecosystem framework and entire downtown cores are being revitalized in this process of regeneration. This is put very succinctly by Susan S. Gregg, managing editor of Association Conventions and Facilities magazine in her observation that “you can have a great convention center with a lot of space but if you don’t have the hotel inventory then it’s really kind of wasted.” [9] This resonates with The Vision Statement of The George R. Brown Convention Centre 2025 Master Plan “. . . for the future of the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRBCC) extends beyond the walls of the Convention Center… The future development and success of the Convention Center cannot be fully realized without a broader commitment to the long-term success of the entire “convention district ”[10] A more telling example of this stance is the Darling Harbour Live project in Sydney, Australia which includes the iconic International Convention Centre (ICC).

B. Attributes of ‘The COEX (& Induced COEX )Biosphere’

The defining characteristics of these ecosystems are a combination of attributes including scale, development mix, definitive functional interconnectivities between the programmatic components, architectural semantics and an overarching place making landscape armature. The differentiator from conventional mixed use developments here is that these ecosystems are animated by a unique layer of business tourists who specifically engage in trade and knowledge exchange. What this implies is that the unique and pivotal role of these ecosystems as knowledge collision spaces in cities globally is also increasinglybeing recognized. 4

At the morphological plane, the COEX Biosphere must be comprehended as a space of dynamic flows of people, goods and services. A critical mass of activity is essential to qualify the base threshold of flows and interactions in the Biosphere. A further critical underpinning is that the components are dynamically collated, both in terms of functional and economic linkages. In simple terms, what this means for instance, is that the footfall in the MICE component will have a direct bearing on say the economic health of the Convention Hotel in close proximity to it when one measures the local impact. At the regional level, the tourist inflows in the region may be impacted. The internal dynamics of the business microclimate thus impact the overall viability of the Ecosystem at varying levels and to varying degrees.

4 Skift Report 2017, Meetings Mean Business Series, Defining Conventions

As Urban Innovation And Economic Accelerators; Katz, Bruce & Wagner, Julie. The Rise of Innovation Districts, Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. The dual role of the Ecosystems as knowledge collision spaces has been observed in literature on Event Tourism as well as an entire body of research on Innovation Districts which highlights a close relationship between the two.

In experiential terms, the contribution of these ecosystems can be appreciated in terms of the value they add to the public realm, their significance as places of civic and even national pride and as places where the collective imagination of the city plays itself out on the world stage unfolding dimensions where the city and its residents embark on a process of self-discovery above everything else.

C. Powering the City - The Postulate of a Robust COEX Biosphere

A central question this paper has set out to explore is the ways in which The COEX Biosphere powers the parent city. In order to answer this question it is imperative to set out the conceptual framework of what ‘powering’ the city entails. This research bases the broad ideological mesh of ‘Power’ to include the ‘ability of cities to significantly impact the lives of their dwellers in a positive way while being able to determine the course of their economic future in a sustainable way.’ Further, this boundary definition is an extrapolation of the idea of ‘empowerment’ wherein the subject city is enabled to shape the contours of its position in the domain ofMICE tourism that make it an inclusive entity in the global ecosystem of future ‘world cities’. The platform for global access to an entrepreneurial base of human capital in this interface of cities and business is a robust COEX Biosphere.

For the purpose of this research and a baseline comparison, a venue definition of the COEX Biosphere has been formulated on the basis of the scale of the projects. In addition to a common development mix of retail, commercial and MICE components, the following quantitative criterion is a qualifying parameter. “Any public assembly premises with a minimum of 1,00,000 Sq.m of Indoor exhibition space and convention space which holds various types of exhibitions, trade fairs, conventions, meetings, conferences of an international repute, public events on a regular basis will qualify to be called a convention and exhibition centre.” This assumption can be supported by KPIs which substantiate the fastest growing market segment to be venues having an indoor capacity of more than 1,00,000 sq.m, amounting to a total of 62 venues globallyand illustrating a 29% growth. 5

II. THE GLOBALMICE CONSTELLATION

On projecting the findings of global data analysis, a clear road map can be illustrated highlighting, the future of the M.I.C.E industry in general and convention and exhibition projects in specific. This applies both at the global and regional level. Some key statistics demonstrate that the M.I.C.E industry is on an exponential rise generating revenue of $752 billion in 2016, and expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% to reach $1,245 billion by2023.6

