The Tourism Industry in India has developed by leaps and bounds with everyone from the Government to the Private players pitching in and playing their pa

1. SKILCORPORATE TRAVEL
RESPLENDENT HOSPITALITY SOLUTIONS
Trishal Rao
CEO
Shylender Jindal
Founder
Leading
Corporate
TRAVEL & MICE
MANAGEMENT
Companies
2019 / Vol. 9 / Issue-10

4. SME-SMO Executives Uma, Ketki
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale
Technical Specialist Amar Sawant
Co-designer Deepanjali Jena
Art & Picture Editor Priyanka Rajage
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Poonam Mahajan
Copyright © 2019 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or
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Managing Editor
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Business Development Executive Sonica Sonawane
Sneha Sinha
Business Development Manager Megha Mishra

5. From the
Editor
et’s meet! This might seem like a very short phrase, but if
Lyou look at it, a meeting involves a lot more than two or
more people deciding to sit down and discuss. While an
informal meeting requires people, a place and a real intent to
catch up and discuss things, a formal or corporate meeting is
all that and more. Meetings, brainstorming sessions, gathering,
conference, summit, call it what you like, but the underlying
fact is the purpose for which they need to come together.
The impact of these high-tea sessions can be gauged by the
fact that meetings have given rise to an entire industry known
as the Meeting Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE)
Industry. The beginning of MICE can be traced back to 19th
century Europe and North America. It started with the
University gatherings to share academic developments and
soon spread its wings to other domains. In 1896, for the first
time in Detroit, Michigan and the world, a group of
businessmen decided to employ a salesman to invite
meetings to be held in their town. This led to the establishment
of first convention bureau and the industry officially came into
being. Moving forward many associations came up which
ensure that the industry remains organized and follows and
maintains the standards.
In India, the industry has seen tremendous growth in the last
few years fueled by the faith of the Corporate Sector and the
efforts to deliver better by the industry experts. As per the
International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
rankings, India holds the 24th position in the world and 5th in
the Asia Pacific region. The IPCB (India Promotion Convention
Bureau), with support from Government and the participating
members, have been involved in heavy developmental and
promotional activities to promote India as a MICE-destination.
The industry itself is in a growth model. New developments
and concepts supported by technology are raising the bar with
every new implementation. Personalized events, mobile apps
for event management, virtual events, use of robots and more
have put the industry onto the cusp of a revolution. The
congregation of private and public players, the Government
and the associations can raise India’s ranking and glory even
further.
Reimagining
the Way
We Connect!
Sneha Sinha

6. SKILCORPORATE TRAVEL
Resplendent Hospitality Solutions
CXO
Trend Alert!
MICE trends that will
dominate year 2019
ARTICLE
Meet & Greet
Virtual Events: Attend
an Event You Like,
Without the Travel Fuss!
Cover Story
08
24
18

7. Guideline Travels
Nothing but the Best
Quality Travel World
Explore the World
Without Compromises
Indiattitude
Adding Value,
Exceeding Expectations
TravelClinic
Transforming Travel
industry with its Aspirations
INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS
22
32
28 14
CONTENTS

8. his world is a beautiful place, and to not explore it would be injustice. From wanderers to
Tsettlers, human beings have come a long way, but the basic instinct to go out and explore has
remained intact through ages. The way we travel has changed with time and also technology has
given rise to a complete industry that facilitates these travels.
Branching out of hospitality industry, the Meeting Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE)
Industry or simply the ‘meetings industry’ has its special focus on group and corporate travels. The
industry is closely associated with the corporate world to facilitate the various trips with either
professional or recreational motive.
This edition of Insights Success, brings to you the Leading Corporate Travel and MICE Management
Companies. These companies excel at making each travel a well- chalked out event incorporating every
element, ranging from comfort to meeting the client expectation.
The Cover Story of this issue features SKIL Corporate Travel, a complete hospitality solutions provider,
offering preferred options for all domestic and global requirements for accommodation, MICE and
ground transportation.
Also featuring in this issue are Guideline Travels LLP, who have been turning vacations into truly
enchanting experiences that offer a lifetime worth of memories; and Quality Travel World Pvt. Ltd.,
which was established with a vision to provide the Indian traveller with superior quality package tour
facilities.
Other significant Companies among the list are Anjali Travel & Tours, Blue Moon Travels Pvt. Ltd,
Corporate Events (I) Pvt. Ltd, MICE & More Services LLP, The Fuller Life, and White Massif.
The issue also highlights the viewpoints of Prasad Pallival, Managing Director, Quality Travel World
Pvt. Ltd., who shares his insight about MICE trends that will dominate year 2019. The insightful
interview of Amit Saroj, CEO, Indiattitude and Rohit Khanna, CEO, TravelClinic, tells us how the
respective companies are changing the industry. See technology take the front-seat in our in-house article
Virtual Events: Attend an Event You Like, Without the Travel Fuss! from Meet & Greet.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did while creating it!
Simplifying Corporate Travel
LEADING
CORPORATE
TRAVEL
AND MICE
MANAGEMENT
COMPANIES

