Safari Plus - GPS Special 2018

INTALK with Ms. Madhu Saliankar, Director (Sales and Marketing), GPS Q1)What can we expect in the latest season of GPS? What are your expectations from the same?

GPS is in the 6th year and It has gained popularity as the premier B2B travel trade interaction for the Tier 2 & 3 Markets. For the financial calendar year we have added on 2 more cities namely Hyderabad and Lucknow and are hopeful to connect and network with many more agents from its surround cities/ towns. Today we have a loyal and steady footfall of over 8000 trade buyers and visitors from across 6 cities and we hope to connect and network with over 10,000 agents in our 6th year. Over the last 5 years we have achieved in bringing many tour operators from far flung cities /Towns of India(120+) to attend GPS and gain knowledge about the latest trends and developments of the industry and also gain destination information.

There are many firsts at GPS, for instance being the first event to be on the eplatfrom, making meetings easy and convenient, Exhibitors are able to view the profile of the visitor/ buyers at the click of a button and this helps in conducting meaningful meetings.

Our other achievements is EDWIN where we take interested tour operators, who are hungry for knowledge about a destination on an educational trip. We have Q1)What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Taking ahead our focus on tier 2 & 3 markets, this season of GPS 2018 we have added 2 more cities to the existing kitty - Hyderabad and Lucknow. Hyderabad GPS we are doing in association with FTAPCCI and Telangana Tourism and it is christened as Telangana Tourism Conclave 2018.

Whereas at Lucknow we are doing it as regular GPS .

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We are expecting the same response in these 2 new cities as we have received for our other cities.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS over the years has carved its name in the Travel industry/Fraternity as a premium B2B Show in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets.

We are different from the other travel trade exhibitions since we present ourselves as the B2B Platform to Empower and educate the travel fraternity which in turn help the travel agents to get connected to the suppliers/Tourism Boards/ Cruise Liners/Airlines/DMCs/Travel Insurance etc.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

10X Membership Card is the new Buzz for the Buyers , with huge benefits to reap and ECO CONNECT is a Low cost module for the Sellers who wants to be on board but need to experience it at lower cost.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

INTALK with

Mohit Deshpande Executive Director, GPS

successfully completed 2 EDWIN's since its launch one to Ladakh and one to Bali. The agents who have been on the EDWIN's are today empowered to promote the destination purely through first hand experience and knowledge.

We have also started a loyalty club Called 10X, this is a paid membership club for Tour operators. This is an annual membership club and members will benefit from registration to GPS and participation in EDWIN's at discounted prices. Going forward 10 X will add more benefits to members from airlines to cruise, to hotel and more.

Q2) Is there anything new that buyers and sellers can expect at the show this time?

This year GPS has seen new Exhibitors participating and this will give them an opportunity to know about new products and offering in the market. With the participation of domestic tourism boards there are domestic products on display as well. For the exhibitors, there are new markets to explore plus, there are many local Tourism body association who have come forward to partner with us and drive visitor footfalls by registering their members to enroll and participate in GPS. Q3) What, according to you, makes GPS stand apart from any other travel show?

Every GPS event is more localised, and since it is a B2B initiative, Buyers/ Visitors from the region look forward to meet with product and suppliers, in their home ground, and they have sufficient time to evaluate each product and service provider. Net working and business development has a new meaning with our social evenings, a relationship is established here at GPS. Each exhibitor is able to have over 100 quality meetings in 2 days and over 400 + interactions through business card exchanges, or short meetings during the social evening. This gives an exhibitor enough of data to work on and establish, develop and maintain relationship over the year that will result in business growth.

Q4) Anything else you'd like to add?

We are committed to supporting and meeting with the expectations of both Buyers and Sellers through Travel Trade interactions. We will also add on few more EDWIN destination, to take knowledge gaining to the level of gaining hands on experience.

INTALK with Raju Akolkar, CEO, GPS EDWIN is a big success, this year we had announced EDWIN LADAKH after a successful EDWINBali. 151 attendees were at Bali and we had over 10,000 business meetings in Bali apart from the local hotel visits and sightseeings. EDWIN@11380 for Ladakh and EDWIN@SEA with DREAM CRUISE is in the offing.

Q6) Anything else you'd like to add?

10X Membership card is going to be the match winner this year and GPS also has been adjudged as the Best B2B Travel event at the INDIA TRAVEL AWARDS SOUTH 2018.

Q1) What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Is there anything new on the cards?

With the expansion of 2 new urban areas, namely Hyderabad and Lucknow, there will be a general increment in the market reach to more than 8,000 travel experts. The technology adapted in GPS 2018 is much more superior than the last editions of GPS. Almost everyone is adopting the GPS app, which has become an important feature of GPS. We have also launched a new program called EDWIN which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, the response to which has been exceptional.

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We expect to educate and empower the travel fraternity through our efforts here in GPS. We wish to broaden the horizon of the travel industry and help its member adopt the new technologies as well as make them well versed with taxations like GST which can directly effect one's business.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS is not a travel trade exhibition, per se. It is a networking event and the beauty of GPS lies in the fact that 97690 58991

the the buyer and seller can directly interact leading to instantaneous deals. Another major factor that sets GPS parts is that we are one of the only events that is almost completely digital. We pride in the fact we have minimal usage of paper in our events and everything from scheduling meetings to sharing information is done via the GPS app.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

We have introduced the GPS 10X membership, which enables someone to attend all the events of GPS on discounted prices. We have also launched an exclusive club for the exhibitors.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

GPS launched EDWIN, which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, in October 2017 in Ladakh and the second EDWIN was held in Bali where agents from different parts of India were selected and taken to give them a first hand experience of the place and not just restricting them to the event but expanding their experience to a large array of products as we have tourism boards, visa facilitators, insurance companies, anything and everything related to a travel industry along with the hotel chains and airlines.

