Hyderabad a MICE place

Charmaine Fernz finds out how the capital of Andhra Pradesh is becoming a hotspot for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions

The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

- Winds Of Change

The Scorpions’ anthem aptly describes what Hyderabad is undergoing. A distinct metamorphosis is in the air and it was apparent as I began my tour of the city. If first impressions are the best impressions, then the well-laid out infrastructure, more specifically the roads, does the work for you.

Hyderabad combines an old world charm with the bustle and atmosphere of a business city. Residents say that it’s a transition which has happened in the past few years, from around the year 2000. “Till 1998, there was only one good standalone Chinese restaurant in Hyderabad called ‘Palace Highs’. And it was as late as 2000-01 that Hyderabad got its first shopping mall,” says Ravi Krishnan, general manager, Viceroy Hotel & Convention Centre. This sounds simply unbelievable if one checks out the city today. There are shopping malls, restaurants and even pubs mushrooming at every nook and corner. This transformation is directly attributable to the state government’s proactive focus on the Information Technology (IT) sector. Explains B V Siva Naga Kumari, additional chief (PMU), Youth Advancement Tourism & Culture Department, government of Andhra Pradesh, “After having set the infrastructure well in place, Andhra Pradesh Tourism has now taken a conscious effort to promote the business aspect of the city. This is evident from the fact that 50-75 per cent of tourist traffic is purely business.”

It is this drive by the IT sector that is fast changing Hyderabad into a viable business or even MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) destination. Besides the IT sector, there is also a booming healthcare and medical sector creating business demand. With companies like Satyam, Dr Reddy’s, Visual Soft and many more having set shop here, the need for convention and conference venues became a necessity. Events like the annual Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) conference, GITEX, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) annual convention and the recently concluded and much acclaimed Afro Asian Games have placed Hyderabad on the Indian business map.

Ready For MICE

So, does Hyderabad have what it takes to cater to the huge MICE market? To put it simply - yes and to almost all aspects of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. In hotel accommodation, at present, Hyderabad has six five-star category hotels and there are many more in the pipeline. What’s surprising though is that all these hotels register an average occupancy of 70 per cent. Says Krishnan, “Business is so good that the city is actually sold out for months as far ahead as December 2004 and February 2005.” In addition to hotels, Hyderabad also has resort properties that can be ideal venues for business cum leisure.

To take a brief glimpse of what’s on offer on the MICE platter, let’s start off with Shilpakala Vedika, a multipurpose auditorium-cum-convention centre situated at Shilparamam (an arts and crafts village). It has been developed by the tourism and department of culture, Andhra Pradesh, and is a clear indication that the AP Tourism agenda has business as top priority. The look and feel of the place is a perfect blend of tradition with modernity. Right from the entrance, tradition – be it art, architecture, etc – exudes from all over. With a seating capacity ranging from 50 to 2,500 people, the venue recently hosted dinners for the Afro-Asian games. Adds Rajeev Karanam, manager (facilities & events), Shilpakala Vedika, “Shilpakala Vedika is the second biggest convention centre in India. It offers state-of-the art facilities like modern multimedia projection system, luxurious green rooms, Bose sound systems and an exquisite décor.”

On the private sector front, the Viceroy Hotel & Convention Centre, overlooking the scenic Hussain Sagar Lake, is the only hotel in Hyderabad that has a dedicated convention centre. Its main convention hall is a sprawling 15,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 4,000 people. In addition there are 21 meeting rooms, boardrooms and private dinning rooms. The property is undergoing a phased revamp and there is lots more in store.

To host exhibitions, there is HITEX (Hyderabad International Trade Expositions Ltd) City, located 20-25 kms away from the city. HITEX is developing a trade fair centre in two phases, the first phase is operational with three exhibition halls, trade fair building and a functional entrance plaza. In the second phase, a convention centre-cum-hotel is being planned that would have a capacity to seat 4,500 people along with five more exhibition halls. The existent exhibition halls showcase state-of-the-art facilities to meet international standards. The Centre also boasts a 1000-car park area. Some of the major events that have been conducted at HITEX are GITEX Hyderabad 2002, CIDEX Trade Fairs, etc.