For instance, the total exhibition venue space available globally has increased by 2.5 million sq.m from year 2011 to 2017. Correspondingly, the numbers of venues that serve the

5 UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, World Map of Exhibition Venues, 2017 Edition, Revised January 2018, pp. 5-11

6 Allied Market Research. MICE Industry Expected to Reach $1,245 Billion, Globally, by 2023, www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/MICEindustry-market

industryaround the world have increased from 1195 in 2011 to 1212 in 2017.A significant increase of 24.4% has been observed in the indoor exhibition space in Asia-Pacific contributing to an increase of 3.2% share of the global market. While Europe is home to most of the large venues, the average size of Asia-Pacific venue is bigger than anyother region. This proves the region to be the most susceptible area of increased business travellers. Additionally, amongst the top 16 venues with an area above 2, 00,000 sq.m, 4 belong to Asia – Pacific. India, on the contrary accounts for only 1% of the world’s total exhibition space exceeding 2,00,000 Sq.m across 14 venues. The total venue space amounts to 3,54,945 Sq.m which is 4.3% of regional venue space available. The development of venue space has increased by 27.7% compared to 2011. Despite this prominent increase, upon venue market segmentation, one can observe that the country still lacks a large venue i.e., above 2, 00,000 Sq.m of indoor exhibition space 7

The global meetings and conventions market is growing at a rate of 6.6% per annum. It can be assumed that the market will continue to grow at this pace over the next decade. It is projected that the number of events will increase from 10,000 to 18,900 by 2021. Asia captured a share of 19% of the global market in 2010. The region’s share will increase to about 30% by 2021, growing at 4 – 5% per annum. India’s share of the Asian market is about 6% currently but with the future development of new facilities and supporting infrastructure, India can target to capture 22% of the Asian market by 2021. [12]

In fact, the nation’s capital does not have a single conference venue to accommodate more than 2,500 people at anygiven time. 8As of today, India is not even equipped to host an event of 10,000 and above delegate-capacity. [13] Presently, India lacks an integrated world class facility …only a few centres in terms of organized space are available in the country [14]

A. MICE Contribution to Indian Economy

According to an industry research, India ranked 35th on the Global ICCA rankings in 2014, 31st in 2016 and as per the ICCA 2017 figures, it holds the 24th position amongst Convention Centres worldwide. In the Asia Pacific rankings, India stands at 5th position.9 The conventions/conference market is estimated at Rs. 4,000-5,500 Crores annually. The entire tourism sector accounts for 2.2 percent of GDP (2005 estimates) of which conventions tourism contributes around 57 percent of total tourism revenues, comparable to that in other convention destinations but small in terms of India’s potential. [15]. In keeping with these facts and with the inbound MICE segment of India growing at the rate of 15 to 20 per cent

7 UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, World Map of Exhibition Venues, 2017 Edition, Revised January 2018

8 MICE India. “A roof big enough”. MICE Indiaa, Jan 2015, miceworldindia.com/india-news/indian-mice-industry

9 MICE Talk. “India moves up in convention ranking: ICCA”. MICE

Breaking News, May 11, 2018, micebreakingnews.com/india-moves-up-in-convention-ranking-icca

annually10 , the Government is aggressively promoting initiatives and streamlining policy measures to improve infrastructure and develop new facilities that will further augment the share of MICE tourism to the country’s GDP. The new tourism policy aims at pushing the current 0.68 per cent share of all MICE traffic to one per cent by 2020 and hopefully, double that share to two per cent by2025. 11

B. New Delhi as a MICE Destination

New Delhi is India’s capital and a thriving commercial centre of the country which makes it one of the most prolific business locations as well. It also has tremendous touristic potential by virtue of its historic and cultural resource base. Further, despite sustained growth levels and immense economic possibilities, there are very limited opportunities available in the city and neighbouring regions in terms of organized exhibition infrastructure or large scale conference facilities. The MICE Industry has not grown synchronously with the economic development and urban growth of the city. The India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC) is a direct outcome of a local and national need.

III. ACOLOSSALIMPRINTONTHEASIANHORIZON –THE INDIA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION & EXPO CENTRE(IICC),NEWDELHI

In the Asian context, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) is designed to be a magnificent addition to the urban fabric of New Delhi. Conceptualized by AECOM, this planned mega development with a project cost of INR 25,703 Crores i.e. 4 billion USD12, lies strategically well located in the heart of the rapidly urbanizing South-West district of Delhi. Its close proximity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport gives it an immense competitive advantage. In addition, its locational advantage allows it the potential to capture the additional resources of a fairly recent hospitality development ‘Aerocity’ in close proximity, offering more than 3000 keys to business and leisure travellers.