Edited & Published by Shailendra Kesari • For Online News visit: www.safariplus.co.in • Email: info@safariplus.co.in

COME BE THE PART OF THE INDIA’S PRE-EMINENT B2B NETWORKING EVENT ‘GPS’ INTALK With the every successful edition, Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) is gaining popularity and has become one of the must attend networking event in Travel Trade. In 2013 GPS started from Nagpur and continued to focus on Tier II and Tier III cities of India. The show brings together the tourism professionals and the leading Tourism service providers from India and overseas. And is a key forum to shape the future of the industry through networking and education. As the year turns up the industry entrepreneurs are looking for tools and information to make the most of their business.

What a better way to get everything you need, including some amazing connections under one roof. So, we recommend all travel professionals to be the part of GPS 2018 series. Let’s hear from the GPS team about their vision and what they have bagged this year for our Travel industry.

Q1) What can we expect from the upcoming GPSs in different Tier II and Tie III cities?

The main goal of GPS is to empower and to educate the travel fraternity from the Tier II and Tier III (i.e. the secondary and tertiary) markets across India.

The basic purpose is to reach out to the agents in the cities where the event is being held. This year we have extended ourself to Hyderabad and the tertiary markets in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, even bordering to Maharashtra will be covered by their presence in Hyderabad. With Lucknow being another new edition, we will be

INTALK with

Valmiki Harikishan Chairman, Telangana Tourism Conclave (GPS-Hyderabad)

with Mr. Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, GPS

looking at covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttaranchal and the agents from around these markets. So if you look at it we are basically covering a majority of India with our flagship event down in Nagpur, which has already been concluded in the month of January where we've seen an overwhelming attendance of over 1,300 participants with over 120 exhibitors. Now we are looking to see over 80 exhibitors in the upcoming cities starting from Hyderabad in June, followed by Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Lucknow in the month of July and finally concluding with Kolkata, Kochi and Pune in the month of August. We are expecting an attendance of

about 700 participants as an average and about 100 buyers being hosted in each city. In Hyderabad we have tied up with FTAPCCI (the Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry) as our partner for the Telangana Tourism Conclave 2018 (GPS-Hyderabad) scheduled from 28Jun-30Jun. With FTAPCCI as our partner we are looking at a much larger audience and attendance as well as a greater exposure to the Travel Fraternity in terms of exhibitors and also having corporate presence at the event. A per the GPS established format we will be organizing various educational sessions on the first

Safari Plus INTALK with Mr. Valmiki Harikishan, Chairman, Telangana Tourism Conclave (GPSHyderabad) for the upcoming Telangana Tourism Conclave in Hyderabad.

Q1) Tell us about the Telangana Tourism Conclave?

Telangana State is celebrating 4th Birthday this month. The Department of Tourism Government of Telangana is putting all its efforts to uplift Telangana State to appear on World Tourism Map. As on today Hyderabad is positioning itself number 2 in terms of attracting MICE Tourism and also for Weddings. Whereas the State is hardly producing any footfall towards Leisure and Pilgrimage.

Telangana State has got immense potential to lure the inbound and domestic market. Ramoji Film City Worlds largest Film City located in Hyderabad, Most prestigious Nawabi Culture and heritage all over spread across the State. Telangana state has got History and Heritage. It's high time to showcase our State and spread the awareness among all our Domestic and Inbound Tour operators from all over India. Hence this is the first of its kind taking place in Hyderabad in the name and style of TELANGANA TOURISM CONCLAVE 2018.

Q2) The event is association with GPS tell us about the tie-up?

When FTAPCCI approached me to Chair this event I felt it's an honour for me to do something back to my state and that too to the Travel Trade. To do

this event we from FTAPCCI decided to go with GPS as we witnessed the professionalism and passion Harmandeep Sing Anand the MD of GPS carries attracted us to partner with them to run the B2B show.

Today with the penetration of Online there are lots of changes taking place in the Tourism Industry. Its good we are growing our technology but one thing to be remembered that Robots don't have hearts its humans who have hearts. Travel Agent is dead long ago – when it comes to stand alone ticket needed or hotel needed.

Still there is a role for a Travel Consultant or Tour operator when it comes to customization. When you are travelling with family cannot take chances however you are a frequent traveller.

Q3) What are your expectation with the event?

The need of the hour is Travel Agent skills to be improved: There has to be healthy buyers and sellers meets to be organised on regular intervals. So that the end user won't suffer. Telangana Tourism Conclave is a game changer as our objectives are very clear to educate and empower the tier 2 and tier 3 cities Tour operators to join in this mega event on the first day they get exposed to knowledge sessions lines up from morning till evening hot topics like GST, New Trends in the Industry, Heritage, Medical Tourism, Skill developments likewise the experts are being called.

The first day we are expecting at least 800 – 1000 foot fall including the Students from the Hospitality domain will get benefited that is on 28June 2018.

GPS SPECIAL day at every city, which are being extended free of cost to all the trade visitors and the buyers. GST, which continues to be a major burning issue will be covered in these seminars in addition to the promotion of Telangana as a travel destination to both the inbound and the outbound market.

Q2)What will be new for buyers and sellers this time?

GPS has established a format for these events and the people have well accepted the GPS format which is a table top concept. We are not an exhibition per say but we are more of a networking opportunity.