10. Shylender Jindal
Founder
Trishal Rao
CEO

11. CORPORATE TRAVEL
Resplendent Hospitality Solutions
Corporate
companies
have large
events, huge
budgets, more
services
required and
higher stakes.
The Tourism Industry in India has developed by
leaps and bounds with everyone from the
Government to the Private players pitching in and
playing their part. But the industry itself is a huge one with
several sub-industry categories like medical tourism,
ecotourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and
Exhibitions), rural tourism etc. Of these, the MICE market
has been receiving special attention courtesy amongst the
growing corporate culture in India. MICE refers to a
specialized niche of group tourism that involves planning,
booking, and facilitating conferences, seminars, and other
events for corporates. This sub-set has now evolved as a big
moneymaker in the travel industry.
Recognizing the opportunity that lay in this field early-on,
Shylender Jindal Founded SKIL Corporate Travel in the
year 2002 with an idea of organising the corporate travel
space. Now serving as MD of the company, Shylender, after
completing his MBA from New York, saw how India was
expanding and a lot of new companies and opportunities
were being created. He had the strength, patience, passion,
and zeal for making a difference in the hospitality sector. A
vivid traveller himself, he started as a one-man army by
selling hotel rooms to corporates, and now has a team close
to 150 employees. The first 2 years were the most crucial as

12. he faced a lot of challenges with the corporate travel world
being very new and unexplored and a lot of international
companies entering India. Shylender inspires his staff with
not only words but with action and believes that ‘with hard
work and determination anyone can achieve their goals’.
After developing domestic accommodation, he then moved
on to creating an organised system for Transportation in
2005. His passion for this industry and sector led him to
develop international accommodation business in 2006 and
the MICE business in 2008.
A CEO that Spells Positive Change
Joining forces with Shylender is Trishal Rao, the CEO
who brings almost 15 years of expertise in the hospitality
industry. He started his career with the Taj group in 2000
and was the Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt
and Oakwood. A very passionate human, he always has the
desire to learn more with each assignment.
Under Trishal’s guidance, the last 1 year has seen a drastic
change, with a focus on Process, People and Technology.
This has resulted in digitalization and up-gradation of
systems, bringing in new blood as well as focus on
technology with internal and external stakeholders, creating
operational excellence and consistency in service delivery.
He has re-formed the entire internal hierarchy system and
introduced new initiatives for incentives, appraisals, R&Rs
and introduced systemic KRAs. He is very focused on
hiring the right people for the right job along with
developing the current employees. Technology is a boon in
this industry, and he intends to introduce new technology to
help the employees perform better and reduce human error.
Customized Solutions
The company currently offers the following 3 services:
Accommodation: It assists corporates with Domestic and
International Accommodation bookings. SKIL’s
experienced counsellors assist in offering flexible payment
options and credit facilities at an optimised cost. It also
We have tied up with a few international tech
providers which enable us to provide unique
technological ideas and experiences to the clients.

13. provides MIS alerts on a timely basis to give a track record
of the bookings.
Transportation: With more than 8,000 transactions per
month, Shri Krishna Tourism (A division of SKIL
Corporate Travel) provides transport assistance in 80+ cities
in India and 10+ countries. The team is available 24/7 to
ensure all audit checks and SLA’s are maintained with an
emphasis on security, safety and ease of operations. It also
assists in long term rentals, premium cars, and luxury
coaches.
Events: From coming up with out-of-the-box ideas, venue
sourcing, negotiations, menu consultation, event flow
suggestions, event production and planning, SKIL’s
dedicated team of professionals deliver fully customised
and cost-effective solutions to its clients. It also specialises
in team building activities, offsite, product launches, dealer
meets, event management and transportation solutions that
can be availed through one point of contact for booking,
coordination and billing.
With its new event management and social media marketing
division starting, it is looking to offer more services in the
domain.
Event Checklist
Organising an event isn’t a one-day activity. It takes a lot of
meticulous planning to turn an event into a mega event.
Shylender points out that when planning any event, the
most important thing to be considered is the event’s
purpose. Deciding the key objective in the initial planning
stage help focus the strategy around these. He adds, “Each
corporate has an agenda on why they are doing the event, it
could be for team building or an incentive trip or event
dealers meet. If you do not meet the objective of the event,
the client will not be happy with the result.” The next
important activity is creating an event brief. It is a thorough
overview of the event being organised and is detailed so
that anyone involved can read and refer to it at any given
time.
An event brief also helps track the event’s progress and its
components are:
Timings – Before finalizing a date it’s crucial to research
whether any other events are taking place around the time
the client has in mind. It’s also advised to take note of key
national dates. Additionally, it is also important to decide
what should be an appropriate time for the event to take
place.
Attendance – The corporates want all their employees to
attend the event and have a good time. It is important that
communication is sent out well in advance for everyone to
plan accordingly. It is also important to understand and
estimate the number of people that will be attending the
event.
Venue and Entertainment – Deciding on the perfect venue
takes time and depends on the nature/industry of the event.
Organising catering/entertainment for the event needs
workable logistics and making sure there is space. It’s
always a good idea to invite the client to come along to get
a second opinion before finalizing the venue. Likewise,
Advantage SKIL
One Stop Shop for all corporate
hospitality requirements, from car
rentals to accommodation to event
management, offering the best
service at the most competitive
pricing.
With its PAN India and global
presence, corporates prefer working
with SKIL over other companies.
Collaboration with many planners
and partners helps SKIL offer
innovative and diverse ideas and
plans.
SKIL’s hard work hard has helped it
maintain strong relationships with
its clients for business continuity.
LEADING
CORPORATE
TRAVEL
AND MICE
MANAGEMENT
COMPANIES