The project is an integrated campus targeting the M.I.C.E, retail, hospitality and commercial sectors spread over a site area of 90 Ha. The first phase will open its doors to the global audience through the biggest convention building and exhibition space executed thus far in the country. The two halls being constructed in Phase 1 measure approximately 80,000 Sq.m of space as part of a larger inventory of the exhibition space adding up to a total of 3,03,000Sq.m. In addition, the Convention Centre will be developed entirely in Phase 1, covering a footprint of about 73,000 Sq.m of space and

10 Pandey, Akansha. “MICE Tourism: Game-changer for India Tourism”. Travel Biz Monitor, Aug 03, 2015, travelbizmonitor.com/Features/micetourism-gamechanger-for-india-tourism-28042

11 Kumar, Akshay. “MICE: Challenges And Opportunities Galore”. Travel Trends Today, May 17, 2016, traveltrendstoday.in/news/indiatourism/item/4056-mice-challenges-and-opportunities-galore

12 Jeelani, Gulam. “World-class convention centre in Dwarka by 2025, contract awarded for phase-1”. Hindustan Times, Jan 03, 2018, hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/world-class-convention-centre-in-dwarka-by2025-l-t-awarded-the-contract-for-phase-1/storyba5qyEDcgXOtUasRTsLRXP

catering to 11,000 delegates. This component of the project is proposed to be funded by India International Convention and Exhibition Centre Limited which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). As an essential supporting arm of a Convention Centre, 5-star, 4-star and budget convention hotels will aid the Phase 1 development. The commercial component of the project will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership mode. Finally, with the Phase -2 completions due in 2024, this powerhouse of facilities is envisaged to set in motion a ripple effect for the immediate context. The proposed integration of facilities include approximately 4,13,000 Sq.m of Exhibition and Convention space, and 6, 60,000 Sq.m of commercial amounting to a total of 1 million Sq.m. With an estimated creation of 500,000 i.e. 0.5 Million jobs the economic benefits of the project are ambitious and subject to real time manifestation, a potentially colossal trigger for the growth ofthe city.

The methodological construct of the investigation, can be qualified by the term C.O.EX, which comprises of three elements; Collate, Order and Extrapolate. The following section of this paper will presentthese three elements in detail.

For the purpose of this research three precedents have been collated together to ensure further order and conclusive extrapolations which will help shape this research into a seamless document of information linked together by a novel thought process. The three precedents chosen are basis different criteria and disparate approaches. Hudson Yards Redevelopment project, the first case is embedded in the constraint geography yet highly accommodating systems of New York City. The Marina BaySands project, second case is rooted in the republic of Singapore; the highly advanced, smart and popularly known to be a ‘fine’ city. Last but definitely a high impact case example chosen is the International Convention Centre - The ICC Sydney, floating amidst the famous Darling Harbour precinct ofSydney in Australia.

These selections are not only located in different geographies of the global south, overarching west and the progressive south east but bring about innovations to learn best practices from. In addition, the three examples are selected for they represent very different COEX Biospheres approached as three divergent planning techniques of problem solving applied contextually. These are Re-development, Greenfield and Retrofit in the sequence mentioned above.

The quantitative and qualitative lens that they are viewed in light of this research uses the baseline of the following set of parameters: Footfall, revenues, job creation, spawning capital improvement and other development projects especially tourism, carbon footprint reduction, improvements in the public realm, other innovations and their identity as place makers and significant civic spaces in the city as well as their position on the world map as global signature icons.

IV. COLLATE

This section encapsulates the baseline comparison ofthe key features ofthe Case Studies.

Fig. 1. Illustration showing the key features of the case studies as the first step to collate. The base information for the illustration has been gathered from multiple sources (Source: AECOM)

V. ORDER

The toolkit ofsome key parameters to measure the specific role of the three precedent examples as Agents of Change and how they have ‘powered’ theparent city is presented in this section.

VI. EXTRAPOLATE

The sieving of the critical parameters of the three cases to test the projected transformations of IICC Dwarka is formulated in this Section.