We are the largest networking opportunity in the country with a footfall audience of over 8,000 expected and a 1,000 buyers being hosted over all the cities. This way they get an opportunity to interact and we have introduced several other features such as the '10X' membership which is a unique platform where members can get discounts at various events of GPS and as a trade visitor they get free access to the networking lunches and dinners which is at a value of almost 15,000 rupees per city. In addition the 10X members get an added advantage for registration at the EDWIN programs where they can save anything between 3,000 to 10,000 rupees as against a nonmember. EDWIN is basically Educational Destination Workshop International through which we are offering the audience a first-hand experience of the destination and services globally, not just restriction them to the event but to a large array of products because we have tourism boards, visa facilitators, insurance companies, anything and everything related to a travel industry along with the hotel chains and airlines. This way they get the whole gamut of participation from various services that can help them increase their bottom-line. It is probably one of the largest marketing e-platforms. We are proud that we are the only completely green and e-platform because we do not allow paper at all and gradually people have accepted this, bringing the use of paper down drastically at our events and in some events the use has been as low as zero.

Q3) The number of cities have increased this time.

Are we expecting some more cities to be added to the list? Do share your plans?

With our presence in six cities across India in 2017 where we have had an attendance of over 7000 visitors across all the events, we realized that there are still areas which need to be covered to encompass the whole of Indian Tier II and III cities. Hence, we decided to add Lucknow and Hyderabad to our portfolio of events in our sixth edition. With the addition of these new cities, we envisage an increase in our market reach

GPS SPECIAL to over 8000 travel agents / travel professionals in 2018 across all the eight cites.

Q4) Could you shed more light on the partnership with Telangana Tourism and about event?

The partnership is not between GPS and Telangana Tourism, the event is being presented by GPS in Hyderabad and organised by FTAPCCI and Telangana Tourism has come on board as a host state for the event due to the efforts of FTAPCCI. Other boards like West Bengal Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh Tourism, the regional airline TruJet and Ramoji Film City are the lead participants and the major partners for this event. This is in addition to the regular participation of the international gamut of supplier who would be present at all other cities like Genting Hong Kong, ITQ, Trawelltag, GMJ & Co. Tamarind Global, Saraaj Enterprises, Singapore Airlines, Indigo airlines amongst many other partners. It is a partnership between GPS and FTAPCCI to showcase Telangana. So when we go out to other states we will be offering something similar. For example, if we are in Lucknow we can call it the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Conclave presented by GPS and we can take it forward depending on how the state boards accept the offerings because, as I have mentioned earlier, we are the largest player in the tertiary market.

Q5) How do you think GPS would benefit the both the buyers and sellers in these cities in the long run?

GPS has completely changed the perception of the exhibitors as the business generally comes from the smaller markets and we are the first ones to show case it to the exhibitors and thus, they have been generating a lot of business. This is why 50% of our exhibitors are repeat exhibitors as they have seen value and the returns on the investments. If you look at it in terms of data, since we are the only platform where the exhibitors-if there a 1000 people registered for the event-have access to all that data through the mobile application and they can promote their products around the year to this audience and keep them updated on the various products. The acquisition cost per data could be as low as Rs.94. It is completely up to the exhibitors how they market themselves. We are just the bridge between the exhibitor and the buyer and we have proven to be working as a very efficient link that bridges that gap.

Q6) GPS is one of the first travel trade events to go digital in a big way. What do you have to say on that and what innovations on the app can we expect next?

We initially launched the GPS app at the 2016 edition in Ahmedabad and thereon we've seen a huge growth and people have started accepting the app and they understand that they no longer need to carry brochures or

INTALK with Mr. Rishiraj Singh Anand, Joint Managing Director, GPS Q1) What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Is there anything new on the cards?

This year we have added two new cities- Hyderabad and Lucknow. We have more educational and informative seminars. The acquisition cost per data is of just 94 rupees for the exhibitors.

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We are expecting more footfall of buyers in each cities, with 700+ buyers in the new cities that have been added. We are expecting more people to adopt to the GPS app so as to make this a completely digitalised event.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS is a completely electronic event where there's a minimal use of paper which is one of the biggest differentiating factors between GPS and any other event. We are a platform where people get to interact on a one-on-one

GPS SPECIAL, 2018

visiting cards. We have a feature where if some people are carrying their visiting cards, it can easily be scanned via the app. But everything is at a cost and we are trying to optimize the value proposition that we offer to our exhibitors and literally the exhibitors at the event are not required to carry any excess baggage. Everything is electronically run which is why wifi is very essential at our events. Therefore we make sure that everyone carries their smart phones with the availability of 3G and 4G ( in coming days 5G). In today's environment in the travel industry one needs to be well equipped with a smart device and net connection. As I mentioned earlier, we are the only platform in the world which is running its event completely electronically. Crowd Compass by Cvent has recently done a Success Story on GPS which has been globally acknowledged and circulated. The Crowd Compass app built for GPS has created a wave in the Indian Travel Industry as it is the first of its kind. It has managed our exhibitors to save a cost of over USD-100,000 since 2017 and has also saved a large number of trees from being cut down.

Q7) Anything else you'd like to add?

One of the Gala events in Hyderabad is being held at the Ramoji Film City where people will get to experience the Bahubali set and various other opportunities to relish and experience the hospitality of Telangana. We also offer the 10X membership, as mentioned, which is at a fee of 3,000 rupees plus taxes wherein we are already in touch with a lot of hotels and various chains and services and products to offer discounts to these members. This is in addition to the advantage they would get at a GPS or EDWIN event.