14. while booking entertainment (for example, a singer or DJ) it
is always advised to check with the client and seek
approval.
Budget – Finance is a hugely important factor to consider.
The brief should include a calculation of the likely
expenditure. The venue, equipment, catering, promotional
activity and entertainment (to name a few) all incur costs.
And it is also advised to include a contingency cost for any
unexpected costs that may arise.
Evaluation – On the day of the event itself it’s crucial to
prepare a thorough running order in addition to the event
brief. This is a list of the activities taking place before,
during and after the event and must be communicated to the
team beforehand. It’s important to be aware that, in any
event, things can rapidly change. It’s therefore vital to be
able to respond effectively and logically should anything go
wrong.
Client Industry – While planning an event, the industry that
the client belongs to, is crucial because they have set
expectations and have done many events in the past. It also
helps in understanding the interest of people who will be
attending the event.
Views on Challenges:
Reduced Budgets – Budget cuts are the biggest challenge
making people opt for more web meeting over the
traditional meetings.
Technology—While technology eases operations, it also
gives the client multiple options making the market more
competitive in regard to pricing.
Increased Government Regulation – Something not in the
industry’s hands, which is at the mercy of governmental
regulations that can either hinder or help the efficiency
behind putting on a great event or effect other offerings.
Over commitment-Under delivery – Due to competition,
many companies tend to over commit and under-deliver
expectations that result in the corporate losing faith not only
with the company but also that particular service/product.
Optimizing with Technology
Shylender is of the view that technology can help business
owners leverage limited capital in smarter, more effective
ways. SKIL’s focus for 2019 – 20 has been in upgrading /
launching new tech solutions for its internal and external
stakeholders.
Internal CRM Tool – Sales – Operations – Finance and
HR – Marketing
SKIL has recently introduced a new internal CRM that
helps facilitate and record all operations and also creating
an analytical back end record and report that can help it
strategically make decisions
CBT – Corporate booking tool – Transportation
By using Corporate Self Booking Tool it can offer its
corporate customers an optimized and straight forward
travel management process, as everything happens
automatically – from searching to the final reservation.
Users can plan, book, and purchase travel services within
their company’s policies. This process is currently being
used by us in the transportation division and soon we will
be introducing this in the accommodation services in 2019.
In the event front, it uses software like Trello, a project
management software, which helps it to exactly know the
flow and status of the events. And prepares them for a
prompt response. It also uses technologies like holographs
and 3D mapping in its events to make the event experience
more intriguing and engaging.
Here’s Shylender’s Advice for the Young Entrepreneurs:
“It is not an easy journey, there are more downs than ups in
Customers are now
more demanding and
expect better
experiences from
products and services.

15. the initial years. You require a lot of patience and constant
hard work for returns. As we in the service industry,
relationship management plays a critical role in building
business and taking it to the next level. It is people that
make the real difference and are the key assets to be taken
care of. If you are passionate and have a long term plan,
look at an investor to back you up as this industry works on
relations and the ROI will be reflective in time.”
Expanding Horizons
SKIL is currently looking at expanding in cities like
Chennai Hyderabad and Gujarat. Realising that it is
important to make the company face paced with innovative
ways to cater to the market, the team is focusing on
digitalization and technology. Diversifying with its
offerings is the next step. It is also looking at becoming a
B2B provider by providing its services to other small travel
and event companies to grow its reach and cater to
international companies that need help with arrangements
in India. SKIL is also looking at launching its own internal
Digital Marketing agency catering to various corporates
PAN India.
Goa – good connectivity from all
cities. Cheap liquor and multiple
hotel options
Jaipur – good connectivity,
experiential offerings.
South East Asian countries like
Thailand and Singapore are very
popular among incentive trips.
Hotspots – Popular MICE
Destinations

16. The Indian Travel Industry is having a great time
with India as an amazing tourist destination and
Indians taking time out to travel around the globe.
The following Interview with Mr Rohit Khanna, CEO,
showcases how TravelClinic, architect of inimitable travel
experiences, is making a difference in this industry.
Kindly brief us about the company and its initial
journey.
TravelClinic is an ISO Certified Company which is writing
its own story of passion and ever-growing aspirations. The
company, which started as a team of 5 people in 2003,
boasts of an impressive clientele and is represented by a
team of 100 dynamic professionals who have over 300
years of collective experience in the travel industry.
Owing to the success and hard work since its inception,
TravelClinic has become the fastest-growing MICE
Company and is an honorable member of renowned tourism
associations such as IATA, PATA and IATO. We have been
working with Fortune 500 companies. It is just the
beginning of an exciting journey wherein the company
professionals are gearing up for opportunities that put them
in the league of the industry giants.
Brief us about the CEO/Founder of the company and
the motivation behind choosing this industry?
HeavenAhead is a brainchild of Mr.Naveen Chauhan,
Co-Founder, Orchid Group and I was greatly impressed
with his vision for the company. I came on board in 2012 as
the company CEO & Co-founder of the brand,
“TravelClinic” and had a clear objective of bringing in
professional excellence. For me, the company aspirations
have to be in synchronization with the client expectations.
As a result, TravelClinic has been able to mold its services
according to the client expectations to offer just the
traveling experience they are looking for.
Our prime objective is to ensure that the people who travel
with us are well taken care of. TravelClinic was introduced
to cater to the precise expectations of the consumers. We
wanted to fix the existing loopholes of the travel industry,
which generally center on creating business rather than
curating experiences.
What are the main goals of your company? What kinds
of services/solutions/products are offered by
TravelClinic at par with the current industry
standards?
TravelClinic goes beyond the traditional concept of tour
operators. We have 2 prominent verticals namely MICE and
Leisure – Both in International & Domestic, which are
further bifurcated to cater to the precise client expectations.
We curate in-house travel experience by adopting a holistic
approach to take care of the minute details. From
production, creative, merchandising, entertainment to
celebrity management, the company does it all in-house to
weave a perfect travel story.
TravelClinic came into existence with a single objective
that is, “…to offer a personalized travel experience…”
which to this day remains the motto of the company. We
pride ourselves as a travel companion who is always there
for our clients at every step of the journey.
How did you cope up with the biggest challenges of the
tourism industry? How did you strike a balance in the
journey?
As I said before, we have our own in-house teams of travel
experts who take care of the minute aspects of planning and
strategizing. There will always be challenges in one form or
another and the tourism industry is full of them. We ensure
that we include the clients in strategizing, to offer a
personalized experience that is in synchronization with their
expectations, and many a time beyond their expectations.
The balance between industry standards and consumer
expectations comes from a rather simple objective. More
than creating a business or being a part of the fierce
competition that exists in the travel industry, we want to
curate a memorable experience for our clients. TravelClinic
boasts of a 95% customer retention rate, which is a
testimony of the company beliefs and ideology.
How does TravelClinic remain in synchronization with
the changing time, concerning tech integration?
We have incorporated technology such as RFID and
executed live screening of events for an exciting
experience. To prevent information loss and to be accessible
TravelClinicTransforming Travel industry with its Aspirations
September 2019|0114