A. The Connection Westwards: Hudson Yards & Javits Centre

When the right investments for property development pay off, it’s a win-win situation for all; the public authorities, developers and the residents of the city alike. Take for instance the example of the Hudson Yards development, for the kind of direct, indirect and induced impact it is generating across the

community for the city’s infrastructural development, economic growth, increase in GDP, capacity building and empowering the developers to deliver one of its kind and the most expensive real estate in New York city. This mega initiative represents the largest planned development project ever attempted in the United States. 13 The RPA, Regional Planning Association underwent a process of feasibility studies and various development programs. This effort tested the assumption that public investment in a platform over the Yards could create multiple development opportunities...Further, a series of design alternatives revealed that a mixed-use

Fig. 2. Illustration showing some of the key parameters to measure the role of the case studies as Agents of Change. The base information has been gathered from multiple sources (Source: AECOM)

13 Hudson Yards New York. “The Story”. hudsonyardsnewyork.com/about/the-story

development would add significant value to the overall district, catalyzing development by providing superior open spaces, waterfront access and pedestrian-friendly activities. [16]

What is critical to observe here are the innovative ways in which the process of property development can be approached and the strategies deployed to integrate various stakeholders in order to create a multilayered loop system. This helps in creating the concept of a circular economy, by allowing tax incentives, PILOTs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes), special bonuses amongst others to aid the public infrastructure.

Significant to mention here, when talking about the circular economy in the case of Hudson Yards is the impact of the project specifically on the MTA activities and revenues. During construction period, the revenue generated would be $1.784 billion and post completion of the ongoing operations; it will generate approximately $89 million. To put this in terms of a measurable impact, the revenue generated each year would be sufficient to; completely renovate 4 subway stations or purchase 35 new subway cars or replace approximately 3.6 miles of track and switches or purchase 136 new buses through the collections in the post-operational phase and enough to pay the entire cost of the Phase Two of the second avenue subway through the collection from the construction period.14 These have been achieved through key innovative approaches specific to the city and the public policies applicable in New York. Some of these include - PILOTs to the city, transfer of development rights for special districts and building over railway yards, and district improvement bonuses.

As a classic case of the Inductive COEX Biosphere, the Jacob K. Javits Center, which at one point of time in its early history has faced propositions of demolition, is today receiving an overhaul as part of the Hudson Yards development project. Concurrent with the conceptualization of Hudson Yards, the Centre has been witness to a series of planned expansions. The improvements of the Javits Center dovetails with the rezoning of the entire Hudson Yards district, as it will enable more capacity and economic activity in the area. The center will host 4,000 full-time, permanent jobs, and 3,100 construction jobs, and promises to draw even more tourists to the area. [17]

Today, the revitalization of the Javits Center is perfectly timed to the area’s resurgence as the city’s most dynamic—and desirable—new neighborhood. From the opening of the 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station to the extension of the High Line in our own backyard, the Javits Center and the West Side have never been more closely, and productively, linked. [18]

These global best practices are some enriching lessons learnt which should be incorporated as baseline strategies for such developments to succeed. It becomes a measure of the buoyancy the proposition has.

B. Green is the new Black: Marina Bay Sands

While revenue and cost benefits are integral to any complex mixed use project, equally important are the cost savings. The

14 Appleseed, New York, An Investment That’s Paying Off: The Economic and Fiscal Impact of the Development ofHudson Yards, May 2016, pp. 5

Sands Expo center at the iconic Marina Bay Sands development brings forth, key innovative strategies being applied, managed and measured for its sustainability initiatives. It is the first MICE facilityin South East Asia to obtain the ISO 20121 Sustainable Events Management System certification and the single largest building in Singapore to be conferred the Green Mark Platinum Certification by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), through their commitment to long-term environment protection.

TheSands ECO 36015 set up as a team contributing towards their global sustainability strategy has led to a huge amount of savings in the post-operational phase. These innovations extend far beyond just energy efficiency but resulting in a paradigm shift in how the MICE industry is managed. Green is the new black – and this is no exception within Asia’s MICE industry. Their green initiatives include urban farming, to waste food composting and recycling to name a few which are supporting them to transition into the green economy. Additionally, new concepts of Green meetings are being executed efficiently by sands ECO 360, with a proper impact assessment at the end of the event which is fast gaining traction in Singapore and the region. The KPIs can be captured by highlighting these specific achievements.

1. Marina Bay Sands has linked the electronic booking management system (eBMS) to the building management system in order to reduce energy consumption, increase productivity, and improve the overall customer experience.