We are launching EDWIN @ SEA and we may have Europe by rail and coach as well. A few events are in the pipeline in terms of the EDWIN program. Then we have a Xclusive Club for our partners who have been supporting us over the years since our inception in 2013 and the ones who have committed to participate in at least 6 of our events in 2018 where we carry their logos in our marketing material as well as at the venue. We will also be launching an educational program, EDUX which is the educational express program not only for the new generation, but also for existing frontline and management and improving their skills and how to counter and exist in the new era of the online travel industry, thereby preparing them for the travel and tourism industry especially in the tertiary regions. GPS has always been a platform where it gives opportunities to the new comers. We would be bringing all the knowledge to their doorstep rather than them venturing to the bigger metros and having to figure it out themselves in a very cost effective manner.

basis in a more informal way. All the data and product updates are shared electronically, setting GPS apart from other travel trade events. The networking done by GPS is much different than any other exhibitions whereby giving more PR building time to the exhibitors as well as the buyers.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

We have added two more cities this year, which is Hyderabad and Lucknow, making it a total count of 8 cities throughout the year. This gives the people a wider reach to these new markets. A lot of new innovations are being taken place within GPS event platform which will help the exhibitors promote their products further and in a much better way. There will be 60% new exhibitor opening the market further for the buyers in terms of new product launches.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

EDWIN, which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, was launched last year

by GPS. Two successful events have already been taken place, EDWIN Bali and EDWIN Ladakh where we've received a phenomenal response from the buyers. We had registered over 100 buyers for EDWIN Ladakh in a period of just 3-4 days on opening the registration for the same wherein we had to select only 50 participants who came from 12 states and 32 different cities. At EDWIN - Bali we saw a participation of over 150 qualified buyers who met with about 70 suppliers at the destination in a table top format over 8 hours of B2B thus culminating into over 10000 meetings.

Over 100 buyers have been qualified to participate for the 2018 event which will be held in September, 2018 in Ladakh. We are looking at a few more international destinations for future EDWINs with partnerships with Singapore airlines as well as Dream Cruise and Penang Tourism Board.

EDWIN has just taken wings and is flying now.

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Q1) The number of cities have increased this time. Are we expecting some more cities to be added to the list? Do share your plans?

With the addition of two more cities this year, Hyderabad & Lucknow ,we are catering to further more tier 2 & 3 markets and to identify new markets where GPS can take place across India. We are looking forward for a good and positive response in all the 8 cities. Working on the betterment of quality and acceptance as a show, by bringing in a variety of mix products as well as targeting to increase the number of footfall year-on-year.

Q2) GPS is one of the first travel trade events to go digital in a big way. What do you have to say on that and how has it enhanced the entire GPS experience?

Following our tagline 'GO PAPERLESS WITH GPS' we haven been successful in making our show a complete E-Event. With the increased adaptability of the App, the Exhibitors now showcase their products & promotional material, which can be easily accessed by attendees . With the use of the LEAD SCANNING feature Exhibitors can scan the badge of the attendee, the scanned data is readily available for the exhibitor in the cloud storage in Excel format, hence decreasing the manual work for one. We are developing in terms of digital advancements to make the App more user-friendly. The overwhelming and positive response at GPSNagpur 2018 has surpassed our expectation.

During Educational Seminars and Presentations, the Speaker and the present Attendees can interact

INTALK with Ms. Tanushka Kaur Anand, Executive Director GPS on one-on-one basis through our LIVE Q&A feature. The App enables the attendee to exchange cards, make notes, schedule meetings, message other attendee or client, upload company profiles and also promote their products using our social wall.

The participants have understood and accepted that we can save them a lot of their cost and time, at the same time effectively help them market and share their products. The app is a perfect solution to provide immediate access to the complete event, the attendees can stay connected throughout the year, interact and be updated with the new business opportunities.

Further moving on we can also have Virtual Meetings at GPS, where in the Exhibitor can connect and interact with event attendees without being physically present.

We believe in growing technology and would be

INTALK with

Mr. Ankush Nijhawan, Executive Director, GPS Q1) Tell us about the upcoming series of GPS and what are your set target this year?

With two new cities for the Global Panorama Showcase this season, we are going to target a new set of buyers and sellers.

The Global Panorama Showcase 2018 will be held in Hyderabad and Lucknow for the first time, taking the count of the cities it covers to eight this year.

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The addition of these two markets would only increase the size of the GPS family. The buyer set in these markets is immense. These markets also need a show that could benefit the local buyer and seller communities both. We have got overwhelming response from these markets.

We believe that this would help people in these regions work better.

Q2) What are the advantages for the trade

working on putting in as many features as possible. We are looking forward to create an event where in a person only needs to carry his smart phone or tablets and network through the app.

Q3) What is new on the line for GPS? We are introducing the GPS 10X membership , a loyalty card through which attendees can avail discounts. The 10X members can interact with one another through the GPS 10X App, where the new discounts, offers and EDWIN schedules are updated time to time.

All the upcoming EDWIN Events will be launched through the GPS App and will have a lot of interactive features thus making our educational destinations workshops also paperless and environmental friendly, thus promoting Sustainable Development.

partners in these cities?

GPS will be beneficial for industry players in Tier II and Tier III markets, as well as for the new cities we are adding continuously. The event proves to be an advantage to both buyers and sellers in these markets as they are more comfortable to do their business meetings closer home than going to other big cities. This makes a lot of difference to them and results in better outcome.

Q3) How do you look the continuous growth of GPS? I am in charge of creating a big buyer support for the show. And GPS has seen a remarkable growth in the last two years. We have seen a great response with increasing number of registrations. While last year was quite big, in 2018, we have seen a growth of around 1015 per cent as compared to 2017. All this is because of the quality we bring to the table and the fact that we are a a technologically advanced event and have gone fully digital with our state-of-the-art and user-friendly application.

We are having a dedicated app for GPS which is a great initiative but the basic format of the event remains the same. Being technologically stronger is a smart move and is very futuristic. The crux of the event, however, remains the same—table top meetings with the focus on networking. We are not trying to do something different but aspiring to build up on the same framework.

GPS SPECIAL, 2018

GPS SPECIAL day at every city, which are being extended free of cost to all the trade visitors and the buyers. GST, which continues to be a major burning issue will be covered in these seminars in addition to the promotion of Telangana as a travel destination to both the inbound and the outbound market.