17. Mr. Rohit Khanna
CEO & Co-Founder
15September 2019|
Interview with Insights Success

18. to our clients throughout planning and execution, we even
launched a sophisticated smartphone application for all to
avail any necessary information on the go.
TravelClinic adopts a robust strategy and ideology which is
flexible enough to align its functioning according to the
changing consumer behavior and patterns. It is the result of
our flexible approach to incorporate technology in its
functioning that the company in over a decade has
experienced an increased turnover from
50 Million to 1.5 Billion.
Technology has already proved to be the game-changer. The
travel industry, like others, is buzzing with exciting
innovations that will bring the consumers in direct contact
of the company. We would like to go on with the same
enthusiasm to transform the travel services and integrate
technology for enhanced consumer experience.
Do you have any credentials, awards or important
licenses? Please describe.
Recently, TravelClinic bagged a Silver Award for
“Best MICE Tour Operator – 2019” at
MICE Affairs Conference & Expo Awards 2019.
In the year 2016, TravelClinic bagged MEHK Award
(Meetings & Exhibitions Hong Kong), a division of
Hong Kong Tourism Board, as the Top Agent Award.
In 2015, TravelClinic was honored by XIAMEN Tourism
for its dedicated services towards the Travel industry.
What is your success mantra?
Our Success mantra is to gauge our clients to deliver much
beyond their expectations. It’s a reverse chain reaction
which starts from the end result i.e. a seamless execution.
For that, our teams of expert professionals’ day in and day
out weave travel stories to ensure that our clients get to
experience a trip of their lifetime. TravelClinic is
committed to offering a memorable travel experience and I
can certainly say to the consumers that don’t settle for
average rather expect more, which ultimately will increase
the operating standards of the travel industry.
September 2019|0116

20. Virtual EventsAttend an Event You Like, Without the Travel Fuss!
September 2019|18

21. hose who understand marketing, know that events are a great way to connect businesses with prospective
Tclients, customers and competitors. Those who do not understand marketing, even they know that events
are a great way to know about new products and businesses. The fact that the events industry, which was
standing at Rs 5,631 crore in 2016-17, has been growing at a 16% CAGR, and is expected to cross the 10,000
crore mark by 2020-21 speaks volumes about the potential.
Meet & Greet
September 2019| 19

22. An event is often defined as designing or developing a theme-based activity, occasion, or exhibit to promote a product,
cause, or organization. This includes sporting events, music festival, fairs, concerts and more. The Event Management
industry is taking huge strides and is currently being buoyed up by technology in an amazingly new fashion. If you are
a part of any social media network, you must have found yourself invited to a Virtual Event. For those who love to
connect but hate to commute or for those who love to connect with people all around the globe without actually
travelling, Virtual Events are the answer.
Understanding Virtual events
A virtual event, as the name denotes, lets people interact while sharing a common virtual environment on the web,
rather than meeting in a physical location. Virtual events are highly interactive and often look and feel very close to
physical interactions. It also includes aspects of an event that are brought to users through an online experience like
live-streaming.
Virtual events gained popularity in the late 2000s and were mainly focused on reducing the cost incurred due to
travels. It offered an economically viable solution at lesser cost and wider reach. However, the initial events were very
crude, to say the least with less interactivity and more like video-conference feel. But with developing technology and
changes, the virtual events are now attracting more audience than ever. Virtual events are a great way to raise the
brand or company’s online visibility. A well-delivered event raises the bar set by a company in delivering quality
service.
Look out for these
AR and VR – Artificial and Virtual reality is set to make these virtual events even more engrossing and immersive.
They are set to make the experiences even more realistic.
Chatbots – Chatbots will facilitate the interactions. Virtual events will be more two-way than one-way
communication, courtesy the chatbots.
Mobile Apps – Push notifications, tickets, attendance can all be managed through mobile apps designed and developed
especially for the Virtual events.
Gamification – Turn your virtual events into a healthy competition among the participants using gamification. Who
doesn’t love gaming? And adding it to the virtual event will up its marketing strategy and reach.
Telepresence Robot – If you still feel like you need to attend an event by going at the location and still don’t want to
move, look forward to telepresence robots. These robots let you interact in real-time with the attendees in an event.
You can talk, meet and greet the people without actually being there.
Virtual Events being cost-effective and providing wider reach are here to stay and grow their presence. The fact that
you need no dress code to attend an event and can join in anytime, attracts an audience from even far-off corners of
the world. There may be distractions like background noise, or intermittent internet shortcomings or even the chance
of low turnout. But the industry is overall in a positive mode and is looking forward to a great year ahead. Technology
and collective human efforts are sure to turn the negatives into positives.
September 2019|20
- Sneha Sinha