2. Like Sands Group properties, hotels are large consumers of energy and water, yet most have not done wide-scale efficiency projects due to a variety of reasons ... While Marina Bay Sands may not be indicative of the average hotel in Asia, it also provides valuable lessons for how other large propertygroups can take steps towards reigning in energy consumption, and therefore increasing overall financial performance. Given that margins in the hospitality sector are only about three percent, every dollar that an operator can save on energy is the equivalent of increasing revenue by $35, according to Mark Jewell of EEFG; European Environmental Funders group. With the tourism and hospitality industry in Asia booming, fueling the construction of hundreds of large properties throughout the continent, energy efficiency will continue to be a major opportunity for those operators who are willing to commit the resources and put in place the right incentives for property managers to improve efficiency. This should include those simple key cards, and many more innovations that guests can enjoy. As a result of these efforts, Marina Bay Sands has achieved over S$13M in annual savings, illustrating that being green also makes green. [20]

The initiatives that have really stood out as Game changers are generating transformative ripples for the MICE industry in specific and for the city at large. To name a few in the last year are the sustainability partnership with the WWF 16 with a

15 Marina Bay Sands Singapore. “Environmental Sustainability”. marinabaysands.com/environmental-ustainability.html#X6SPRerrJrxzl4Ug.99

16 Marina Bay Sands Singapore, THE GAME CHANGER Creating Transformative Experiences at Marina Bay Sands; The Game Changer,

specific focus on seafood and ocean conservation and donations towards supporting aquaculture farms in Malaysia through offering the green meeting packages. The exhibition halls are designed to support flexibility, allowing ‘transforming spaces into places’ 17 through their created exhibits is a significant one to mention. Marina Bay Sands are also helping fuel the trend of ‘tribalization’ 18 in the meeting industry. Defined as a new meeting concept, tribalization seeks out small-group networking experiences within a larger group of delegates at an event, forming closer bonds among like-minded event attendees.

The Marina Bay Sands Expo Center case success clearly substantiates the importance and impact of the operational and post-operational phase of the COEX biosphere. It is thus necessary to consider this phase as a baseline strategy for reaping monetary as well as transformative success for the city, its economyand the community it supports.

C. The Beacon Of Innovation And Ripples At The Darling Harbour: International Convention Centre, Sydney

While it is one thing to maintain the exchequers’ balance and manage the post-operational Opex, the key medium that binds the aforementioned innovations and strategies in building a strong foundation for a successful development is evident in the case of ICC Sydney. Unless an urban insertion brings about ripples of change in the urban spatial fabric of the city and the immediate regional context, no impact is holistically future proof. Spurring urban transformation spatially; is what urban designers intrinsically aspire for. However, the reality of land development instrumented by financial gains and political benefits seldom triggers a domino effect. ICC Sydney however, has surpassed all obstacles and presents itself as a Beacon of Innovation, collaboration and catalyst of change on the world map.

ICC Sydney is a NSW government project, delivered in partnership with Darling Harbour Live, which comprises Lendlease, Hostplus, First State Super, Capella Capital, AEG Odgen and Spotless FM. Committed by the government as an important infrastructural development, it is designed to reinforce Sydney’s prime position on international stage. It would undertake a $3 billion transformation of Darling Harbour with a $1.1 billion world-class integrated venue at its heart. 19Despite uncomfortable exchanges while surrendering the past in order to make way for the future, ICC brought about the revamping of Darling Harbour precinct through the demolition of the former exhibition convention center clearing

November 2017, marinabaysands.com/expo-events-and-conventioncentre/download-center.html#kbyBw5RI0QqjG8S0.97

17 Marina Bay Sands Singapore, THE GAME CHANGER Creating Transformative Experiences at Marina Bay Sands; The Game Changer, November 2017, marinabaysands.com/content/dam/singapore/marinabaysands/master/main/ho me/company-information/media-centre/August2017/the-game-changeraug2017.pdf

18 Marina Bay Sands Singapore, THE GAME CHANGER Creating Transformative Experiences at Marina Bay Sands; The Game Changer _ Q1 2017, marinabaysands.com/expo-events-and-convention-centre/downloadcenter.html#kbyBw5RI0QqjG8S0.97

19 AEG Ogden, ICC Sydney International Convention Centre Brochure

the sites for setting out the core of a larger COEX Biosphere. Various political and commercial drivers ensured that the remaking of exhibition and convention center remains a pivotal strategy to re-energize the whole of Darling Harbour precinct despite the objections raised by the original Architects, the Australian Institute of Architects and by some in the wider community.

