The 5th India Nightlife Convention & Awards (INCA) edition was held at W Goa on 13th March. The event celebrated India’s nightlife and hospitality industry through insightful panel discussions with industry experts. It also felicitated COVID contributors from the industry.
Heineken was the presenting sponsor, Pernod Ricard – Chivas was the co-promoting brand, while Hotelier India was the media partner for this two-day event.
Some participants at the convention included restaurateurs like Joy Singh, Priyank Sukhija, Zorawar Kalra, AD Singh, Riyaaz Amlani, Gauri Devidayal, Ashish Singh, Rahul Singh, Mariketty Grana as well as musicians like Ayesha Pramanik and DJ Clement. Some of prominent personalities amongst the attendees included vlogger Malini Agarwal, actor-director Pooja Bedi, blogger Parul Kakad and musicians DJ Starling, Divine, Oscar de Lima and Manasi Scott.
As part of the opening panel discussion, special guest NUCLEYA spoke about new partnerships post the pandemic and his new role with RAASTA, the bar chain. The other panels covered topics like ‘What we learned from the pandemic’ and ‘Brands and industry partnerships’.
This year’s INCA also witnessed the screening of the Sisterhood Soiree’s achievements over the last two years. This is an initiative to recognise and empower women in nightlife and hospitality.
The soiree is a platform specifically designed to bring female industry leaders and aspiring women under one roof with an aim to increase female participation in the industry. With women contributing a substantial amount at every level in the nightlife domain, it is imperative to bestow recognition on their achievements to transform the hospitality sector.
Aman Anand, Director, Kickstart Entertainment, which organised INCA said, “Last year was a challenging one for industry players from across all sectors. From witnessing a change in lifestyle to adapting to the new normal, we have gone through a time that will go down in history for our future generations to read. Hence, this year, instead of awards and jury votes, INCA moved towards contributions in the pandemic.”
Gurpreet Singh, Head Marketing of United Breweries remarked, “The F&B industry witnessed unprecedented challenges over the last year. It was heartening to see NRAI, INCA and prominent companies come together to support the industry through these troubled times. While this is Heineken’s second year of association with INCA, this year is special in what it represents – a triumph and celebration of the human spirit and the hospitality industry, and the pride it takes in its work.”