24. Guideline Travels
Nothing but the Best
For twenty years, Guideline
Travels LLP has been turning
vacations into truly enchanting
experiences that offer a lifetime worth
of memories. The following excerpt
showcases how they make it happen.
Kindly brief us about the company
and its initial journey.
It has been humble beginnings for us at
Guideline Travels. Our journey started
on a personal computer at home in
1996 and then we gradually moved
into a small 80 square feet space we
called office in 1997.
Having taken the first baby steps, our
journey progressed as we then applied
for the IATA membership and
subsequently also were appointed as
the Preferred Selling Agents for Star
Cruises in India in 2001. However the
real impetus came in when we were
instrumental in making travel
arrangements for a lot of clients
including some big corporate houses to
the Cricket World Cup of 2003 in
South Africa.
Our company has been doing small and
big MICE movements for the last 17
years or so. We have successfully
handled corporate groups and
destination weddings ranging from 200
– 1200 and more guests onboard cruise
ships and across various countries
around the world.
Brief us about the Founder/CEO
and his/her motivation behind
choosing this industry?
Mr. Pradeep Saboo, is the
entrepreneurial brain behind the
success of Guideline Travels. The
hunger to travel himself on one side
and see happy satisfied faces on the
other side induced him to make this
humble beginning. With passing times,
his motto of innovating with time and
evolved with changing needs and at the
same time become a trend setter in
what he does has made us the brand we
are today.
What are the key points that you
consider while organising any event?
The key is to first understand the client
requirements, the budgets and then to
recommend a destination which would
not only fit in the requirements but also
be alluring and exciting enough for the
guests who would eventually travel.
We always try to offer new and
innovative ideas to our valued clients
so as to make the entire travel
experience for the group more
immersing and filled with a lot of
activities. Our aim is always to offer
activities which any avid traveller will
have on their bucket list.
It is also imperative to understand the
destination, the finer nuances and the
logistical challenges if any which
could be present while executing the
travel plan. This forethought not only
multiplies the fun but also makes the
event relatively more successful.
Brief us about the services that the
company offers.
Guideline Travels offers and operates
its very own Vegetarian and Jain group
tours to various countries of the world
including USA, Europe, South Africa,
Canada, Australia besides Middle East
and Far East Asia. We are also the
preferred selling agents for well-known
cruise brands like Dream Cruises,
Crystal Cruises, Norwegian Cruise
Line, Jalesh Cruises, Regent Cruises
etc. We also offer turn-key solutions to
our corporate clients for their MICE
Movements and our services include
our involvement right from the
beginning at the planning stage to the
handling of back end operations and to
then finally to the execution of on
ground operations.
What are the unique propositions
that the company offers giving it an
edge over competitors?
Our unique selling point is the personal
touch in our service. It is the sheer
involvement of our management level
in discussions, planning and execution
of the finer details which proves to be a
winning point and edges us ahead of
our respected competition.
Also the zeal with which the entire on
September 2019|0122

25. ground operations team performs
proves to be instrumental in meeting
the needs of the clients. So for us the
mantra is professional and focussed
operation with our own personal touch
and attention to details.
What is the CEO/Founder’s
contribution towards the upliftment
of the company?
Mr. Pradeep Saboo, our company’s
Founder and Managing Partner plays a
very pivotal role in the day to day
operations of the company. He is the
strategic brain behind the company’s
growth over the years. Our
organisational model is an owner
driven model and this is what helps in
quick decision making and action.
What are the challenges in this
industry in India?
The biggest threat or challenge in the
MICE Segment is that the competitors
are willing to work at much lower
margins, because some of them just
wish to deck in the numbers and make
a profile.
Another challenge lies in the sudden
shift of business to OTA’s which
threatens the mere existence of the
traditional Travel Companies. The
traveller is now trying to book all their
services online but seldom realise that
they surely will need a Travel Expert’s
advice to fully enjoy their trip and get
value for their money.
Please share the latest technology
that the company is utilizing to offer
better solutions.
We believe in the idea of services with
a personal touch. However we have
now started combining technology
with that with the use of social
networking applications and we keep each client informed about their travel
details on messaging applications. We also use the online forms and internet
based cloud services for an enhanced communication experience between us and
our value customers.
Which Country/State, according to you is most popular when it comes to
corporate events and why?
The destination depends on the client budget and the schemes as announced by
them. At Guideline Travels we have operated our corporate groups to Thailand,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Dubai, Russia, Europe, Australia, USA and
to many such exciting countries. Cruise ships are also popular choice for these
tours. The most popular being Dream Cruises Ex Singapore. Jalesh Cruises from
Mumbai is also slowly gaining traction on the MICE Destination Circuit.
What would be your advice for the budding start-ups and entrepreneurs in
the industry?
Travel Industry is growing fast and rapid every day. However with growth comes
a lot of competition. For a new start-up, it is imperative to understand the
challenges which comes while running a business. Any beginner should be wary
of the fact that no business comes easy and without competition. Patience is key
because there is no short cut to success.
Brief us about the company’s future perspectives.
We are happy at the pace with which we are growing on the MICE segment,
successfully delivering results for our clients year after year. There is an
undeniable scope of growth which can be achieved but this growth has to be
financially viable and can be achieved by our persistent, determined, honest and
focussed approach.
Mr. Pradeep Saboo
Founder and Managing Partner
LEADING
CORPORATE
TRAVEL
AND MICE
MANAGEMENT
COMPANIES
23September 2019|