Q2)What will be new for buyers and sellers this time?

GPS has established a format for these events and the people have well accepted the GPS format which is a table top concept. We are not an exhibition per say but we are more of a networking opportunity.

We are the largest networking opportunity in the country with a footfall audience of over 8,000 expected and a 1,000 buyers being hosted over all the cities. This way they get an opportunity to interact and we have introduced several other features such as the '10X' membership which is a unique platform where members can get discounts at various events of GPS and as a trade visitor they get free access to the networking lunches and dinners which is at a value of almost 15,000 rupees per city. In addition the 10X members get an added advantage for registration at the EDWIN programs where they can save anything between 3,000 to 10,000 rupees as against a nonmember. EDWIN is basically Educational Destination Workshop International through which we are offering the audience a first-hand experience of the destination and services globally, not just restriction them to the event but to a large array of products because we have tourism boards, visa facilitators, insurance companies, anything and everything related to a travel industry along with the hotel chains and airlines. This way they get the whole gamut of participation from various services that can help them increase their bottom-line. It is probably one of the largest marketing e-platforms. We are proud that we are the only completely green and e-platform because we do not allow paper at all and gradually people have accepted this, bringing the use of paper down drastically at our events and in some events the use has been as low as zero.

Q3) The number of cities have increased this time.

Are we expecting some more cities to be added to the list? Do share your plans?

With our presence in six cities across India in 2017 where we have had an attendance of over 7000 visitors across all the events, we realized that there are still areas which need to be covered to encompass the whole of Indian Tier II and III cities. Hence, we decided to add Lucknow and Hyderabad to our portfolio of events in our sixth edition. With the addition of these new cities, we envisage an increase in our market reach

GPS SPECIAL to over 8000 travel agents / travel professionals in 2018 across all the eight cites.

Q4) Could you shed more light on the partnership with Telangana Tourism and about event?

The partnership is not between GPS and Telangana Tourism, the event is being presented by GPS in Hyderabad and organised by FTAPCCI and Telangana Tourism has come on board as a host state for the event due to the efforts of FTAPCCI. Other boards like West Bengal Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh Tourism, the regional airline TruJet and Ramoji Film City are the lead participants and the major partners for this event. This is in addition to the regular participation of the international gamut of supplier who would be present at all other cities like Genting Hong Kong, ITQ, Trawelltag, GMJ & Co. Tamarind Global, Saraaj Enterprises, Singapore Airlines, Indigo airlines amongst many other partners. It is a partnership between GPS and FTAPCCI to showcase Telangana. So when we go out to other states we will be offering something similar. For example, if we are in Lucknow we can call it the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Conclave presented by GPS and we can take it forward depending on how the state boards accept the offerings because, as I have mentioned earlier, we are the largest player in the tertiary market.

Q5) How do you think GPS would benefit the both the buyers and sellers in these cities in the long run?

GPS has completely changed the perception of the exhibitors as the business generally comes from the smaller markets and we are the first ones to show case it to the exhibitors and thus, they have been generating a lot of business. This is why 50% of our exhibitors are repeat exhibitors as they have seen value and the returns on the investments. If you look at it in terms of data, since we are the only platform where the exhibitors-if there a 1000 people registered for the event-have access to all that data through the mobile application and they can promote their products around the year to this audience and keep them updated on the various products. The acquisition cost per data could be as low as Rs.94. It is completely up to the exhibitors how they market themselves. We are just the bridge between the exhibitor and the buyer and we have proven to be working as a very efficient link that bridges that gap.

Q6) GPS is one of the first travel trade events to go digital in a big way. What do you have to say on that and what innovations on the app can we expect next?

We initially launched the GPS app at the 2016 edition in Ahmedabad and thereon we've seen a huge growth and people have started accepting the app and they understand that they no longer need to carry brochures or

INTALK with Mr. Rishiraj Singh Anand, Joint Managing Director, GPS Q1) What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Is there anything new on the cards?

This year we have added two new cities- Hyderabad and Lucknow. We have more educational and informative seminars. The acquisition cost per data is of just 94 rupees for the exhibitors.

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We are expecting more footfall of buyers in each cities, with 700+ buyers in the new cities that have been added. We are expecting more people to adopt to the GPS app so as to make this a completely digitalised event.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS is a completely electronic event where there's a minimal use of paper which is one of the biggest differentiating factors between GPS and any other event. We are a platform where people get to interact on a one-on-one

GPS SPECIAL, 2018

visiting cards. We have a feature where if some people are carrying their visiting cards, it can easily be scanned via the app. But everything is at a cost and we are trying to optimize the value proposition that we offer to our exhibitors and literally the exhibitors at the event are not required to carry any excess baggage. Everything is electronically run which is why wifi is very essential at our events. Therefore we make sure that everyone carries their smart phones with the availability of 3G and 4G ( in coming days 5G). In today's environment in the travel industry one needs to be well equipped with a smart device and net connection. As I mentioned earlier, we are the only platform in the world which is running its event completely electronically. Crowd Compass by Cvent has recently done a Success Story on GPS which has been globally acknowledged and circulated. The Crowd Compass app built for GPS has created a wave in the Indian Travel Industry as it is the first of its kind. It has managed our exhibitors to save a cost of over USD-100,000 since 2017 and has also saved a large number of trees from being cut down.

Q7) Anything else you'd like to add?

One of the Gala events in Hyderabad is being held at the Ramoji Film City where people will get to experience the Bahubali set and various other opportunities to relish and experience the hospitality of Telangana. We also offer the 10X membership, as mentioned, which is at a fee of 3,000 rupees plus taxes wherein we are already in touch with a lot of hotels and various chains and services and products to offer discounts to these members. This is in addition to the advantage they would get at a GPS or EDWIN event.