Unwind zone

Amidst all that business if one wants to unwind then Hyderabad offers that too and is becoming a visible threat to Bangalore’s image of ‘Garden City’. Hyderabad boasts numerous gardens across its length and breadth. For instance, Ramoji Film City by itself has about 100 different gardens within the property. Apart from gardens, Hyderabad has numerous resorts, clubhouses, etc.

To mix a rejuvenating stay with a business conference you could consider Aalankrita - an ethnic business getaway resort situated on Shameerpet Road. As we entered the property, the most striking feature was the abundance of flora and fauna. Set in a tranquil location, Aalankrita boasts of traditional conference set-ups. With a capacity ranging from 20 to 2,000 people, the property has everything from an open-air auditorium - Taraana - to a conference cum banquet hall and multicuisine restaurants. Krishna Akundi, AGM, Aalankrita, says, “On an average, we have at least two conferences a day. In a week, two to three are resident conferences.”

Subsequently, for ‘serious fun at work’, your best option would be Ramoji Film City. A breathtaking destination by itself, what sets Ramoji apart is its theme-based conferences. The 10 to 12 convention halls there can cater from 20 to 6,500 people. And in the evenings one can visit a theme park, take a stroll at one of the many gardens, or even drop in to watch a film shooting,

MICE & More

Apart from its budding business potential, Hyderabad has a lot to offer visiting tourist in terms of heritage and culture. Right from the city’s icon - Charminar - a captivating structure, to the splendid age-old Golconda Fort. A must-see is the light and sound show at the Fort. The next offering is the Salarjung Museum that is a class apart and the Qutub Shahi Tombs. If you just want to stroll around, there are gardens aplenty or you can take a short cruise around the Hussain Sagar lake in the evening.

On the accommodation front, you have a range of category hotels and many in the pipeline. For a longer stay in Hyderabad, you have the city’s first boutique style apartment hotel - Ohri’s Banjara with four speciality restaurants. The hotel has 24 rooms with international style services in rooms like kitchenette, electrical induction cooking stoves, Faber electronic chimney, videophone to screen visitors and staff, free wireless Internet, chef-on-call to teach you recipes in the comfort of your room or cook you breakfast, butler-on-demand, personalised visiting cards on arrival and much more.

The price range is affordable with a daily tariff of Rs 3,500 plus taxes for the deluxe rooms and Rs 4,500 for suites. For long-term guests, the tariff is reduced. If the stay is between one and three months then the tariff is Rs 2,500 per day (deluxe) and Rs 4,000 per day (suite). However, if the stay is between three and six months then the tariff is Rs 2,000 per day (deluxe) and Rs 3,500 per day (suite).

The nightlife in Hyderabad is pretty happening but restricted till 12 am. You could try out T2 at the Taj Krishna or Dublin at Sheraton. Apart from these, you also have standalone properties like Ten Downing Street, Liquids, a pub, Touch, an upmarket pub-cum-dining restaurant, and Treasure Island, the only place where one can party till 4 am and, of course, Bottles & Chimney’s, the city night-club.

And one certainly cannot visit the city and not taste Hyderabadi cuisine. The must have is Haleem, a pounded meat and wheat preparation, which initially used to be available only during Ramzan, but is now available 365 days of the year. You could try it out at Rainbow Restaurant at Abbots Road. The Hyderabadi biryani at Shadaab is also very mouth-watering. On a sweeter note, the Double Ka Meetha and Kubani Ka Meetha are a local favourite and speciality. The other must trys are Katchi Gosht Ki Biryani, Charminar Ke Kebab (lamb kebab), Chappa Pushu (Andhra fish curry), etc.