26. MICE trendsthat will dominate year 2019
Prasad Pallival is the
Managing Director of
Quality Travel World Pvt.
Ltd., established in 2013,
with a vision to provide the
Indian traveller with
SUPERIOR QUALITY
package tour facilities. He
ensured that the services of
Quality Travels would be
totally customer focused
and would maintain their
exclusivity. The objective
was to make family holiday
tours more comfortable,
more exciting and most
memorable.
About the Author
September 2019|0124

27. With large conglomerates throwing an
incentives programs, the MICE segment in
India, though young, is projected to show
remarkable growth.
2019 looks bright for the Indian hospitality segment.
Last year, most hotels in the country showed a positive
performance in both Average Room Rates (ARR) as well
as occupancies. With hotels now focused on experiential
hospitality, it looks like 2019 will see a healthy outcome
as well.
The India hotel sector’s occupancy are inching closer to
the 70% mark. In 2017-18, India’s nationwide ARR was
INR.5,759/- for all hotels. This is primarily because the
hotels have begun experimenting and are open to new
ways to grow their brand due to MICE. “The hospitality
industry has taken a step away from the traditional and
keeps exploring and growing, adapting to needs and
demands of users who want to push boundaries and 2018
was no different.
Mumbai grabbed an occupancy rate of 75%, and
continues to rule the roost. With an average rate of
Rs.7740, Mumbai achieved RevPAR growth of 3.7% in
2018.
With enhanced connectivity and world-class meeting
facilities in the pipeline, Mumbai is all set to top the
charts. “The tier-2 and tier-3 cities played a major role
in the expansion of mid- to economy scale hotels in
India. The luxury segment will continue to expand,
keeping only metropolitan cities as their major base.”
2018 witnessed a balanced MICE business with India
coming to terms with the aftermath of demonetization
and GST effect nullification. With large conglomerates
throwing in meetings and incentives programs, the
MICE segment is India, though young, is projected to
show a remarkable growth this year. Thanks to the efforts
of the Indian government, preparations are in full swing
to introduce new policy changes that would make India
one of the most preferred MICE destinations in the
world.
In an effort to aid the MICE segment, the government is
working on easing the visa process, which currently
requires multiple visa clearances to attend short-term
conferences. Once this is done, Indian hotels can expect
more footfall than they can handle as India, as a
destination, has already made its mark as safe and
spectacular.
2019 looks like a MICE-dominated year with many city
sold-out events, including Pharma and Aero India 2019.
Successful competition of such events will promote India
as a responsible country with the infrastructure to cater
to much larger events in the future. With diverse cities
and cultures along with International Brands, India is a
hot pot full of excitement for the organizers. Hotel
companies investing in the MICE segment have opened
up opportunities for international corporate travelers
significantly.
Even hotels that were not MICE-centric is beginning to
see the potential. “The Hyatt Hotels though not a very
large market for MICE has seen its fair share of events
picking up. The weekend MICE business which was
non-existent for corporates has now evolved and
weekends are now busy. Most large MICE events in
cities are now over weekends. Thanks to a lot of factors
like transportation, infrastructural development, the
boom of corporate companies that have added to the
same.
The MICE in 2019 is expected to grow at an average of
7% to 10%. The sizes of MICE will become larger,
making it a buoyant 2019. The meetings above 500
delegates are expected to grow from 74% in 2018 to
80% in 2019. This means the size and the scope of
corporate events are getting bigger. This growth of the
size would obviously increase the spending budget. India
has a lot of destinations which are being geared up for a
larger MICE business in terms of infrastructure and
preparedness. The use of outdoor facility and technology
would be among the top trends in 2019.
India has huge potential when it comes to being a major
Trend Alert!
25September 2019|

28. MICE destination as it has such a varied landscape –
from a beachside setting to cool calming hill stations,
from buzzing cities to sprawling deserts, there is
something for every kind of meeting organizer. The
buoyant growth in the tourism sector and the support
from various government agencies and private players to
improve tourism infrastructure will help India become
the most sought-after MICE destination.
Personalized experiences: Increasingly meetings are
becoming areas for creative collaboration, instead of a
standard meeting room, there are emotionally intelligent
event spaces such as sensory lounges, recreational rooms
and experience zones that help to facilitate greater
partnerships.
Social Media: For the past few years, live feeds and
Q&A via social media platforms are being used to keep
the audience engaged throughout the events. Utilizing
these social networks can be a big asset to any event
organizer who is keen on collecting useful data analytics
about their attendees.
Virtual reality/Augmented reality: Virtual reality or
Augmented reality enables users to have a perspective of
how a room/meeting space would appear with certain
changes. This technology is increasingly being used to
enhance attendees’ experience at events.
Metro cities: International MICE of Small & Midscale
is not only looking at Leisure destinations but have
started trying Metro cities as well with strong travel
connectivity.
Green initiatives: Domestic MICE, attract a lot of
energy-saving initiatives offered by hotels.
Ideal time: Major months for large MICE activities are
October, November, February, and March.
The airline industry is also opening up the skies, adding
new destinations, making travel accessible and time
short. This will grow by leaps and bounds bringing cheer
to the hospitality network and in extension the MICE
segment.
September 2019|26