We are launching EDWIN @ SEA and we may have Europe by rail and coach as well. A few events are in the pipeline in terms of the EDWIN program. Then we have a Xclusive Club for our partners who have been supporting us over the years since our inception in 2013 and the ones who have committed to participate in at least 6 of our events in 2018 where we carry their logos in our marketing material as well as at the venue. We will also be launching an educational program, EDUX which is the educational express program not only for the new generation, but also for existing frontline and management and improving their skills and how to counter and exist in the new era of the online travel industry, thereby preparing them for the travel and tourism industry especially in the tertiary regions. GPS has always been a platform where it gives opportunities to the new comers. We would be bringing all the knowledge to their doorstep rather than them venturing to the bigger metros and having to figure it out themselves in a very cost effective manner.

basis in a more informal way. All the data and product updates are shared electronically, setting GPS apart from other travel trade events. The networking done by GPS is much different than any other exhibitions whereby giving more PR building time to the exhibitors as well as the buyers.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

We have added two more cities this year, which is Hyderabad and Lucknow, making it a total count of 8 cities throughout the year. This gives the people a wider reach to these new markets. A lot of new innovations are being taken place within GPS event platform which will help the exhibitors promote their products further and in a much better way. There will be 60% new exhibitor opening the market further for the buyers in terms of new product launches.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

EDWIN, which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, was launched last year

by GPS. Two successful events have already been taken place, EDWIN Bali and EDWIN Ladakh where we've received a phenomenal response from the buyers. We had registered over 100 buyers for EDWIN Ladakh in a period of just 3-4 days on opening the registration for the same wherein we had to select only 50 participants who came from 12 states and 32 different cities. At EDWIN - Bali we saw a participation of over 150 qualified buyers who met with about 70 suppliers at the destination in a table top format over 8 hours of B2B thus culminating into over 10000 meetings.

Over 100 buyers have been qualified to participate for the 2018 event which will be held in September, 2018 in Ladakh. We are looking at a few more international destinations for future EDWINs with partnerships with Singapore airlines as well as Dream Cruise and Penang Tourism Board.

EDWIN has just taken wings and is flying now.

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Q1) The number of cities have increased this time. Are we expecting some more cities to be added to the list? Do share your plans?

With the addition of two more cities this year, Hyderabad & Lucknow ,we are catering to further more tier 2 & 3 markets and to identify new markets where GPS can take place across India. We are looking forward for a good and positive response in all the 8 cities. Working on the betterment of quality and acceptance as a show, by bringing in a variety of mix products as well as targeting to increase the number of footfall year-on-year.

Q2) GPS is one of the first travel trade events to go digital in a big way. What do you have to say on that and how has it enhanced the entire GPS experience?

Following our tagline 'GO PAPERLESS WITH GPS' we haven been successful in making our show a complete E-Event. With the increased adaptability of the App, the Exhibitors now showcase their products & promotional material, which can be easily accessed by attendees . With the use of the LEAD SCANNING feature Exhibitors can scan the badge of the attendee, the scanned data is readily available for the exhibitor in the cloud storage in Excel format, hence decreasing the manual work for one. We are developing in terms of digital advancements to make the App more user-friendly. The overwhelming and positive response at GPSNagpur 2018 has surpassed our expectation.

During Educational Seminars and Presentations, the Speaker and the present Attendees can interact

INTALK with Ms. Tanushka Kaur Anand, Executive Director GPS on one-on-one basis through our LIVE Q&A feature. The App enables the attendee to exchange cards, make notes, schedule meetings, message other attendee or client, upload company profiles and also promote their products using our social wall.

The participants have understood and accepted that we can save them a lot of their cost and time, at the same time effectively help them market and share their products. The app is a perfect solution to provide immediate access to the complete event, the attendees can stay connected throughout the year, interact and be updated with the new business opportunities.

Further moving on we can also have Virtual Meetings at GPS, where in the Exhibitor can connect and interact with event attendees without being physically present.

We believe in growing technology and would be

INTALK with

Mr. Ankush Nijhawan, Executive Director, GPS Q1) Tell us about the upcoming series of GPS and what are your set target this year?

With two new cities for the Global Panorama Showcase this season, we are going to target a new set of buyers and sellers.

The Global Panorama Showcase 2018 will be held in Hyderabad and Lucknow for the first time, taking the count of the cities it covers to eight this year.

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The addition of these two markets would only increase the size of the GPS family. The buyer set in these markets is immense. These markets also need a show that could benefit the local buyer and seller communities both. We have got overwhelming response from these markets.

We believe that this would help people in these regions work better.

Q2) What are the advantages for the trade

working on putting in as many features as possible. We are looking forward to create an event where in a person only needs to carry his smart phone or tablets and network through the app.

Q3) What is new on the line for GPS? We are introducing the GPS 10X membership , a loyalty card through which attendees can avail discounts. The 10X members can interact with one another through the GPS 10X App, where the new discounts, offers and EDWIN schedules are updated time to time.

All the upcoming EDWIN Events will be launched through the GPS App and will have a lot of interactive features thus making our educational destinations workshops also paperless and environmental friendly, thus promoting Sustainable Development.

partners in these cities?

GPS will be beneficial for industry players in Tier II and Tier III markets, as well as for the new cities we are adding continuously. The event proves to be an advantage to both buyers and sellers in these markets as they are more comfortable to do their business meetings closer home than going to other big cities. This makes a lot of difference to them and results in better outcome.

