EEA 2026 sees industry-wide Participation with 1,200+ Delegates in Mumbai
One of the key highlights of EEA 2026 was the Leadership Roundtable on: “Role of the Exhibition Industry in India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 Roadmap“. The session brought together government representatives, international associations, venue operators, exhibition organisers and industry leaders for a strategic discussion on the future direction of the sector.
The 10th Decennial Edition of the Exhibition Excellence Awards & Summit (EEA 2026) concluded on a historic note at the CIDCO Exhibition & Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai, recording over 1,200 delegates and establishing itself as the largest edition in the platform’s ten-year history.
Organised by Exhibition Showcase, EEA 2026 brought together exhibition organisers, conference organisers, venue operators, event service providers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry associations and international leaders for a full day of knowledge sharing, networking, business opportunities and industry recognition.
The event also featured the India Event Expo, with 136 exhibiting booths, showcasing the latest innovations, technologies, venue solutions and services from the business events ecosystem.
The opening ceremony witnessed participation from senior representatives of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Maharashtra Tourism, Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC).
Among the international guests present were Adeline Vancauwelaert, Chief Operating Officer, UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, Jeroen van Hooff, President & CEO, Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs and Board Member, UFI, Jochen Witt, President & CEO, JWC GmbH, Germany, Marco Carniello, Chief Business Officer, Italian Exhibition Group SpA, Italy, Anju Gomes, Regional Director – Middle East & India, ICCA, Naji Al Haddad, Regional Director – Middle East & Africa, UFI, Sebastian Witt, Managing Director, JWC GmbH, Germany, Jason Stead, President, GES EMEA. The event further received support from major industry associations including IEIA, ICPB, IESA, EEMA, AESDAC, IWIA and several other leading industry bodies.
EEA 2026 also featured a comprehensive summit programme covering key themes critical to the future growth of the exhibitions and business events sector. Discussions during the day focused on: Expansion and consolidation strategies for exhibition organisers, international market sentiment and global business events trends, Scaling India’s exhibition industry over the next five years, international participation and destination competitiveness, Capital investment and growth opportunities in the exhibition sector, Global exhibition industry outlook and emerging opportunities, Technology adoption and innovation within business events and building globally competitive exhibition brands from India.
The sessions attracted strong participation from organisers, venues, associations, service providers and international delegates.
One of the key highlights of EEA 2026 was the Leadership Roundtable on: “Role of the Exhibition Industry in India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 Roadmap”. The session brought together government representatives, international associations, venue operators, exhibition organisers and industry leaders for a strategic discussion on the future direction of the sector.
Major recommendations and discussion points included:
- Strengthening the role of convention bureaus and destination promotion organisations
- Discussions around the continued development and strengthening of the Maharashtra Convention Bureau
- Expanding exhibition and convention infrastructure capacity to meet future demand
- Encouraging state governments and destination authorities to actively support exhibitions and business events coming into their respective cities
- Creating an integrated ecosystem involving government, venues, organisers and industry stakeholders
- Increasing the experiential and engagement elements within trade fairs and exhibitions
- Attracting greater international participation and global partnerships
- Investing in technology, AI and talent development for future industry growth
The roundtable reinforced the growing recognition of exhibitions as strategic enablers of trade, tourism, investment and economic development.
The celebrations culminated with a packed-house EEA Gala Awards Ceremony, where the finest achievements across the exhibitions, conferences, MICE venues, hospitality and event services sectors were recognised.
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