With the HPMF completing four years of its existence, the industry, comprising general managers, F&B directors, purchasing professionals, executive chefs, housekeepers, engineers and IT managers all gathered together at the Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai, in a celebration of success and achievement.
The highlight of the evening was the awards presentation to three stalwarts of the industry – Jagdish Prasad Sharma, CP Balani and Mohan Deshpande – all of whom have notably trained and mentored several industry procurement professionals over the years.
The award was a fitting tribute to their age and wisdom.
With over four decades of experience each, the gentlemen were all presented the ‘Living Legend Award’ for their service and contribution to the sector. They were presented a certificate and a trophy by chief guest Shashi Chaturvedi and well-known HR professional Marcel Parker who was the guest of honour.
Philippe Charraudeau, regional VP & GM, ITC Grand Maratha, also graced the occasion. Other prominent personalities present were chef Satish Arora, corporate chef at Taj SATS, Anuj Prakash, VP & GM at The Resort and Manish Sodhi, GM at Hotel Sahara Star.
The awards presentation was followed by an evening of entertainment that included a regional dance performance, a fashion show and cake-cutting to conclude the celebrations.
A platform for the hospitality industry that was formed by hotels, catering companies, airlines as well as stand-alone restaurants, the HPMF began with a team of three and today boasts over 650 members drawn from over 400 companies nation-wide.
The platform facilitates knowledge-sharing through the internet, panel discussions, white papers, articles, interview and seminars.
Heralding something of a revolution for purchasing managers, the HPMF is also set to launch a fully interactive website with features such as vendor listings and private chat-rooms meant for business discussions and contract negotiations. Nitin Shankar Nagrale, founder and general secretary of HPMF, says this “will enable both vendors and purchasing managers to meet quickly and efficiently for business. The procurement fraternity will also get convenient access to high-quality products.”