30. IndiattitudeAdding Value, Exceeding Expectations
Indiattitude is one of the leading companies in the
Indian MICE industry with an unblemished track
record of over 1000 events of various magnitudes
already under its belt. Headed by Amit Saroj, CEO and
Chief Creative Officer, the company is driven by its core
values and hands-on knowledge of every aspect of
Conference and Event Management.
The company’s Marketing Head, Nishtha Bindal,
divulges details on how the team constantly strives to ‘Add
Value’ to events. The following is an excerpt from an
exclusive interview with Amit Saroj.
1. Kindly brief us about company and its initialthe
journey.
Indiattitude, previously “Attitude” was started in the year
2000. Over the initial years we got our business
breakthroughs from the development sector organisations,
specializing us, as a development sector meetings specialist.
Indiattitude is now a full-service conference management
company with a team of committed, innovative, customer
focused and experienced professionals with positive
attributes of flexibility and adaptability.
Indiattitude is an organization specialized in handling large
high-level conferences and meetings across India.We have
the credentials of handling National and International, Non-
profit organizations and Government meetings. Delivering
customized, cost effective and long-term solutions to our
clients and setting new benchmarks of excellence has been
the standard operating procedure at Indiattitude. We have
grown consistently both horizontally as well as vertically.
We have handled over 1000 events of various magnitude, a
guest list that has seen successive Prime Ministers,
Presidents of India, political and business dignitaries from
all over the world.
2. Brief us about your role in the company and the
motivation behind choosing this industry?
Presently I look at the expansion goals and strategy
implementation in the organisation.
Having started as a hotel sales professional, always had the
inclination and training towards customer service and
hospitality. At Indiattitude, the story continues, with our
team believing in the old adage and putting in optimum
resources, latest technology, best of experience and
personalized services to efficiently organize our client
events, ensuring that we ‘add value’ to the original outcome
of the event.
3. What are the key points that you consider while
organising any event?
Over two decades and 1000 plus successful events, our
team is one of the most prepared group of professionals in
the Indian MICE industry. We strongly benefit from our
core values and a ‘Can do attitude’. With a wide-ranging
experience, our team understands the time constraints,
complexities, needs and goals of our client meetings.
Key points we consider.
• Understanding of requirements: Understand the
complete set of requirements of the clients and guide
them through our extensive experience.
• Develop a detailed project plan with resource mapping
and timelines
• Take the ownership and accountability of the entire
project with granular detailing of tasks
• Use of technology (Salesforce.com) to record
continuous progress
• Follow a periodic evaluation, review system for course
correction if necessary
4. Brief us about the services that the company offers.
Interview with Insights Success
September 2019|0128

31. We constantly achieve excellence by combining the
elements of energy, strategy, creativity and technology to
exceed expectations of our clients. We bring together a
strong platform to support flexibility of operations, quick
turnaround time, increased participation and revenue.
Strengthening the brand value using technology and be the
credible partner for your meetings.
• Planning and Budgeting
• Design, Conceptualisation, Website and
Communication
• Accommodation Management
• Audio-visual Management
• Conference Material Production
• Airport and Transport Coordination
• Staff Planning and Allocation
• Entertainment Management
• Venue Selection and Contracting
• Online Registration and Abstract Submission
• Secretariat Management
• Exhibition and Displays
• Tours Management
• Protocol, Licensing and Security
5. What are the unique propositions that the company
offers giving it an edge over competitors?
We are governed as an organisation by our stated purpose
“Connecting people to facilitate growth and knowledge
sharing using technology”.
Our unique propositions for our customers include
• Latest event technology mobile application
• “FLO” our Loyalty Rewards program
• “Attendee Mobile Application” for exchange of
information in events
• IAPCO certification for standards among 139 companies
in the world
• International affiliation in Europe, South Africa, China
and Canada
• Transparency in transactions
6. What are the challenges in this industry in India?
As per my understanding, the following challenges need
attention:
1. Customer Knowledge and Outsourcing for events:
Although, this is changing rapidly but being a relatively
Amit Saroj,
CEO and Chief Creative Officer
Nishtha Bindal
Marketing Head
29September 2019|

32. new industry the customer knowledge, to best use the
outsourcing model needs more awareness. The difference
between a vendor and partnership for common interest
needs to be developed. This can happen through more
interactions and we offer our clients consultancy based on
our experience.
2. Scope Creep: Stretching of defined the scope of services
without additional costs and free value offers, is sometimes
a challenge. We present a detailed plan of deliverables and
try and address it with clarity in agreements.
3. Scarcity of Talent: Relatively new industry with limited
exposure in the educational institutions for formal training,
there is always a shortage of the talent pool available for
hiring. Mostly we have to educate and train on the job to
suit our needs for the industry. Our management trainee
programs have been very useful in this direction.
7. Please share the latest technology that the company is
utilizing to offer better solutions.
We are a technology driven company and we are able to
deliver impeccable events through the use of technology.
We use CVENT, at present world’s best technology solution
for event services and Salesforce.com, CRM for sales
planning and execution of all our events.
8. Which Country/State, according to you is most
popular when it comes to corporate events and why?
Delhi being the capital and Mumbai being the financial
capital are the most popular hubs for corporate events. Most
corporates are head quartered in these two major
metropolitan cities and hence decision-making is
concentrated here. These cities are well connected and offer
variety of venues for conducting such events.
9. What would be your advice for the budding start-ups
and entrepreneurs in the industry?
1. Event management is a very broad area and now getting
into specialization and niche services, all budding
start-ups should have a clear goal and clarity of which
area of event management they wish to specialise as an
organization.
2. It will time and years to build it, so stick with it.
10. Brief us about the company’s future perspectives.
Indiattitude is on a structured growth path within the
umbrella of its stated purpose “ Connecting people to
facilitate growth and knowledge sharing using
Technology”. In future we will be focussing on
international geographical expansion with additional
verticals including Destination management, Technology
initiatives, Growth workshops and Marketing services.
September 2019|0130