The extent and rapidity of change could be thought of as visionary, as commercial opportunism or as necessary to redress the difficulties inherent in the initial Darling Harbour development … Such responsive engagement with community needs and expectations is fundamental to the generation of purposeful adjustments of a city’s fabric. [21]

ICC Sydney is fueling the existing and country’s leading knowledge based economy in Sydney with disruptive innovations and collaborative exchange through the global audience and events the venue has been attracting. In fact the Pre-Feasibility Study of ICC Sydney had included the Innovation and Knowledge Impact as a decisive precursor to the value of business events to the community. 20

Furthermore, in the words of Hon. Adam Marshall, New South Wales Minister for Tourism and Major events, “The delivery of the A$ 1.5 Billion ICC Sydney recognizes the importance of Business events infrastructure to the tourism industry and reaffirms NSW’s status as a global business and events destination, I am delighted that ICC Sydney supports our rural and regional food and wine industries which will launch local producers onto the global stage. Our state is set to boom” . [22]

The center has coined various innovations in the realm of facility management, digital integration are extremely conducive to how the city functions and a city-wide approach has been taken up to facilitate this. Some out-of-the-box initiatives and their impacts are as listed below.

1. The center has showcased holistic planning by partnering with the city, state and national business events and tourism bureaus, government agencies, hotels, theming and production companies, transport agencies and local corporates to ensure everyone has the same understanding and can deliver a better visitor experience.

2. A multifunctional sales toolkit for the reflection of venue’s world class facilities including marketing material, animations, planning devices which brought life to the scale of the building and ease of navigation and connectivity across the precinct. This has been crucial to attracting international, national and local events, which are attended by global thought leaders who innovate in their fields alongside their Australian peers strengthening the local knowledge economy. In addition, the use of technology for marketing and communication also created a big impact.

3. Client access and event set up is smooth ensured bya timetable integration of loading docks with a leading logistics management app and web interface. This enhances vehicle

20 Price Waterhouse Coopers, A world class convention and exhibition centre for Sydney – Pre-feasibility Study, September 2010, pp. 35

flow, saving time and money while reducing stress, congestion, minimizing fuel waste and C02 emissions.

4. To enhance the visitor experience and to ensure seamless running of events, a simple but most effective system is a Digital signage network which allows guests to navigate the expansive facilities throughout the precinct and the Darling Harbour public domain. The system can support multiple events simultaneously and has already proven hugely effective.

5. Within the industry, bring your device trend has emerged as manypresenters and delegates want to operate off their own device, requiring multiple connection types. These intelligent Lecterns allow any device to be synced through physicals ports or Wi-Fi. Guests can also schedule an entire set of presentation in advance through the lectern, ensuring speakers run to time and transition seamlessly, improving efficiency and eliminating distractions for the audience.

6. ICC’s ‘Feeding your Performance philosophy’ is the Industry’s first to deliver smart menu which comprises seasonal ingredients, expertly combined to drive physical and mental performance. 21

Form these moves, it is clearly evident that ICC Sydney has been able to create ultimate environment catering to innumerable event experiences, deliver success and indeed emerge as a Beacon of innovation at the globalplatform.

These extrapolations from the three cases brings together a gamut of aspects that contribute to the success of a COEX Biosphere. When cohesively viewed, these aspects bundle together success stories and lessons, which should form a guiding framework at the onset of the formulation of a C.O.E.X biosphere. This will ensure its catalytic performance.

mega projects, IICC has come to life after a significant deliberation in the political world. Furthermore, the project is a fairly complex endeavor in terms of propertydevelopment as it will be funded from primarily three sources:

1. Equity from Government of India

2. Land monetization for Mixed use components and

3. Debt from the market.

It will take seven years to come to fruition as a complete COEX Biosphere. Therefore, the projected transformations of this mega project would at best be a conjecture at this point in time but an informed one. On the one hand the infrastructure backbone of this COEX Biosphere is embedded with state-ofthe-art features such as Robust ICT Systems, Centralized District Cooling, a Central Command and Control Centre, Automated Car Parking for 28,000 vehicles, and a Pneumatic Solid Waste Management System which are comparable in technological know-how to the global precedents studied earlier on. As an urban spatial entityand from the standpoint of an architectural signpost of South Asia, the project is imbued with the finesse of an integrated urban landscape morphological armature encapsulating bold yet contextual forms, a rich and vibrant material tectonic palette, LED Media Façade Screens, a kilometre long High Street, expansive outdoor viewing decks, flexible event spaces inserted with technological facets such as automated seating and stage systems. It is also programmed to be a Green building with more than 20% projected energy savings. Solar Roof Top renewable energy generation, and Rain water Harvesting and Recycling are amongst the key features towards achieving an IGBC (Indian Green Buillding Council) Platinum certification which is the Indian equivalent of LEED Platinum.

In all of the above, its DNA resonates with most of the innovative attributes that qualify the success stories elucidated. So there is already a case for a catalytic role of the IICC being in a latent state. Of course the operational and post-operational strategies contribute as much, if not a more significant role in ensuring the innovations in the DNA play out to their full potential. The dynamics of the ‘COEX’ístence and ‘Powering’ can thus be understood at the first level in terms of newer configurations and restructuring of existing patterns essentially as a result of the planning ,design and economic interventions . These take the form of morphological changes as a natural outcome of the urban insert, functional impacts by way of introduction of newer activities, transformations in traffic and transportation flows, bearings on the environment, and the socio - economic tenor of the city.

The IICC Dwarka is emblematic of the aspirations of a New India. In as much as it is part of the larger initiatives of a progressive nation building endeavor and a soaring ambition to put India on the global map, the hypothesis of how it will ‘power’ the city needs to be reflected upon. Like other such

For the Ecosystem to truly come full circle, however, its legacy impacts must transcend this first level to an even more sublime and abstract level. These essentially fall in the operational and post- operational phases but have the ability to make it a differentiator in the real sense. Given below are three scenarios and between them, the examples each cover the ability to impact at the global level, the regional scale and finally the local context of the city.

The first of these Game Changers will be in viewing the Ecosystem as a ‘Global Democracy’. As a microcosm of the globe, like any other COEX Biosphere, this platform is unique

VII. AN ECOSYSTEM COMES FULL CIRCLE: IICC DWARKA IN 2024

Fig. 3. Artists’ impression of the IICC, Dwarka on completion (Source: DMICDC)

21 Sydney Views, ICC Sydney International Convention Centre newsletter, Edition Four, Autumn/ Winter 2017

in being located in the world’s largest democracy and in a society which is essentially pluralistic. This is a singular advantage that the IICC can leverage for a unique global positioning. The shared ideals of the Global Democracy that could possibly be disseminated to the global community of thought leaders would essentially be advancements in the Human Capital and Knowledge Economy that are characteristic of emerging economic superpowers like India. The myriad event spaces of the Ecosystem are designed to faciliate opportunities for formal and informal discourse between delegates on diverse facets of this domain including, but not limited to, capacity building, innovation, skill building, education to name a few. In fact, the IICC is ideal ground for knowldege sharing on programs like the Make In India initiative, National Skill Development Scheme, Smart Cities Mission, and so forth as they percolate to the grassroots level of empowering the youth of the country and are in that sense truly democratic in spirit. The nation could benefit from Global Best Practices and contemporarythinking on these subjects pan globally.

Another innovation could possibly lie in the IICC Dwarka creating the “Supra Tourism Linkage”. The ‘Golden Triangle’, covering Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is the immediate and closest tourist circuit with New Delhi at its epicenter. All three cities are rich in tourism resources and ideal for promoting New Delhi as a MICE destination which is the stated intention ofthe project. IICC Dwarka being located in New Delhi can best be strategised as a nodal point in this tourism circuit to capture the business tourists into the larger framework of these destinations. The ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ is another goldmine of touristic value for not just international but local tourists as well but is a pan country circuit so for IICC to harness the business tourists of the Ecosystem to this range might be ambitious but the move has the potential to set in motion catalytic changes in the regional economy and the national GDP. It all depends on how aggressively the strategy can be brandedbut there certainly is a big enough opportunity that lies dormant.