Q3) How do you look the continuous growth of GPS? I am in charge of creating a big buyer support for the show. And GPS has seen a remarkable growth in the last two years. We have seen a great response with increasing number of registrations. While last year was quite big, in 2018, we have seen a growth of around 1015 per cent as compared to 2017. All this is because of the quality we bring to the table and the fact that we are a a technologically advanced event and have gone fully digital with our state-of-the-art and user-friendly application.

We are having a dedicated app for GPS which is a great initiative but the basic format of the event remains the same. Being technologically stronger is a smart move and is very futuristic. The crux of the event, however, remains the same—table top meetings with the focus on networking. We are not trying to do something different but aspiring to build up on the same framework.

GPS SPECIAL, 2018

INTALK with Ms. Madhu Saliankar, Director (Sales and Marketing), GPS Q1)What can we expect in the latest season of GPS? What are your expectations from the same?

GPS is in the 6th year and It has gained popularity as the premier B2B travel trade interaction for the Tier 2 & 3 Markets. For the financial calendar year we have added on 2 more cities namely Hyderabad and Lucknow and are hopeful to connect and network with many more agents from its surround cities/ towns. Today we have a loyal and steady footfall of over 8000 trade buyers and visitors from across 6 cities and we hope to connect and network with over 10,000 agents in our 6th year. Over the last 5 years we have achieved in bringing many tour operators from far flung cities /Towns of India(120+) to attend GPS and gain knowledge about the latest trends and developments of the industry and also gain destination information.

There are many firsts at GPS, for instance being the first event to be on the eplatfrom, making meetings easy and convenient, Exhibitors are able to view the profile of the visitor/ buyers at the click of a button and this helps in conducting meaningful meetings.

Our other achievements is EDWIN where we take interested tour operators, who are hungry for knowledge about a destination on an educational trip. We have Q1)What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Taking ahead our focus on tier 2 & 3 markets, this season of GPS 2018 we have added 2 more cities to the existing kitty - Hyderabad and Lucknow. Hyderabad GPS we are doing in association with FTAPCCI and Telangana Tourism and it is christened as Telangana Tourism Conclave 2018.

Whereas at Lucknow we are doing it as regular GPS .

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We are expecting the same response in these 2 new cities as we have received for our other cities.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS over the years has carved its name in the Travel industry/Fraternity as a premium B2B Show in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets.

We are different from the other travel trade exhibitions since we present ourselves as the B2B Platform to Empower and educate the travel fraternity which in turn help the travel agents to get connected to the suppliers/Tourism Boards/ Cruise Liners/Airlines/DMCs/Travel Insurance etc.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

10X Membership Card is the new Buzz for the Buyers , with huge benefits to reap and ECO CONNECT is a Low cost module for the Sellers who wants to be on board but need to experience it at lower cost.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

INTALK with

Mohit Deshpande Executive Director, GPS

successfully completed 2 EDWIN's since its launch one to Ladakh and one to Bali. The agents who have been on the EDWIN's are today empowered to promote the destination purely through first hand experience and knowledge.

We have also started a loyalty club Called 10X, this is a paid membership club for Tour operators. This is an annual membership club and members will benefit from registration to GPS and participation in EDWIN's at discounted prices. Going forward 10 X will add more benefits to members from airlines to cruise, to hotel and more.

Q2) Is there anything new that buyers and sellers can expect at the show this time?

This year GPS has seen new Exhibitors participating and this will give them an opportunity to know about new products and offering in the market. With the participation of domestic tourism boards there are domestic products on display as well. For the exhibitors, there are new markets to explore plus, there are many local Tourism body association who have come forward to partner with us and drive visitor footfalls by registering their members to enroll and participate in GPS. Q3) What, according to you, makes GPS stand apart from any other travel show?

Every GPS event is more localised, and since it is a B2B initiative, Buyers/ Visitors from the region look forward to meet with product and suppliers, in their home ground, and they have sufficient time to evaluate each product and service provider. Net working and business development has a new meaning with our social evenings, a relationship is established here at GPS. Each exhibitor is able to have over 100 quality meetings in 2 days and over 400 + interactions through business card exchanges, or short meetings during the social evening. This gives an exhibitor enough of data to work on and establish, develop and maintain relationship over the year that will result in business growth.

Q4) Anything else you'd like to add?

We are committed to supporting and meeting with the expectations of both Buyers and Sellers through Travel Trade interactions. We will also add on few more EDWIN destination, to take knowledge gaining to the level of gaining hands on experience.

INTALK with Raju Akolkar, CEO, GPS EDWIN is a big success, this year we had announced EDWIN LADAKH after a successful EDWINBali. 151 attendees were at Bali and we had over 10,000 business meetings in Bali apart from the local hotel visits and sightseeings. EDWIN@11380 for Ladakh and EDWIN@SEA with DREAM CRUISE is in the offing.

Q6) Anything else you'd like to add?

10X Membership card is going to be the match winner this year and GPS also has been adjudged as the Best B2B Travel event at the INDIA TRAVEL AWARDS SOUTH 2018.

Q1) What can we expect from the latest season of GPS? Is there anything new on the cards?

With the expansion of 2 new urban areas, namely Hyderabad and Lucknow, there will be a general increment in the market reach to more than 8,000 travel experts. The technology adapted in GPS 2018 is much more superior than the last editions of GPS. Almost everyone is adopting the GPS app, which has become an important feature of GPS. We have also launched a new program called EDWIN which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, the response to which has been exceptional.

Q2) What are your expectations from the same?

We expect to educate and empower the travel fraternity through our efforts here in GPS. We wish to broaden the horizon of the travel industry and help its member adopt the new technologies as well as make them well versed with taxations like GST which can directly effect one's business.

Q3) What sets GPS apart from other travel trade exhibitions?