34. QualityTravel World
Explore the World Without Compromises
Prasad Pallival
Founder & MD
September 2019|32
LEADING
CORPORATE
TRAVEL
AND MICE
MANAGEMENT
COMPANIES

35. Aone-stop shop for all travel related services
benefiting clients to the core and taking care of all
their travel concerns, Quality Travel World
(QTW) has been in the foray since 2013. The following
excerpt takes us on journey that Quality has been offering.
Kindly brief us about the company and its initial
journey.
Quality Travel World Pvt. Ltd. was established with a
vision to provide the Indian traveller with SUPERIOR
QUALITY package tour facilities. He ensured that the
services of Quality Travels would be totally customer
focused and would maintain their exclusivity. The objective
was to make family holiday tours more comfortable, more
exciting and most memorable. We want to be different and
this has been our most outstanding quality. This is a trait
which segregates us from the rest of the competition.We are
aggressive, intense & passionate of our business of travel
promotion. We provide a lending ear to understand the
changing profile of today's traveller. We pack a lot of things
to do and see in a short holiday, for some it may be taxing,
for most it is the best way to holiday. Our young and
vibrant team is full of ideas & eager to provide the right
service.
Brief us about your role in the company and the
motivation behind choosing this industry?
As the Founder and Managing Director of Quality Travel
World Pvt. Ltd.(QTW), I am on a mission to transform the
travel industry for better! With 15 years’ experience in the
travel industry I am here to provide superior quality
package tour facilities through QTW. My job is also to
ensure that the services offered are exclusively
customercentric. Since inception, it has been my primary
objective to make family holidays and tours more
comfortable, exciting and memorable.
What are the key points that you consider while
organising any event?
QTW organizes Conferences and Events for Staff & Dealers
within India as well around the World. Promising to make
an event the best the customer can ask for, it takes care of it
on the following lines:
• Define the purpose and format
• Pay sufficient attention to planning
• Draft your budget taking into account unforeseeable
situations
• Allocate responsibilities
• Inform client & vendors about the event
• Pay attention to service
• Carry out a final check / call 24 hours before tour
Brief us about the services that the company offers.
Conferences / Events for Staff & Dealers – Within India as
well around the World
Domestic & International Flights booking with lowest rates
Worldwide Hotel Reservations with competitive rates
Foreign Exchange
Travel Insurance
Domestic & International Tours
Car bookings – Within India as well around the World
Rail Booking - Within India as well around the World
Cruise Booking
Passport & Visa Assistance
Our service offerings include:
Tailor-Made Itineraries
Specialized Training Incentives
Meetings and Events Management
Outdoor and Special Interest Travel
What are the unique propositions that the company
offers giving it an edge over competitors?
We provide all inclusive products, No Hidden Charges and
End to end services etc. We believe in guiding the traveller
with an “all Inclusive” price point and not mislead a client
with eyewash of a published low price, with all others as
Optionals. Time and again, we have been able to prove to
our clients that what is appearing cheap, is ultimately more
expensive & there can be no compromises on a well-
tailored, all inclusive holiday. We believe in giving true
value for money. It has been our competitor’s constant
endeavour to prove us wrong; however, our satisfied clients
have been our greatest spokesperson. A good product talks
for itself.
What are the challenges in this industry in India?
India is the world’s tenth largest business travel market and
is likely to clock the fastest growth in this segment in the
next five years. In 2018, India saw a 15% increase in
business travel spending, which will grow by a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12% through 2020 to 6%
by 2030. The industry does look promising but then there
still is a certain set of challenge that needs to be overcome
and includes:
Lack of proper infrastructure
Lack of adequate Marketing & Promotion of particular
destination
Taxation
33September 2019|

36. Security issues
Service Levels
Regulatory Issues
Please share the latest technology that the company is
utilizing to offer better solutions.
We found that communication has been a theme at the heart
of some of the greatest technological advancements of the
21st century. Technology is playing a huge role allowing all
travellers –solo, couples as well as families and friends
make and change plans in a jiffy with the help of their
phones.In order to provide our customers with even better
experience we are utilizing some of the latest technologies
like:
Amadeus API Integration
Social Media Integration
Internet of Things (IoT)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Which Country/State, according to you is most popular
when it comes to corporate events and why?
Some countries are better than others when it comes to
starting and running a business.
Popular MICE Destinations: - Thailand / Singapore /
Malaysia / Dubai & Hong Kong with Macau
Reason: Because Excellent Air Connectivity from major
cities of India / Easier Visa Formalities / Wide range of
hotels available with lowest rate / Many attractions or
sightseeing’s available for age groups / Superb Night Life
available in all places / Shopping Paradise / Local Peoples
hospitality / Wide range of Indian Restaurant available.
What would be your advice for the budding start-ups
and entrepreneurs in the industry?
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of
learning.
Quality is much better than quantity. One home run is much
better than two doubles.
Moving fast enables us to build more things and learn
faster. We have a saying: “Move fast and break things.”
The idea is that if you never break anything, you’re
probably not moving fast enough.
The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on
the customers. Our goal is to be the world’s most customer-
centric company.
Business opportunities are like buses; there is always
another one coming.
Business success is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics.
Don’t find a fault; find a remedy.
Brief us about the company’s future perspectives.
We are planning to expand outlets all over India for
customer council. We are also developing a highly efficient
online travel agent system and building up Online Travel
Bookings.
September 2019|0134