The third and final winner, and that powers the immediate city context is in IICC Dwarka being a ‘ 365° Orbit’. As the name suggests, this has diverse facets. In terms of spawning capital improvement schemes, IICC Dwarka has already initiated some vital infrastructure projects for the city including the extension of the airport express line into the site and two high speed – 8-lane grade separated expressways on the periphery. At the same time, if it is an Innovation Hotspot at the individual user interface level, it is more likely to be valued as an asset base in terms of a new public realm for the city. Also , an entire supply chain dynamics is already set in motion involving multiple stakeholders such as transaction advisors, finacing and banking institutions, and developers on the one hand and direct and induced employment which will impact multiple sectors of the city’s economy. The real estate pricing of the citywould also see a significant change.

These are just possible demonstrations of differentiators which can ensure success by redefining innovation. Then only the ‘COEXistence’ of the COEX Biosphere will truly ‘Power’ the City.

VIII. REFERENCES

[1] Getz, Donald. “Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research”, Tourism Management 29 (2008) 403–428, Received 24 April 2007; accepted 31 July 2007, Elsevier Ltd. /Mackellar Jo, Event Audiences and Expectations, New York and Canada: Routledge, 2014, pp. 132

[2] Shanghai Manual – A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development of the 21st Century, United Nations Bureau International des Expositions, Shanghai 2010 World Exposition Executive Committee,Chapter 10, pp. 1.

[3] Oates, Greg.“The Convention Industry Is Turning Second Tier Cities into Top Tier Destinations.”Skift, Oct.26, 2015, skift.com/2015/10/26/the-convention-industry-is-turning-second-tiercities-into-top-tier-destinations

[4] Oates, Greg.“The Convention Industry Is Turning Second Tier Cities into Top Tier Destinations.”Skift, Oct.26, 2015, skift.com/2015/10/26/the-convention-industry-is-turning-second-tiercities-into-top-tier-destinations

[5] Ibrahim, Faudziah and Leong, Phui Kuan. Petronas Towers and KLCC: Urban Catalyst, 2015, CTBUH Research Papers

[6] Palmer, Barbara. “The Inside-Out Convention Center”. PCMA Convene, Jul 1, 2015, pcmaconvene.org/features/cover-story/the-inside-outconvention-center

[7] ID#130600. “Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Renovation”. aianycoteawards.org/2016/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JavitsCenter.pdf

[8] Hudson Yards New York. “The New West Side”. hudsonyardsnewyork.com/about/our-location

[9] Erickson, Amanda. “Is It Time to Stop Building Convention Centers?”. City Lab, Jun 11, 2012, citylab.com/solutions/2012/06/stop-buildingconvention-centers/2210

[10] Gensler, George R Brown Convention Center 2025 Master Plan, December 2011

[11] UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, World Map of Exhibition Venues, 2017 Edition, Revised January 2018

[12] AECOM, Techno Economic Feasibility Report, 2011,pp. I-6.

[13] Pandey, Akansha. “MICE Tourism: Game-changer for India Tourism”. Travel Biz Monitor, Aug 03, 2015, travelbizmonitor.com/Features/micetourism-gamechanger-for-india-tourism-28042

[14] Kumar, Akshay. “MICE: Challenges And Opportunities Galore”. Travel Trends Today, May 17, 2016, traveltrendstoday.in/news/indiatourism/item/4056-mice-challenges-and-opportunities-galore

[15] IIMB-ICPB, India as a Global Conventions Destination Prospects & Strategies - Study to Quantify the Size, Scope and Economic Impact of India’s Convention Industry, pp.8

[16] Regional Plan Association, Urban Development Alternatives for the Hudson Rail Yards, December 2004

[17] Ariel Property Advisors, Hudson Yards Building a Neighbourhood from the Ground Up, July 2016, pp.18

[18] Javits Center, The Javits Center Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015-2016, pp. 11

[19] Cullinen, Matthew. “Beyond Key Cards: Energy-Efficiency Insights from Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands”. Rocky Mountain Institute, Mar 5, 2015, rmi.org/blog_2015_03_05_energyefficiency_insights_from_singapores_marina_bay_sands

[20] Cullinen, Matthew. “Beyond Key Cards: Energy-Efficiency Insights from Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands”. Rocky Mountain Institute, Mar 5, 2015, rmi.org/blog_2015_03_05_energyefficiency_insights_from_singapores_marina_bay_sands

[21] Keniger, Michael. “Enriching presence: ICC Sydney”. Architecture AU, Jan 3 , 2018, architectureau.com/articles/icc-sydney

[22] Sydney Views, ICC Sydney International Convention Centre newsletter, Edition Four, Autumn/ Winter 2017