GPS is not a travel trade exhibition, per se. It is a networking event and the beauty of GPS lies in the fact that 97690 58991

the the buyer and seller can directly interact leading to instantaneous deals. Another major factor that sets GPS parts is that we are one of the only events that is almost completely digital. We pride in the fact we have minimal usage of paper in our events and everything from scheduling meetings to sharing information is done via the GPS app.

Q4) What is new for buyers and sellers this season?

We have introduced the GPS 10X membership, which enables someone to attend all the events of GPS on discounted prices. We have also launched an exclusive club for the exhibitors.

Q5) Please share some details about EDWIN and the future for the same?

GPS launched EDWIN, which is the Educational Destination Workshop International, in October 2017 in Ladakh and the second EDWIN was held in Bali where agents from different parts of India were selected and taken to give them a first hand experience of the place and not just restricting them to the event but expanding their experience to a large array of products as we have tourism boards, visa facilitators, insurance companies, anything and everything related to a travel industry along with the hotel chains and airlines.

Edited & Published by Shailendra Kesari • For Online News visit: www.safariplus.co.in • Email: info@safariplus.co.in

COME BE THE PART OF THE INDIA’S PRE-EMINENT B2B NETWORKING EVENT ‘GPS’ INTALK With the every successful edition, Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) is gaining popularity and has become one of the must attend networking event in Travel Trade. In 2013 GPS started from Nagpur and continued to focus on Tier II and Tier III cities of India. The show brings together the tourism professionals and the leading Tourism service providers from India and overseas. And is a key forum to shape the future of the industry through networking and education. As the year turns up the industry entrepreneurs are looking for tools and information to make the most of their business.

What a better way to get everything you need, including some amazing connections under one roof. So, we recommend all travel professionals to be the part of GPS 2018 series. Let’s hear from the GPS team about their vision and what they have bagged this year for our Travel industry.

Q1) What can we expect from the upcoming GPSs in different Tier II and Tie III cities?

The main goal of GPS is to empower and to educate the travel fraternity from the Tier II and Tier III (i.e. the secondary and tertiary) markets across India.

The basic purpose is to reach out to the agents in the cities where the event is being held. This year we have extended ourself to Hyderabad and the tertiary markets in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, even bordering to Maharashtra will be covered by their presence in Hyderabad. With Lucknow being another new edition, we will be

INTALK with

Valmiki Harikishan Chairman, Telangana Tourism Conclave (GPS-Hyderabad)

with Mr. Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, GPS

looking at covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttaranchal and the agents from around these markets. So if you look at it we are basically covering a majority of India with our flagship event down in Nagpur, which has already been concluded in the month of January where we've seen an overwhelming attendance of over 1,300 participants with over 120 exhibitors. Now we are looking to see over 80 exhibitors in the upcoming cities starting from Hyderabad in June, followed by Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Lucknow in the month of July and finally concluding with Kolkata, Kochi and Pune in the month of August. We are expecting an attendance of

about 700 participants as an average and about 100 buyers being hosted in each city. In Hyderabad we have tied up with FTAPCCI (the Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry) as our partner for the Telangana Tourism Conclave 2018 (GPS-Hyderabad) scheduled from 28Jun-30Jun. With FTAPCCI as our partner we are looking at a much larger audience and attendance as well as a greater exposure to the Travel Fraternity in terms of exhibitors and also having corporate presence at the event. A per the GPS established format we will be organizing various educational sessions on the first

Safari Plus INTALK with Mr. Valmiki Harikishan, Chairman, Telangana Tourism Conclave (GPSHyderabad) for the upcoming Telangana Tourism Conclave in Hyderabad.

Q1) Tell us about the Telangana Tourism Conclave?

Telangana State is celebrating 4th Birthday this month. The Department of Tourism Government of Telangana is putting all its efforts to uplift Telangana State to appear on World Tourism Map. As on today Hyderabad is positioning itself number 2 in terms of attracting MICE Tourism and also for Weddings. Whereas the State is hardly producing any footfall towards Leisure and Pilgrimage.

Telangana State has got immense potential to lure the inbound and domestic market. Ramoji Film City Worlds largest Film City located in Hyderabad, Most prestigious Nawabi Culture and heritage all over spread across the State. Telangana state has got History and Heritage. It's high time to showcase our State and spread the awareness among all our Domestic and Inbound Tour operators from all over India. Hence this is the first of its kind taking place in Hyderabad in the name and style of TELANGANA TOURISM CONCLAVE 2018.

Q2) The event is association with GPS tell us about the tie-up?

When FTAPCCI approached me to Chair this event I felt it's an honour for me to do something back to my state and that too to the Travel Trade. To do

this event we from FTAPCCI decided to go with GPS as we witnessed the professionalism and passion Harmandeep Sing Anand the MD of GPS carries attracted us to partner with them to run the B2B show.

Today with the penetration of Online there are lots of changes taking place in the Tourism Industry. Its good we are growing our technology but one thing to be remembered that Robots don't have hearts its humans who have hearts. Travel Agent is dead long ago – when it comes to stand alone ticket needed or hotel needed.

Still there is a role for a Travel Consultant or Tour operator when it comes to customization. When you are travelling with family cannot take chances however you are a frequent traveller.

Q3) What are your expectation with the event?

The need of the hour is Travel Agent skills to be improved: There has to be healthy buyers and sellers meets to be organised on regular intervals. So that the end user won't suffer. Telangana Tourism Conclave is a game changer as our objectives are very clear to educate and empower the tier 2 and tier 3 cities Tour operators to join in this mega event on the first day they get exposed to knowledge sessions lines up from morning till evening hot topics like GST, New Trends in the Industry, Heritage, Medical Tourism, Skill developments likewise the experts are being called.

The first day we are expecting at least 800 – 1000 foot fall including the Students from the Hospitality domain will get benefited that is on 28June 2018.